Category: USA Politics

Democratic Party candidates for California governor said they would fight the Trump administration’s push to get California police officers to begin issuing English proficiency tests for big rig drivers in the state because it’s racist.

The warnings and fear expressed about implementing stricter regulations to ensure anyone with a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) can understand American road signs came from Democrats during the first California gubernatorial debate since Eric Swalwell was forced to jump out of the race amid sexual misconduct allegations. 

It also follows efforts by the Trump administration to push states to become stricter around handing out CDLs and a slew of news headlines and Homeland Security reports highlighting fatal tractor trailer crashes by illegal immigrants who struggle to sufficiently speak English.

“Racial profiling is illegal. And, in fact, picking on people based on the color of their skin in the state of California, is illegal,” Democrat megadonor and billionaire businessman Tom Steyer said when asked if he would support a policy enforcing police to issue road-side language proficiency tests to truck drivers.

WHITE HOUSE SAYS CALIFORNIA GRANTED LICENSE TO ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER CHARGED IN FATAL DUI CRASH

“Is that officer asking everyone he pulls over to explain those road signs? Or, is he asking only people who look like me? If he’s doing that, then he’s violating the law,” former Biden administration Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Beccera said, slamming a police officer in a short local news clip played at the outset of the question showing an officer issuing a field test to determine if a commercial driver who spoke Spanish could understand road signs.

Meanwhile, Republican California gubernatorial hopeful Sheriff Chad Bianco slammed his Democratic opponents for pulling the race card. 

“Let’s stop with this whole racism thing, and racial profiling and all of this garbage. We have to get over this. You either violated the law or you didn’t. End of story,” Bianco said. “Consequences for bad behavior.”

The Department of Transportation announced in October that it would withhold $40 million from California, arguing the state has failed to comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards. 

The pulled funding came after an audit found that a pattern of states was issuing licenses illegally to foreigners, including through not ensuring drivers could speak sufficient English. In California alone, the audit claimed to have found, more than 25% of non-domiciled CDLs reviewed were improperly issued.

EXCLUSIVE: MOM SPEAKS OUT AFTER ILLEGAL ALIEN DUI SUSPECT ALLEGEDLY KILLS 8-YEAR-OLD, MAIMS MARINE DAD

In August, a fatal crash with an 18-wheeler driven by an illegal immigrant was caused after an illegal U-turn was made by the foreign driver. Subsequent investigations revealed the driver lacked English proficiency. “This is a devastating tragedy made even worse by the fact that it was totally preventable,” White House Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital at the time. “Illegal aliens that have no legal right to be in our country certainly should not be granted commercial drivers’ licenses.”

In response to Bianco telling his Democrat colleagues to “stop with this whole racism thing,” Democratic candidate and former congresswoman from California Katie Porter said she was “stunned” he would say such a thing.

“I am stunned that Mr. Bianco would say to black and brown Californians and immigrants who are being terrorized and racially profiled that you have to ‘get over’ racism. It’s not something that you ‘get over, it’s something that you ‘fight.’ If he doesn’t understand the importance of that he has no business representing a state with the diversity of California,” Porter said when asked about whether she supported enforcing rules so that law enforcement will issue language proficiency tests to truck drivers.

Matt Mahan, the former mayor of San Jose, also said he would not support the policy, but he and Porter both suggested that the DMV could use some oversight.

“No,” Mahan said when asked if he supported the policy to test truck drivers for language skills. “The right answer here, clearly, is to hold the DMV accountable for ensuring that every driver on our roadway meets the qualifications for the licenses they have. That is the appropriate entity to do this.”

When the moderator pressed Mahan for a clearer answer on whether he would support law enforcement checking truck drivers for language proficiency on the road, he dodged the question.

“It’s not about whether you speak English,” Mahan continued. “What the DMV is responsible for doing is not testing how good your English is, it’s whether or not you’re a safe driver who understands the rules.”

“Protecting Californians also includes enforcing traffic laws and we’ve seen sometimes a need for oversight in California,” Porter also said. “For example, we have seen that the Department of Motor Vehicles was not enforcing rules about DUI’s and drivers who have convictions for that.”

Virginia’s redistricting fight is racing toward the state’s highest court after a county judge blocked certification of a narrowly approved ballot measure on Wednesday that would dramatically reshape the state’s congressional map in favor of Democrats and potentially impact control of Congress.

Longtime Del. Terry Kilgore, the Republican leader of the Virginia House, told Fox News Digital state Democrats unlawfully forced through the mid-decade redraw to give themselves a 10-1 advantage, saying he was “irritated” by what he viewed as unprecedented partisanship.

