First lady Melania Trump on Wednesday was escorted by a walking, talking humanoid at the White House as she met with her counterparts at a children’s technology summit. 

The robot accompanied Trump on the final day of the Fostering the Future Together global initiative, which focused on the role of artificial intelligence and education.

Officials from nine countries—including the United States, France, Poland, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco—presented national strategies for integrating technology into education systems.

WHITE HOUSE UNVEILS ITS FIRST FEDERAL AI FRAMEWORK, PUSHES CONGRESS TO ACT ‘THIS YEAR’

“The future of AI is personified,” the first lady said. “It will be formed in the shape of humans. Very soon, artificial intelligence will move from our mobile phones to humanoids that deliver utility. Since our environment is designed for people, humanoid systems are uniquely suited to navigate and operate within our world. They fit well.”

“Imagine a humanoid educator named ‘Plato,” she added. “Access to the classical studies is now instantaneous – literature, science, art, philosophy, mathematics, and history – Humanity’s entire corpus of information is available in the comfort of your home.”

Trump and the humanoid walked side by side in the White House East Room before the robot walked around a table with panelists.

TRUMP BRINGS BIG TECH EXECUTIVES TO WHITE HOUSE TO CURB POWER COSTS FOR AMERICAN HOUSEHOLDS AMID AI BOOM

“Thank you, first lady Melania Trump, for inviting me to the White House,” it said. “It is an honor to be at Fostering the Future Together’s global coalition inaugural meeting.”

“I’m Figure 03, a humanoid built for the United States of America,” it continued. “I am grateful to be part of this historic movement to empower children with technology and education.”

It then offered similar greetings in 10 languages and thanked everyone before walking back down a red carpet. 

The robot was introduced in October by Sunnyvale, California-based Figure AI, a robotics startup. 

The firm said the humanoid was its third-generation humanoid robot for people to use at home to help with everyday household tasks, according to its website.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

House Republicans are expecting a major boost from President Donald Trump on Wednesday as they build resources to defend their razor-thin congressional majority in November’s midterm elections.

Rep. Richard Hudson, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) chair, is expected to announce a major haul at the group’s annual fundraising dinner in the nation’s capital, which will be headlined by Trump.

The fundraising is much needed, with Republicans aiming to not only defend but expand their current 218-214 House majority in the midterms.

SCOOP: HOUSE CAMPAIGN ARM LAUNCHES ‘MAGA MAJORITY’ TO BOOST TRUMP-ALIGNED CANDIDATES 

Republicans are battling stiff political headwinds as the party in power in the nation’s capital traditionally loses seats in the midterms, and a rough political climate fueled by economic concerns over persistent inflation, an unpopular war with Iran and Trump’s underwater approval ratings.

CASH SURGE: HOUSE GOP SHATTERS FUNDRAISING RECORD

And public opinion polling suggests the economy and immigration, winning issues for Trump and Republicans in the 2024 elections, may be liabilities now.

The NRCC is neck and neck with the rival Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) as it raked in $117.2 million last year, its best-ever off-election year haul other than 2021, when Democrats controlled the White House and Congress. While the DCCC out-raised the NRCC last month by nearly $4 million, both committees had roughly the same amount of cash in their coffers.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS EXPAND REPUBLICAN TARGET LIST IN MIDTERM SHOWDOWN

“We know Republicans have seemingly infinite money that they have been raising,” DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington State told Fox News Digital.

“We’re neck and neck with our Republican counterparts, and it’s because people know how important it is that we take back the House and that we have a check on this administration.

“I think that we have an incredible opportunity because the American people understand we have great candidates, and we’re going to have the resources to get their message out.”

FIRST ON FOX: Florida’s chief law enforcement officer announced Wednesday he will warn NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell that the NFL’s longstanding “Rooney Rule” mandating interviews for minority and ethnically diverse candidates is illegal in the Sunshine State.

The rule, named for late Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who chaired the NFL’s Diversity Committee, went into effect in 2003 after Black coaches Tony Dungy and Dennis Green were fired the previous season despite strong win-loss records.

Attorney General James Uthmeier’s state hosts three teams — the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Miami Dolphins — and the AG is a fan of the latter.