“This is Virginia. We normally get along, normally go through things the right way,” Kilgore said. “I’ve been here over 30 years. … I’ve never seen anything like this so partisan since I’ve been here, and it was a very sad day for the Commonwealth.”

He noted the pressure the state Supreme Court, which leans slightly conservative, is now under to address the polarizing election issue, saying he believed it would be struck down.

APPEALS COURT RULES AGAINST VIRGINIA’S EFFORT TO BLOCK RE-INSTATEMENT OF SUSPECTED NONCITIZENS TO VOTER ROLLS

“I think if they follow the law, they will definitely strike this down and have it null and void, so we’re optimistic,” Kilgore said.

More than three million Virginians turned out to vote on the high-profile, multimillion-dollar redistricting effort, approving it on April 21 by a slim margin of 51.5% to 48.5%, which Kilgore said was representative of Virginia’s purple, rather than blue, political landscape.

“They thought we were going to lose by 15 points, and that would make their argument that Virginia is a 10-1 state,” Kilgore said. “Of course it was like at 2% and that shows you how close Virginia really is, that we are a 6-5 state, and we actually won some of the districts that they have redrawn. This is just a power grab. That’s all you can say, a power grab by the national Democrats.”

OBAMA ENDORSES VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT COULD HELP DEMS GAIN 4 SEATS

Wednesday’s decision by Tazewell County Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley to block certification of the results stemmed from Republican National Committee v. Koski, one of multiple lawsuits challenging the redistricting referendum as unconstitutional and unlawful.

The question that appeared on the ballot on April 21 asked voters if they wanted to approve a new congressional map that would “restore fairness” in elections.

The question was reflective of comments by Virginia House of Delegates Democratic leader Don Scott, who said in February the amendment was “about leveling the playing field across the country. Republicans are gerrymandering maps to override the will of the voters,” Scott said, noting Texas, North Carolina and Missouri, while leaving out Democrat-friendly mid-cycle redistricting in California and Utah. Scott claimed a “10-1 map levels the playing field.” 

Newly elected Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger previously vowed to leave Virginia’s maps to the redistricting commission but has faced “bait-and-switch” accusations for reversing that stance and signing the amendment, saying it was a temporary response to President Donald Trump’s insertion into redistricting fights.

Hurley in his decision cited procedural failures in how the legislature advanced the amendment and “misleading” ballot language that he said improperly influenced voters. Attorney General Jay Jones, an elected Democrat, said an appeal was imminent.

DAVID MARCUS: RICH MEN NORTH OF RICHMOND SET TO STEAL THE VOTES OF RURAL VIRGI

“Virginia voters have spoken, and an activist judge should not have veto power over the People’s vote. We look forward to defending the outcome of last night’s election in court,” Jones said Wednesday.

The Tazewell decision came after the same judge, Hurley, had previously ruled against Democrats in another, similar lawsuit brought by Republican state lawmakers over the amendment.

Hurley initially blocked the referendum vote from even moving forward as part of that case, but the Virginia Supreme Court stepped in and stayed that decision in March.

MARYLAND HOUSE APPROVES NEW CONGRESSIONAL MAP AS SENATE LEADERS WARN OF RISKS

“It is the process, not the outcome, of this effort that we may ultimately have to address,” the state’s highest court found at the time. “Issuing an injunction to keep Virginians from the polls is not the proper way to make this decision.”

The Virginia Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in that case on Monday, during which the high court could also address issues raised in the other lawsuits still proceeding through the lower courts.

Jason Snead, executive director of the Honest Elections Project, which filed an amicus brief arguing that Democrats violated the state Constitution by extending a special session to pass the amendment, said his group’s arguments were among several that would ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court. He said the various lawsuits may also be consolidated since they contain overlapping arguments.

DAVID MARCUS: VIRGINIA’S BATTLE OVER GERRYMANDERING BETRAYS OUR BROKEN POLITICS

“[The Virginia Supreme Court] has really been backed into a corner by this, and I think that they understand that they’re going to have to get an answer here very quickly, and I think that’s why they set oral argument in this case so soon after the referendum,” Snead said.

He added that “I think we’re going to get a ruling as soon as May.” The deadline for candidates to qualify for the ballot is May 26.

Snead said that in addition to an allegedly unconstitutionally extended special session, other concerns laid out by Republicans included that ballot language should have, by law, been posted for 90 days and that Democrats “simply tried to get out of jail with that one” by retroactively repealing the law. He noted the “lack of neutrality” in the ballot language itself, referencing how it framed redistricting as “restoring fairness.”

Although the case could even make its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, Snead predicted that the fight would end in Virginia.

“They’re raising questions about legislative process and constitutional procedure at the state level, so I really think this is going to probably end with the Virginia Supreme Court,” Snead said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Jones’ and Spanberger’s offices for comment.

East Village residents who voted for New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani by a 40-point margin are now suing to stop a building in their neighborhood from becoming a temporary homeless shelter.

The lawsuit, filed with the New York City Supreme Court on Monday, shows hesitation even among Mamdani supporters about the cost of implementing some of his plans.

News of the lawsuit has prompted conservative mockery online, with figures like Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, noting the irony of Mamdani’s supporters turning on the fruits of his administration.

“Oops,” Sen. Ted Cruz said in a post to X.

MAMDANI PRESSED ON PLEDGE TO BE TRUMP’S ‘WORST NIGHTMARE’ AND LANDLORD PUSHBACK ON RENT FREEZE PLAN

“No one is more ‘not in my backyard’ than white progressives. This community voted for Mamdani in a landslide but don’t want to live with the consequences,” Michael Henry, a former New York attorney general candidate, wrote on social media.

“Not shocked,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said in a post of his own.

Election District 45, the area that includes East Village, voted for Mamdani in a 70.1% victory over independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, who garnered just 26.0% of the vote.

Even so, 10 residents joined the Village Organization for the Integrity of Community Engagement (VOICE) in their suit against the city after Mamdani announced plans earlier this year to turn a building at 8 East 3rd Street into a citywide intake shelter to house homeless adult men.

MAMDANI DISCOURAGES HAKEEM JEFFRIES PRIMARY CHALLENGER, TELLS CITY COUNCIL MEMBER TO ‘FOCUS’ ON NYC

The filing argues the city fast-tracked the process without proper environmental and legal safeguards.

“It challenges the city’s hastily made and legally invalid decision to locate a new citywide homeless adult male intake center at 8 East 3rd Street without following any of the legal requirements that must precede such a significant and consequential decision,” the filing reads.

To circumvent them, the complaint notes that Mamdani relied on an emergency declaration from 2022 — a power originally issued to handle an influx of asylum-seekers.

Mamdani announced the temporary housing project at 8 East 3rd Street as a way to accommodate the closure of Bellevue Shelter, a separate homeless intake site that the mayor’s office said had deteriorated too far for use.

“The Department of Social Services (DSS) and Department of Homeless Services (DHS) will immediately implement an operational plan to vacate 30th Street and relocate the critical functions to other sites. There are approximately 250 individuals in the shelter and the DSS is working to relocate these individuals by mid-March,” Mamdani’s office said in a press release.

NYC LANDLORDS FIRE BACK AT ‘RACIST’ MAMDANI AIDE’S CLAIM THAT TIES HOMEOWNERSHIP TO ‘WHITE SUPREMACY’

The mayor’s office also detailed that a second accommodation site would be opened at 333 Bowery St., beginning on May 1, to house families without minor children.

The New York Supreme Court has not yet responded to requests for emergency relief that would pause the city’s plans.

EXCLUSIVE: A Defense Department scientist’s 2022 death, which was ruled an accident, is drawing new scrutiny as federal authorities examine a series of deaths and disappearances involving researchers tied to sensitive government work.

The case comes as federal authorities and lawmakers examine reports involving at least 10 to 11 scientists tied to sensitive government research, including individuals connected to nuclear, aerospace and defense programs.

The cases, which span disappearances, confirmed homicides and unexplained deaths, have drawn attention from the White House and Congress, prompting calls for federal agencies to determine whether any broader national security risk exists.

TEXTS AFTER ANNA KEPNER’S MYSTERIOUS CRUISE SHIP DEATH SHOW FAMILY SCRAMBLING TO CLAMP DOWN ON INFO

One of those cases drawing renewed attention is the death of Jude Height, a longtime Army biochemist whose work placed him within the type of high-level research now under federal review.

Height, 71, died Sept. 9, 2022, after a vehicle rolled backward down a driveway at a home in Chester County, Pennsylvania, striking and trapping him beneath it, according to the local coroner’s office and official records. The death was ruled accidental.

The FBI declined to comment on specific cases, but told Fox News Digital it is “spearheading the effort to look for connections into the missing and deceased scientists. We are working with the Department of Energy, Department of War, and with our state and local law enforcement partners to find answers.”

The White House similarly declined to get ahead of its investigation. 

“The White House continues to coordinate across the interagency in order to investigate these events and provide transparency to the American people,” spokesperson Anna Kelly said. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Army at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland for comment. The War Department referred to the Army. 

Height spent more than four decades working as a biochemist for the U.S. Army at Aberdeen Proving Ground’s Edgewood, Maryland, facility, focusing on how nerve agents interact with the human body — work that placed him within the type of national security research now drawing broader federal scrutiny.