INVESTIGATION OF NIKE’S DEI PRACTICES COULD HAVE MAJOR NATIONWIDE IMPACT ON HIRING, SAYS ALAN DERSHOWITZ

“As a Floridian, I wish the Miami Dolphins well with their new head football coach. As Florida’s chief legal officer, however, I write with a word of caution to the NFL on its race-and-sex-based hiring policies,” he wrote in a letter to Goodell obtained by Fox News Digital.

Goodell must, in turn, confirm no later than May 1 that the NFL will no longer enforce the Rooney Rule or any variation of it or face civil rights enforcement actions.

“As applied in Florida, the NFL’s ‘Rooney Rule,’ which governs the hiring of certain team executives and coaches, brazenly violates Florida law. So, too, do the NFL’s related ‘diversity’ initiatives,” the letter adds.

Uthmeier told Fox News Digital the NFL drafts players based on merit and should do the same in the front office.

“NFL teams are not going to hire an offensive lineman based on his race. So, why should hiring for positions off the field be based on illegal DEI quotas?” he said.

“DEI is discriminatory and illegal. The NFL doesn’t get special treatment, and any business operating in Florida is required to comply with Florida law. Good coaches are judged on wins, not the color of their skin.”

WATCHDOG GROUP EXPOSES IDAHO COLLEGES’ ALLEGED SCHEME TO SIDESTEP NEW DEI LAW

Uthmeier noted in his letter that expansions of the Rooney Rule now include women as a categorized qualifying minority and criticized provisions awarding third-round draft picks to teams that develop minority talent into GMs or head coaches as well as requiring the employment of a female or minority coach as an offensive assistant.

Uthmeier argued that Florida law bars employers from making hiring or workplace decisions based on protected characteristics such as race or sex, including any practices that could limit opportunities for certain groups.

“The Rooney Rule and its offshoots require precisely what Florida law forbids. They require teams to limit, segregate, and classify applicants for certain employment and training opportunities because of race and sex. And they do so in a way that tends to deprive applicants of opportunities for employment,” he wrote.

Uthmeier told Goodell, “The Rooney Rule and its offshoots are illegal in Florida.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the NFL for comment.

Senate Democrats blocked a last-minute attempt by Republicans to end the Homeland Security shutdown after the GOP rejected their “unserious” counteroffer. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., forced a vote on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding bill after swiftly killing Democrats’ offer earlier Wednesday afternoon. He accused their latest counter as “not even close to being real.” 

“They know better,” Thune said. “They’re asking for things that have already been turned down. So it just seems like they’re going in circles.”

The spur-of-the-moment test vote on Wednesday was designed to see whether Republicans could splinter any support from Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Democrats’ unified front to support their own framework to reopen the agency, which Democrats already rejected on Tuesday. 

DHS DEAL IN LIMBO AS DEMOCRATS DEMAND TOUGHER ICE CRACKDOWN DESPITE GOP COMPROMISE

But like the five times prior, the latest attempt was blocked by nearly every Senate Democrat.

Republicans are sticking by their initial offer, which would carve out Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) funding in exchange for reopening other agencies under the Homeland Security umbrella, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), among others.

Republicans were already fuming that Democrats did not take the deal, noting that sidelining immigration enforcement funding was one of their key demands. They also charged that Schumer and his caucus were backing away from previously negotiated positions.

Still, Senate Democrats are pushing for stringent reforms to ICE, including requiring judicial warrants for agents and banning DHS agents from wearing masks. Those provisions were among nine total demands added to the GOP framework. Those asks, in particular, have been firm red lines for Republicans throughout the shutdown.

SENATE REPUBLICANS MOVE TO REOPEN DHS WITH NEW PLAN, WAIT FOR DEMOCRATIC BUY-IN

Republicans have also consistently argued that if Democrats want reforms, they must be willing to fund immigration enforcement.

Schumer pushed back on the Senate floor shortly after announcing he had sent Republicans the latest offer, calling their accusations “bad faith” that “will only slow things down.”

“In fact, over the weekend, Democrats had constructive conversations in person with our Republican colleagues,” Schumer said. “They — the Republican colleagues — conceded that some of the reforms, verbally, that we have been looking for, they said these make sense.”

“We thought there might be a path forward on some of the ways to reform ICE and to get some of the things everybody knows ought to be in federal legislation,” he continued. “We thought there had been some progress. But then Republicans sent us their offer yesterday, and it contained none of what had been talked about.”

But Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, who was part of the White House meeting that produced the DHS framework, accused Democrats of “backing up.”

CORNYN TARGETS LAWMAKERS’ AIRPORT FAST PASS AS TSA LINES GROW DURING DHS SHUTDOWN

“If you really want to cut to the chase — take all the [expletive] aside — here’s where we’re at,” Moreno said. “Democrats made an offer. Want to know what the offer is? They don’t want us to deport anybody who entered this country illegally or overstayed their visa unless that person committed a serious crime. That’s what they want. That’s obviously insane, because that’s the base that they deal with.”

Thune also argued that Republicans and the Trump administration have given Democrats much of what they wanted, including replacing former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem with newly confirmed Secretary Markwayne Mullin, ramping down immigration operations in Minnesota, and providing several other reforms.

Some Democrats want additional guardrails on how funding in the GOP framework would be handled — specifically to prevent money from being shifted within the agency and redirected to immigration operations.

Thune said there could be some room for that concession but reiterated that Democrats’ other demands were “unserious.” He also said there was “no point” in Republicans offering another counterproposal.

“This is, honestly, retreading ground that we’ve been treading for weeks,” Thune said.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Iran could have hit Washington, D.C., and other major U.S. cities with intermediate-range ballistic missiles through proxies in Venezuela if the administration had not intervened in both countries.

Speaking at the CERAWeek oil and energy conference in Houston on Wednesday, Burgum pushed back on the narrative that Iran and Venezuela do not represent an imminent threat to the U.S. and global supply chains. He said the threat was demonstrated by Iran’s attempt to strike the U.S. military base Diego Garcia in the central Indian Ocean, more than 2,000 miles from the Middle Eastern country.

“That means, you know, Venezuela was a hotbed of Iranian-funded terror groups, including Hamas. If there was an Iranian ballistic missile placed in Venezuela, it could not just reach Houston; it can reach Washington, D.C.,” said Burgum.

“So, again, the actions that the United States is taking to make the world safer is lowering the risk premium that I think was missing from the [oil and energy] market. Because, maybe, the market wasn’t recognizing the risk.”

WHITE HOUSE WARNS IRAN AGAINST BALKING AT DEAL: TRUMP READY TO ‘UNLEASH HELL’

Burgum accused Iran, whose government he said is in shambles following intense U.S.-Israeli bombardment, of lying to the world about its missile capability.

“They said during negotiations last year, they told the international agencies, they said it right before the negotiations broke down, ‘Oh, don’t worry, we could only go 1,200 miles.’ And then they launched two missiles at Diego Garcia at 2,400 miles. That means they can hit London,” he explained.

The Islamic Republic of Iran escalated its conflict with the U.S. by launching two intermediate-range ballistic missiles Friday toward Diego Garcia, a key U.S.-U.K. military base in the Indian Ocean. Targeting Diego Garcia, roughly 2,500 miles from Iran, suggests Tehran’s missile capabilities may exceed previously acknowledged limits.

IRAN-LINKED INFLUENCE CAMPAIGN PUSHES ANTI-ISRAEL MESSAGING DISGUISED AS US VOICES: REPORT

Houston, where Burgum was speaking, is roughly 2,200 miles from Venezuela, while the nation’s capital is just over 2,000 miles away, placing both cities within range of intermediate-range ballistic missiles fired from Venezuela. Other major U.S. cities within range include Miami, roughly 1,300 miles away; New York City, about 2,100 miles; and possibly Chicago, slightly more than 2,600 miles.

On Jan. 3, Trump launched a covert military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the arrest of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

Burgum said that, because of the administration’s military action, Venezuela is no longer a serious missile threat to the U.S. and is now a potentially significant oil and energy partner.

TRUMP ENERGY CZAR SAYS IRAN CONFLICT GAS SPIKE IS ‘TEMPORARY BLIP’ AS DRILLING PUSH RAMPS UP

The secretary said that during a recent trip to Venezuela with oil executives, interim President Delcy Rodríguez signaled the country has the capacity and is eager for U.S. investment in developing its oil and gas reserves.

“The resources there are quite amazing,” he said. “And from that trip we did… we were able to bring home $100 million of gold, physically, the gold, to bring back for U.S. refiners for commercial and consumer purposes. So, the level of cooperation is going.”