His work included findings on Novichok agents, a class of chemical weapons used in high-profile international poisonings, including the 2018 attack on former Russian spy Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom.

“We were working on the next generation of nerve agent therapeutics,” Scott Peghan, a biochemist who worked with Height through Army research programs, told Fox News Digital. 

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE REVEALS NEW DETAILS IN MOM’S VANISHING THAT DON’T ADD UP AS QUESTIONS HAUNT CASE: EXPERT

His final research, published after his death, examined how Novichok agents inhibit acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme critical to nerve function. Height was preparing to present his latest findings at the annual Military Health System Research Symposium at the time of his death.

“He worked on the structure of proteins involved in interactions with nerve agents,” Dennis Reuter, a former senior Army scientist who ran a chemical weapons laboratory and oversaw Height’s work for two decades, told Fox News Digital. “It was very cutting-edge research.” 

Dr. Emory “Bill” Sarver, a former chief scientist who worked with Height for 25 years, told Fox News Digital his work focused on how those agents bind to key enzymes, including whether those interactions could be reversed — research with implications for both chemical defense and medical treatment. 

Nerve agents like Novichok disrupt the body’s ability to transmit signals between nerves, leading to paralysis and, in severe cases, death.

Colleagues said the work required highly specialized expertise and was conducted in a limited number of government laboratories. Height deployed alongside special forces as a civilian scientist to conduct onsite analysis related to suspected chemical weapons.

In 911 audio reviewed by Fox News Digital, the caller appears to say someone “ran him over a couple times,” prompting the dispatcher to repeatedly ask who had run him over and whether it had been intentional.

But sworn testimony from Height’s girlfriend — the only person present at the time of the incident — later differed in key respects from the initial police report.

In the crash report, police wrote that the vehicle had been parked “unoccupied, overnight.” In her later deposition, the girlfriend said she had driven the car earlier that morning and returned home shortly before the incident.

NASA COORDINATING WITH RELEVANT AGENCIES IN MISSING SCIENTISTS PROBE

The report also stated that Height ran behind the vehicle in an attempt to stop it. In sworn testimony, however, the girlfriend said she did not see him run behind the car, only that she saw him already behind it and falling.

Police further wrote that the vehicle “rolled over (Height) two times.” In the deposition, the girlfriend said she did not know whether he was run over more than once, describing instead seeing the car “bounce” as it moved.

Height’s former girlfriend did not respond to a request for comment. 

Former colleagues who worked with Height for decades say the circumstances surrounding his death have never been fully explained.

“None of us believe the official account. Nothing adds up,” said Reuter.

“None of it was well explained,” said Sarver.

A source close to Height with law enforcement experience described the crash report to Fox News Digital as “one of the worst accident reports I’ve ever seen,” citing inconsistencies in how the incident was documented.

Cases like Height’s have drawn attention as part of the broader review of scientists tied to sensitive government research, though authorities have not indicated that his death is connected to any wider pattern.

The crash report provides a basic account of the incident but offers little detail on how the vehicle moved or how Height came to be under it. 

Birmingham Township, Pennsylvania, Police said they handled the initial response, but the investigation — including diagrams and analysis — was conducted by Chester County Detectives, who did not respond to a request for comment.

The death was ruled an accident by the Chester County Coroner’s Office, which listed the cause as multiple blunt force injuries. The autopsy notes it was conducted based on the circumstances provided by investigators.

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

A separate autopsy conducted at the request of the family reached a different conclusion, finding the manner of death could not be determined and raising questions about whether the injuries were consistent with the reported accident.

The report described findings as “very strongly suspicious of homicidal violence coupled with an attempt to cover this as an accident,” and noted that injuries appeared to occur in multiple phases, with damage to the head and neck described as distinct from trauma to the torso.

The report also referenced puncture-type injuries, though it did not determine how those injuries occurred.

However, the examiner did not make a definitive determination as to the manner of death.

Height’s daughter, Kristin Height, has spent years trying to understand what happened and has implored local law enforcement and the FBI to reopen the case.

Height told Fox News Digital she was not initially notified by authorities of her father’s death and instead learned of it from a former colleague of her father’s.

In sworn testimony, the girlfriend said police instructed her not to contact Height directly.

She’s obtained some records, including the initial crash report, but has struggled to access additional investigative materials.

“I’ve filed requests … and they’ve rejected (them),” she said, referring to attempts to obtain further records. 

Family members said Height had, at times, expressed unease related to his work.

“He was kind of concerned about if somebody was like, he was being watched or monitored,” his brother Bill Height told Fox News Digital.

Height’s daughter said he had expressed concern during the COVID-19 pandemic about working from home and whether bringing government-issued equipment outside secure facilities could expose sensitive information.

Family members also said Height had raised some concerns about his relationship.

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner has ordered an immediate halt to enforcement of a key Obama-era housing rule tied to gender identity, directing the agency to operate programs based on biological sex.

The directive stops any pending or future enforcement of HUD’s 2016 Equal Access Rule, which expanded gender identity as formally recognized in federally-funded housing programs and shelters.

The move marks a significant shift in how shelters and HUD-funded providers operate, particularly those serving women fleeing domestic violence, and implements President Donald Trump’s executive order to restore what the administration calls “biological truth” across the federal government.

“I am directing HUD staff to halt any pending or future enforcement actions related to HUD’s 2016 Equal Access Rule, which, in essence, tied housing programs, shelters and other facilities funded by HUD to far-left gender ideology,” Turner said.

TRUMP STOPPED BIDEN’S PLAN TO FORCE DEI ON LOCAL COMMUNITIES

“We, at this agency, are carrying out the mission laid out by President Trump on Jan. 20 … to restore biological truth to the federal government,” he added. 

“This means recognizing there are only two sexes: male and female. It means getting government out of the way of what the Lord established from the beginning when he created man in His own image.”

The 2016 rule allowed people to self-identify for gender when accessing certain housing services, limiting the ability of shelters to challenge that identification.

Critics of the rule argued it restricted the rights of shelters, particularly those serving women impacted by trauma, domestic abuse and violence, by requiring them to admit individuals based on gender identity rather than biological sex.

JUDGE FORCES CA HOSPITAL TO KEEP TRANS TREATMENTS FOR MINORS DESPITE TRUMP FUNDING THREAT

Turner framed the move as part of a broader overhaul of HUD policy and spending.

“Moreover, this is just the first of many examples of how, starting on day one, HUD is going back to work for the American people and being a good steward of taxpayer dollars,” he said. “There will be more where this came from.”

The Equal Access Rule was first introduced in 2012, prohibiting discrimination in HUD-funded programs based on sexual orientation, gender identity and marital status. A 2016 update expanded those protections by requiring programs to recognize gender identity as well.

Turner’s order does not repeal the rule but halts enforcement tied to the 2016 expansion.

“As I have said before, we are going to take inventory of HUD’s programs and ensure every dollar that goes out the door is advancing HUD’s mission, which is to provide quality, affordable homes for communities across the country — urban, rural and tribal — and promote economic investment to build stronger communities and a brighter future for all Americans,” Turner said.

None of the Democratic candidates running to replace outgoing California Governor Gavin Newsom gave him below a “B-minus” grade on combating homelessness — a moment that Republicans sharing the debate stage on Wednesday evening called a laughable evaluation of the state’s problem.

“My goodness, of course it’s an F,” Republican candidate Steve Hilton, a former Fox News host, said.

“It shames our state, the situation with homelessness. We have about 10% of the U.S. population, around 50% of the country’s homeless,” he continued.

The moment forced the four Democratic candidates to weigh in on efforts to unwind a crisis that has only worsened in recent years despite billions in funding. It also highlighted a reluctance among Democrats to critique Newsom, who has yet to make an endorsement in the race. 

TRUMP BACKS HILTON AHEAD OF CALIFORNIA GOP VOTE, TESTING BIANCO’S GRIP ON PARTY ENDORSEMENT

“I’m a notoriously tough grader, but I would probably give him a B on homelessness,” Katie Porter, a former Democratic congresswoman, said.

“I don’t think this has been an easy problem to solve, but I do give him a lot of credit for calling attention to the problem.”

Tom Steyer, a billionaire-businessman-turned candidate, put Newsom’s performance in the same ballpark.

NEWSOM STILL BACKING $114M ‘BRIDGE TO NOWHERE’ FOR MOUNTAIN LIONS AND BUTTERFLIES

“So I’d give the governor a B-minus on this,” Steyer said.

But one other Democrat, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, made the case that the grade was too low, citing Newsom’s “effort.”

“I would say that the governor has made efforts. We’ve seen him come down to Los Angeles, actually go out and try to clean some of these streets. On effort, I would give him an A,” Becerra said.

California reported 161,400 people had experienced homelessness on any given night in 2024, according to the California State Senate Housing Committee.

The numbers are higher than when Newsom took office in January 2019.

That year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development put California’s homeless population at 108,400 — 32% less than levels in 2024.

The persistently high rates have thwarted billions in funding to bring the numbers down. California has spent roughly $20 billion on homeless initiatives from 2019 to 2025, according to the California Budget and Policy Center, a left-leaning think tank.