A new clash erupted Wednesday over records from the dismissed Trump classified documents case after Rep. Jamie Raskin accused the Department of Justice of improperly turning over sensitive material to Congress, drawing sharp rebukes from the White House and DOJ.

“Democrats with zero credibility like Jamie Raskin are still clinging to deranged Jack Smith and his lies in 2026,” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told Fox News Digital when asked about Raskin’s claims. 

Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter on March 24 to Attorney General Pam Bondi alleging that the DOJ may have inadvertently sent his panel previously undisclosed materials showing Trump retained sensitive classified documents tied to his business interests and may have exposed them to others after his first administration. 

Trump has denied any wrongdoing in the classified documents case for years, including when FBI agents searched Mar-a-Lago in 2022 for materials he allegedly retained following his exit from the Oval Office, and when then-special counsel Jack Smith brought an indictment against him in 2023 accusing him of willfully retaining national defense information and obstructing efforts to recover it.

JACK SMITH FACES PUBLIC GRILLING ON CAPITOL HILL ABOUT TRUMP PROSECUTIONS

Raskin accused the DOJ of violating a court order requiring parts of the classified documents case to remain under seal, including Smith’s final report, which Democrats have long demanded the DOJ hand over to Congress.

Raskin’s letter quickly drew pushback from the White House, which called it “pathetic” and pointed out that Smith was forced to drop his case against Trump when he won the 2024 election. 

Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee who presided over the case, had tossed it out in July 2024 after finding Smith’s appointment by Attorney General Merrick Garland was unconstitutional. Smith was appealing her decision but withdrew his appeal after Trump’s victory, citing a DOJ policy that discourages prosecuting sitting presidents. 

“President Trump did nothing wrong, which is why he easily defeated the Biden DOJ’s unprecedented lawfare campaign against him and then won nearly 80 million votes in a landslide election victory,” Jackson continued in her statement.  

A DOJ spokesperson said Raskin was “blinded by hatred” of Trump and that the DOJ has been the “most transparent in history.” The spokesperson said the accusations leveled by Raskin were “baseless” and also refuted Raskin’s claims that the DOJ violated a court order by releasing the material to Raskin’s committee.

“Judge Cannon’s protective order was not violated, and none of the documents produced by DOJ violated 6e [grand jury rules] as none of them disclosed matters occurring before a grand jury,” the spokesperson said. “The documents marked ‘6e’ contained redactions of any 6e material. As an attorney and law professor, one must assume Raskin understands this, and thus, reveals this letter is nothing more than a cheap political stunt almost as if taking cues from members of the corrupt Jack Smith prosecution team.”

House Judiciary Committee Republicans said in a statement Raskin’s letter was another example of “manufactured outrage from the left.”

“Once again, Democrats are more focused on targeting President Trump than working with Republicans to put America first,” a committee spokesperson said. 

JACK SMITH DENIES POLITICS PLAYED ANY ROLE IN TRUMP PROSECUTIONS AT HOUSE HEARING

In his letter, Raskin alleged that the materials his committee received from DOJ showed that some classified documents in Trump’s possession were so sensitive that only six government officials had access to them and that Trump may have retained materials connected to his business dealings to enrich himself. The Maryland Democrat also cited a memorandum indicating Trump “may have shown” a classified map to individuals while on a private plane.

Raskin also accused the DOJ of cherry-picking information about the case to release to Congress while continuing to withhold other information, including the second volume of Smith’s final special counsel report. Cannon had ordered that portion of Smith’s report to remain permanently sealed, though her order is being appealed.

DEMOCRATS RAMP UP CALLS TO RELEASE JACK SMITH’S SPECIAL COUNSEL REPORT ON TRUMP CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS CASE

The sealed report has become a top focus for Democrats as no final reports produced by DOJ special counsels have been kept from the public before Smith’s. Democrats have claimed the report could shed new light on the case, while Republicans have argued the investigation was politically motivated, that the report is too prejudiced against Trump and that any disclosures at this stage must comply with Cannon’s order.

A spokesperson for committee Democrats accused the DOJ of doing “legal gymnastics” to prevent the release of Smith’s report, accusing the department of wanting to “advance his corrupt business interests.”

In August 2022, the FBI carried out a controversial search in which they seized 33 boxes from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, which included agents scouring Melania Trump’s wardrobe, Trump has previously said. Prosecutors defended the search in court, saying Trump withheld some boxes when they sought his voluntary compliance, leading them to resort to a search warrant.