In a 2023 debate with Newsom on Fox News’ “Hannity,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis famously illustrated the acuteness of the homelessness problem by holding up a map of San Francisco, detailing over 270,000 reported instances of feces found on the streets of the city, which was dubbed the “poop map” on social media.

To Republican candidate Chad Bianco, Riverside County Sheriff, it’s clear the problem has nothing to do with money.

“It is an absolute dismal failure and anyone that says it’s not is fooling themselves — or trying to fool voters,” Bianco said.

CALIFORNIA SHERIFF USES ‘TO CATCH A PREDATOR’ PLAYBOOK TO SQUASH BLUE STATE CRIME

“We are not dealing with homeless, so stop calling it homeless. It has nothing to do with homes. These people are suffering from drug and alcohol abuse and mental illness,” he added.

California will hold its gubernatorial primary on June 2. The top two candidates will advance to the general election on Nov. 3, according to the California Secretary of State.

Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries ripped Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a Fox News Digital interview on Thursday, calling him a “lame duck” after the governor offered to pay for his trip to Florida amid a redistricting push.

Jeffries warned DeSantis he could put Republican seats at risk as the Sunshine State remains in the spotlight of a nationwide gerrymandering battle, with parties reshuffling congressional districts for partisan advantages.

“Ron DeSantis is putting his own congressional delegation in jeopardy, which probably shouldn’t be surprising because all of them, as I understand it, can’t stand the charismatically challenged lame duck governor of Florida,” Jeffries said.

CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS SUE TO STOP NEWSOM, DEMOCRATS FROM PUSHING REDISTRICTING PLAN

DeSantis extended the invitation to Jeffries at a press conference in Kissimmee, Florida, on Wednesday following Jeffries’ “F around and find out” warning on redistricting.

“Please. Be my guest. I will pay for you to come down to Florida to campaign,” DeSantis told the crowd. “I’ll put you up in the Florida governor’s mansion. We will take you fishing. We’ll do all this stuff. There’s nothing that could be better for Republicans in Florida than to see Jeffries, Hakeem Jeffries, everywhere around this state.”

Jeffries warned DeSantis earlier this week not to follow Texas’s lead, where Republicans pushed a redistricting map to flip up to five Democratic-held seats.

“Our message to Florida Republicans is F around and find out,” Jeffries said. “If they go down the road of a DeSantis dummymander, the Florida Republicans are gonna find themselves in the same situation as Texas Republicans, who are on the run right now. Under no circumstances are Texas Republicans picking up five seats. They’ll be fortunate if they get two or three. While in California, we are going to get all five.”

BATTLE FOR THE HOUSE RUNS THROUGH VIRGINIA AS COURT OKS HIGH-STAKES REDISTRICTING VOTE

Multiple states have moved forward with similar redistricting efforts following a push initiated by President Donald Trump.

Jeffries added that the redistricting war is not over yet.

“The Republicans are dummymandering their way into the minority before a single voter casts a ballot because they started this war and we’re going to finish it.”

With the 2026 midterms approaching, both parties hope to win the House by leveraging gerrymandering.

President Trump urged Virginia voters this week to reject the “blatant partisan power grab” in Virginia before voters headed to the polls to vote on the congressional redistricting referendum, led by Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger.

The referendum was passed on Tuesday night, securing Virginia Democrats a major win and increasing the party’s chances in the midterms.

FIRST ELECTION TEST FOR TRUMP’S TERM SURPRISINGLY CLOSE IN FL, GOP LOOKS TO INCREASE RAZOR-THIN HOUSE MAJORITY

DeSantis called a special session this week to focus on congressional maps that he says will “accurately reflect the population of our state.” Florida’s state constitution bans favoring parties in redistricting.

Eight Democratic-held districts are up for redrawing. Currently, Republicans hold 20 of Florida’s seats, while Democrats hold eight.

A redistricting plan has not been revealed.

Fox News Digital’s Leo Briceno contributed to this report.

The Justice Department’s (DOJ) internal watchdog is investigating whether the agency properly handled the release of records tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein amid concerns it may have failed to comply with the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

Deputy Inspector General William M. Blier announced Thursday that his office will audit “the DOJ’s identification, collection and production of responsive material,” focusing on whether the department fully complied with the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law requiring the public release of certain Epstein-related records, including materials tied to his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.

The audit centers on whether the DOJ withheld documents covered under the law, raising new questions about transparency in one of the most high-profile criminal cases in recent history.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed in November, followed mounting pressure on the DOJ to release additional information related to Epstein, including materials officials previously indicated were under review. The law requires the department to identify and disclose responsive records to the public.

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“If circumstances warrant, the OIG will consider addressing other issues that may arise during the course of the audit,” the inspector general said in a statement, adding that a public report will be issued at the conclusion of the review.

The DOJ did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The investigation comes amid broader scrutiny of the DOJ’s handling of Epstein-related disclosures and internal leadership changes at the department. Former Attorney General Pam Bondi was fired earlier this month after public frustration over the pace and scope of document releases tied to the Epstein case.

‘SEPARATED FROM REALITY’: SENATE REPUBLICANS FUME AS DEMS USE EPSTEIN SAGA TO BLOCK TRUMP’S AGENDA

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, however, pushed back on suggestions that Bondi’s firing was linked to the Epstein files during an episode of “Jesse Watters Primetime.”

“I have never heard President Trump say that the attorney general was — that anything that happened to her — had anything to do with the Epstein files,” Blanche said.

“What happened when the president signed the Transparency Act is the Department of Justice has now released all the files with respect to the Epstein saga. … Attorney General Bondi and I appeared in front of Congress voluntarily a couple weeks ago to answer any questions they had,” he told Fox News. 

“We have made every single congressman, senator available to come and see any document redacted, unredacted.”

Fox News Digital’s Nora Moriarty, Katelyn Caralle and Emma Colton contributed to this report.

As artificial intelligence grabs headlines and stirs debate, the latest Fox News Poll finds most voters see it as a threat to privacy and jobs, contributing to a largely negative impression overall.

The survey, released Thursday, finds voters think AI mostly hurts rather than helps key aspects of life, whether on a personal, national, or global scale.

Voters have negative views on AI by 50 points when it comes to privacy (63% hurts, 13% helps), by 35 points on U.S. job creation (56-21), by 15 points on the national economy (42-27), by 5 points on people’s daily lives (38-33), and by 4 points on their own personal lives (30-26).

FOX NEWS POLL: 56% DOUBT WHITE HOUSE’S COMPETENCE AT MANAGING GOVERNMENT

The only area where people think AI mainly helps rather than hurts is U.S. competitiveness with other countries: 38% think it helps while 32% view it as harmful.

Still, sizable minorities feel AI doesn’t make a difference in each category: 43% feel it makes no difference in their personal life, 30% in the economy, 29% global competitiveness, 28% people’s daily lives, 23% people’s privacy, and 21% job creation.

By double-digits, Democrats and independents are more likely to say AI hurts rather than helps in each area.

While the level of negativity varies, more voters under age 30 say AI hurts more than helps in every category listed. Voters age 65 and over also view AI technology as more hurtful except when it comes to global competitiveness, where they give it the benefit of the doubt.

Viewing the new technology as harmful leads to an overall negative opinion of AI, with 43% having a favorable opinion vs. 54% unfavorable.

Those who view it positively include voters in households with $100,000 or more income (54% favorable), Republicans (53%), Republicans who identify as MAGA (57%), and Catholics (52%).

Some of the biggest drivers of AI pessimism are independents (64% unfavorable), Democrats (61%), and women without a college degree (60%).

FOX NEWS POLL: ECONOMIC GLOOM, TRUMP RATINGS SIGNAL TOUGH GOP MIDTERM PATH

One more thing…

When asked which political party would better handle artificial intelligence, voters are closely divided: 51% say the Democrats vs. 46% the Republicans.  The results are within the margin of error, indicating no clear advantage for either party.

Part of the Democrats’ edge comes from a majority of independents backing them over their GOP counterparts (54% to 46%) and more than 1 in 10 self-identified Republicans defecting as well (13% D, 84% R).

CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE

Conducted April 17-20, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,001 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (116) and cellphones (635) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (250). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.

As the war in Iran nears the two-month mark, a new Fox News Poll shows a modest uptick in support, though voters remain divided on key aspects of the conflict – especially over its long-term consequences and U.S. safety.

The survey, released Thursday, shows support for the current military action in Iran at 45%, up from 42% support last month.  A majority of 55% oppose it.

FOX NEWS POLL: 56% DOUBT WHITE HOUSE’S COMPETENCE AT MANAGING GOVERNMENT

Still, a slim majority thinks things are going well in Iran (51% well vs. 49% not well), a flip from March when voters said the action was not going well (47% vs. 52%).

FOX NEWS POLL: ECONOMIC GLOOM, TRUMP RATINGS SIGNAL TOUGH GOP MIDTERM PATH

The bump in support for the war can be mostly attributed to non-MAGA Republicans (+11 points in support), Hispanic voters (+10), men over age 45 (+8), and independents (+5).