The president denied any wrongdoing throughout the investigation and prosecution, calling it a “scam” pushed by the Biden administration.

Raskin in his letter demanded DOJ turn over a slate of documents related to the case and answer questions about who may have seen the classified materials.

Illegal immigrants nabbed by ICE do not have to face bond hearings, a step that has become a potential legal impediment to President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, a second federal court found Wednesday.

The case involved Mexican national Joaquin Herrera Avila, who was captured in Minneapolis in August and failed to produce legal credentials authorizing his admission to the U.S. He was detained without bond and faced removal proceedings.

“Massive court victory against activist judges and for President Trump’s law and order agenda,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said after the St. Louis-based Eighth Circuit reversed a lower court’s ruling and deemed many captured illegal immigrants ineligible for such chances to be released.

TOP US COURT HANDS TRUMP A WIN ON DEPORTATIONS AS SCOTUS CHALLENGE LOOMS

A district court in Minnesota granted Avila’s petition for habeas corpus, or to challenge the legality of his detention, which the Trump administration challenged.

“We reverse and remand [that ruling] for proceedings consistent with this opinion,” the Eighth Circuit ruled Wednesday in a split decision, with George W. Bush-appointed Judge Bobby Shepherd of Arkansas writing for the majority.

Shepherd wrote that the district court relied on federal law allowing detention without bond for “an alien who is an applicant for admission [or] seeking admission…” while considering Avila to be no longer seeking formal admission because he had resided and worked in the U.S. for many years. But, Avila did not seek further residency status such as naturalization or asylum, according to the court, which ruled that aspect proved he was not “seeking admission” in a legal sense.

“The Eighth Circuit has held that illegal aliens can be detained without bond — following a similar ruling from the Fifth Circuit last month. The law is very clear, but Democrats and activist judges haven’t wanted to enforce it. This administration will,” Bondi said.

“Imagine how many illegal alien crimes could have been averted if the left had simply followed the law?”

BORDER PATROL CHIEF BOVINO SAYS CHICAGO EFFORTS ‘VINDICATED’ AFTER COURT REVERSES ORDER RESTRICTING OPERATIONS

The Eighth Circuit’s ruling concurs with a related ruling from the New Orleans-based Fifth Circuit, which found that noncitizens can be held without bond, according to Bloomberg Law.

“If Congress wanted to make clear that ‘seeking admission’ was an independent requirement in the statute, it could have easily done so,” the court added.

Right-wing commentator Gunther Eagleman tweeted that the decision was indeed a win against “activist judges.”

“The Eighth Circuit just overturned an activist judge and upheld ICE’s mass detention policy in a 2-1 ruling,” he said, as a Trump appointee joined Shepherd in concurrence and another dissented.

FEDERAL JUDGE REJECTS MINNESOTA REQUEST TO BLOCK ICE-LED OPERATION METRO SURGE

“Key decision: Illegal aliens already inside the U.S. can be detained without bond during removal proceedings. This is a massive victory for the deportation mission. Leftist judges can no longer force DHS to simply release invaders into our communities to commit more crimes. Huge L for open borders,” Eagleman said.

In his dissent, Trump-appointed Judge Ralph R. Erickson of Minnesota said that with the exception of a single DUI conviction, Avila had lived as a law-abiding resident for just under 20 years.

“On August 29, 2025, he was stopped by deportation officers while driving on Cedar Avenue in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For the past 29 years, Avila would have been entitled to a bond hearing during his removal proceedings,” Erickson wrote, noting that the court’s ruling means that Avila and millions of others are now “subject to mandatory detention” under federal law.

“In doing so, the court does not rely on recent congressional action or a change in the regulations governing detention but rather engages in a novel interpretation of ‘alien seeking admission’ that eluded the courts and five previous presidential administrations,” he said.

“Because the court’s interpretation is not supported by the plain meaning of ‘seeking,’ the context of the INA, or the history of the IIRIRA (an immigration reform law signed by Bill Clinton), I respectfully dissent.”

Fox News Digital did not encounter any immediate negative responses from pundits or politicians within a few minutes of its release.