Looking at the likely effect on security, voters still narrowly say the action will make the U.S. less safe (36% safer, 39% less safe, 25% no difference). However, this gap has narrowed since March (33%, 44%, 23% respectively).

Voters are also not convinced the costs of the war are worth it. A 57% majority believes the action will not improve U.S. safety enough to justify the problems it has created, while 43% say the short-term problems will be worth it in the long run.

Although voters across the board express skepticism, partisan differences are stark. Roughly 3 in 10 Republicans, 7 in 10 independents, and 8 in 10 Democrats, think improved safety does not justify the challenges.

The most important objectives for voters are avoiding a prolonged conflict and keeping the Strait of Hormuz open (80% say it is extremely or very important for each). Majorities also think it’s extremely or very important to end Iran’s nuclear weapons program (72%), support the people of Iran (65%) and bring about changes to Iran’s government (55%).

The top objective for Democrats and independents is avoiding a prolonged conflict, while for Republicans it’s ending Iran’s nuclear program.

Six in 10 (59%) rate the performance of the U.S. military in the conflict as excellent (32%) or good (27%), about where sentiment was last month (58% excellent/good).

More than 5 in 10 independents (53%) and 8 in 10 Republicans (81%) rate the military positively, while just 4 in 10 Democrats agree (40%).

“One of the more remarkable statistics attesting to the country’s intense polarization is that when asked about the U.S. military’s performance in Iran, by 20 percentage points Democrats rate it negatively, and it’s difficult to proffer an explanation other than those who dislike President Trump are unwilling to say anything positive about anything he touches,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who works on Fox News polls with Democrat Chris Anderson.

Among those who have served in the military, support for the current action in Iran has dipped slightly (down 4 points since March), but a majority still supports it (57%), thinks things are going well (65%), rates the military positively (78% excellent/good) and half think the military action will make the U.S. safer (50%).

Trump said Tuesday the U.S. will extend its ceasefire with Iran, a day before it was set to end and amid a U.S. blockade on Iranian ports. This comes as peace talks in Pakistan involving Vice President JD Vance were delayed as Iran has not committed to participating yet. The survey was conducted April 17-20.

When asked to rate how tough Trump has been on Iran, more voters say he’s been too tough (40%), rather than not tough enough (28%) or about right (30%).

The 40% saying Trump is too tough is up from 18% in May 2019 (the last time the question was asked) – mainly driven by Democrats and independents thinking he’s too tough now.

When it comes to the president’s approach to China, however, results are reversed: 21% say he’s too tough, 40% not tough enough, and 38% about right.  

More broadly, Trump’s job performance on foreign policy is underwater by 20 points (40% approve, 60% disapprove).  He does slightly better on his handling of China (42%, 57%) but worse on Iran (37%, 63%).

His overall job rating sits at 42% approve and 58% disapprove, about where it was last month (41%-59%).

Some Cabinet officials are also facing headwinds in their job performance. Vance’s net approval rating is -11 points (44% approve – 55% disapprove) and down from -8 in December.

Sec. of State Rubio’s net approval rating is -12, down from -5, which is the steepest decline in the Cabinet (44% approve, 56% disapprove).

Sec. of War Hegseth’s rating ticked up 2 points to -17, but he remains the lowest rated of the three (41% approve, 58% disapprove).

Iran is not the only foreign policy issue where voters are divided. They are split on U.S. support of Israel, as 40% say it’s too supportive, another 40% about right, and 19% say not supportive enough.

At 40%, the share saying the U.S. is too supportive is the highest since 2023, up from 35% the last time the question was asked in September 2025.

Democrats under age 45 (+9 points saying too supportive since 2025) and Republicans under age 45 (+7), are increasingly more likely to feel the U.S. is too supportive of Israel.  Republicans ages 45+ have the highest share of those who think support is about right (70%) while Democrats ages 45+ say too supportive (57%).

The largest share of Protestants (45%), Catholics (44%), and White Catholics (48%) say support is about right.

On Ukraine, 39% of voters say the U.S. should be doing more to support them against Russia, 26% say less and 34% feel the U.S. is doing the right amount. This is close to where sentiment has been since last summer. 

One more thing…

Trump is a frequent poster on social media, and a majority of voters see these posts as instant reactions to current events (65%) rather than strategic efforts to accomplish goals (34%).

Still, the number viewing them as strategic is up 15 points since 2018, when only 19% said his tweeting had a broader purpose.  At that time, 28% of Republicans felt his tweeting was strategic compared to the 52% who feel that way about his social media posts today. That compares with smaller increases among independents (+13 points) and Democrats (+4).

CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE

Conducted April 17-20, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,001 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (116) and cellphones (635) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (250). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.