FIRST ON FOX: Vice President JD Vance is ramping up the administration’s targeting of fraud after President Donald Trump appointed him to head an anti-fraud task force last week, including the implementation of an AI platform to quickly identify and address fraud. 

Vance’s task force is currently working with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, run by Dr. Mehmet Oz, and last month, CMS identified and suspended 70 hospice and home health providers in Los Angeles after they were flagged as high risk fraudulent providers. The 70 hospice and home health providers had their funding paused in just one week after being identified by the task force and CMS, Fox News Digital is told.

“As the task force to root out waste, fraud and abuse ramps up its work, we expect [the number of potentially fraudulent hospice and home health providers] to grow exponentially,” a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.

Vance and Oz announced in February that $259.5 million in Medicaid funds would be withheld from Minnesota as a result of fraud concerns that gripped the state shortly before Governor Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’s former running mate, announced that he will not seek a third term.

TRUMP ADMIN UNCOVERS ‘STAGGERING’ $8.6 BILLION IN SUSPECTED CALIFORNIA SMALL BUSINESS FRAUD

The task force is going beyond the targeting of Minnesota, and Trump suggested Democratic-led states would be a focus during the unveiling of the task force last week. 

“It seems that it’s usually in blue states,” the president said. “If it’s in a red state, we’re going there too, but it seems that it’s heavily, heavily Democrat.”

Vance’s task force plans to utilize the same template that CMS used to locate fraud in Minnesota, which involves an internal fraud detection artificial intelligence system that flags claims for review or blocks those identified as likely fraudulent.

Prior to the Trump administration, Health and Human Services (HHS) and CMS would have to manually dis-enroll organizations suspected of fraud, whereas the system being utilized by the task force and other agencies involved allows the identification of fraud in a more rapid and fluid manner.

NEWSOM’S FAILED LEADERSHIP HAS LET CALIFORNIA BECOME A LAND OF FRAUD AND SCAMS

The task force is actively hiring CMS technologists who will deploy the AI system across the country. 

“Vice President Vance looks forward to carrying out the President’s War on Fraud,” a Vance spokesperson told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement. “The American people deserve better than being ripped off by people who hate this country, and the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud will ensure that essential taxpayer-funded services are used to support the hard-working Americans who rely on them, instead of being used by fraudsters and criminals.”

Authorities in Minnesota launched a separate investigation in 2022, under the Biden Department of Justice, into the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, which prosecutors later described as a key player in what became one of the largest fraud schemes involving pandemic relief funds.

DR OZ DETAILS ‘WEAPONIZATION OF FRAUD’ IN MINNESOTA, ESTIMATES TOTAL MEDICAID FRAUD TO BE $100 BILLION

Over time, investigators uncovered about $250 million in fraudulent claims, and 78 individuals were eventually charged. Prosecutors have also suggested that the total amount connected to the broader scheme could be in the billions. 

During an event in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, earlier this month, Vance responded to a question by Fox News Digital regarding fraud ahead of Trump’s executive order establishing the anti-fraud task force. 

Vance said that the administration has uncovered fraud amounting to “$19 billion at least” since the administration has been investigating the Twin Cities, and he alluded to California as being the next big target for identifying fraud.

“We know there’s a lot of fraud in California, and we’re trying to get to the bottom of exactly what it looks like and what we’ve done in the Trump administration,” Vance said in response to a question by Fox News Digital.

“And the president has really empowered us to do this, is to take the first national look at the way the American people have been defrauded over many, many years,” Vance added.

The White House issued a stark warning to Iran Tuesday, saying President Donald Trump is prepared to “unleash hell” if Tehran refuses to step back from its nuclear ambitions and its ongoing threats against the United States and its allies.

“President Trump does not bluff, and he is prepared to unleash hell,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at the beginning of Wednesday’s White House press briefing. “Iran should not miscalculate again. Their last miscalculation cost them their senior leadership, their navy, their air force and their air defense system. 

“Any violence beyond this point will be because the Iranian regime refused to understand they have already been defeated and refused to come to a deal.”

Leavitt said ongoing U.S. military operations, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, have severely weakened Iran’s offensive capabilities. She claimed more than 9,000 targets have been struck, Iranian missile and drone attacks have fallen by about 90% and much of Iran’s navy and air defense network has been destroyed.

US ‘LOCKED AND LOADED’ TO DESTROY IRAN’S ‘CROWN JEWEL’ ‘IF WE WANT,’ TRUMP WARNS

“This is the largest elimination of a navy over a three-week period since World War II,” she said. “Again, let me reiterate, this is the largest elimination of a navy on the face of the planet in a three-week period since World War II.”

Leavitt said the campaign is aimed at crippling Iran’s military infrastructure and securing the Strait of Hormuz, while also pressuring Tehran to return to talks. She added that Trump has temporarily delayed planned strikes on some energy targets to allow space for negotiations.

“From the outset, President Trump and the Department of War estimated it would take approximately four to six weeks to achieve this critical mission: 25 days in the greatest military the world has ever known is ahead of schedule and performing exceptionally day by day,” Leavitt said. “The Iranian regime is being crippled, and their ability to threaten the United States and our allies is being significantly weakened.

“Their ambitions of building a nuclear weapon have also been crushed to an even greater degree than they were in Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025. That’s why you’re beginning to see the regime look for an exit ramp.”

WINNING THE BATTLES, LOSING THE WAR? AMERICA MUST DEFINE THE ENDGAME IN IRAN

Leavitt declined to comment on reports of the 82nd Airborne Division being prepped for potential action in the Middle East.

“We are meeting our goals of Operation Epic Fury expeditiously,” she replied. “The president likes to maintain options at his disposal. It’s the Pentagon’s job to provide those options to the commander in chief.”

She redirected any specifics on troop deployments to the Pentagon.

Despite saying the president prefers peace, Leavitt warned that any further Iranian resistance would bring even heavier U.S. retaliation.

OIL, GAS PRICES JUMP AS TRUMP FLIRTS WITH STRIKING IRANIAN OIL INFRASTRUCTURE

“There does not need to be any more death and destruction, but if Iran fails to accept the reality of the current moment, if they fail to understand that they have been defeated militarily and will continue to be, President Trump will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before,” she warned.

As the joint U.S.-Israeli war on Iran entered its fourth week, there have been efforts by multiple countries such as Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt to mediate.

Iran is still reviewing a U.S. proposal to end the war despite an initial response that was negative, a senior Iranian official told Reuters Wednesday.

Talks with Iran were still ongoing, Leavitt said.

NEXT MOVE ON IRAN: SEIZE KHARG ISLAND, SECURE URANIUM OR RISK GROUND WAR ESCALATION

“They are productive, as the president said on Monday, and they continue to be,” she added.

Citing unnamed sources, media outlets Tuesday reported that Washington sent Tehran a 15-point plan on ending the war. Leavitt said Wednesday that elements of the reports were not fully accurate, but she did not provide specifics.

“The White House never confirmed that full plan,” she said. “There are elements of truth to it, but some of the stories I read were not entirely factual, so I am not going to negotiate on behalf of the president here at the podium.”

Global equity markets regained some ground while oil prices dipped on Wednesday after the reports about the plan, with investors hoping for an end to a war that has disrupted global energy supplies and raised inflation concerns.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Around 290 U.S. service members have been injured so far during Operation Epic Fury against Iran, U.S. Central Command spokesperson U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins told Fox News on Wednesday. 

“The vast majority of these injuries have been minor, and more than 255 troops have already returned to duty,” Hawkins added. 

The U.S. military operation, which was launched on Feb. 28, also has resulted in the deaths of 13 American service members. 

Six service members were killed in a March 1 Iranian drone attack in Kuwait, while another service member died of injuries suffered during an Iranian attack on troops in Saudi Arabia on the same day.

US STRIKES AGAINST IRAN-BACKED MILITIAS IN IRAQ REPORTEDLY CONTINUE AS BAGHDAD WARNS OF ‘RIGHT TO RESPOND’

On March 12, another six service members were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq during a combat mission in support of Operation Epic Fury. 

The American military operation has inflicted heavy losses on the Iranian regime, including the death of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 

BIDEN SECRETARY OF STATE SAYS ‘I WISH WE HAD GOTTEN’ IRAN DEAL

CENTCOM said Monday that over 140 Iranian vessels have been damaged or destroyed during Operation Epic Fury. 

In total, more than 9,000 combat flights have been conducted as part of the campaign. 

“CENTCOM forces are striking targets to dismantle the Iranian regime’s security apparatus, prioritizing locations that pose an imminent threat,” CENTCOM said. 

Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.