Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Texas, pledged to continue efforts to impeach President Donald Trump, spearheaded by Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, even as he wages a campaign to take his seat.

However, Menefee promised that his impeachment attempts would stand more of a chance of winning over party support.

“I’m the candidate in this race who has a track record of standing up for my community, of fighting back and doing so effectively in a way that gets things done,” Menefee said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

Menefee, who won a special election in January to fill the seat of the late Rep. Sylvester Turner, is taking on Green in a heated primary contest. Turner died while in office in March 2025.

DEM REP COMPARES HIMSELF TO MLK JR, ROSA PARKS AFTER GETTING BOOTED FROM SECOND STRAIGHT TRUMP ADDRESS

The two Democrats were put on a collision course last year when Republicans advanced redistricting plans in Texas set to eliminate as many as five Democrat-held seats. Green announced that he would pursue reelection in the 18th District — the seat Menefee took in January.

Although Menefee declined to specifically address his thoughts on Green and his impeachment attempts, he said his own efforts would center on winning over enough support to have them clear the House of Representatives.

“My approach is going to be, when I file articles of impeachment, my goal is for them to either pass or to get very close to passing,” Menefee said.

“That means collaborating with the other members of the Democratic caucus to make sure that it’s going to be effective. My approach is generally, if I start something, I am doing it because I want to ultimately take it across the finish line in a way that’s going to actually help people.”

HOUSE GOP MOVES TO CENSURE DEM WHO DISRUPTED TRUMP ADDRESS FOR 2ND STRAIGHT YEAR

None of Green’s impeachment efforts have cleared the chamber. 

His most recent attempt in December attracted the support of 140 Democrats. Notably, 23 voted with Republicans to kill the measure and 47 voted present. 

Menefee’s promises to continue pushing for Trump’s impeachment continue Green’s legacy even as the Democratic newcomer has stressed unity and pragmatism over the political purity tests Green has offered in the past.

Green, a 20-year veteran in Congress, has made opposition to Trump his defining characteristic in recent years. He made headlines in 2026 for being ejected from Trump’s State of the Union Address for bringing a sign with the phrase “Black people aren’t apes.”

VOCAL ANTI-TRUMP DEM REVEALS WHICH INDUSTRY IS TRYING TO OUST HIM FROM HOUSE SEAT: ‘I WAS A TARGET’

Green was also removed from the 2025 State of the Union after he refused to take his seat while waving his cane at the president.

In his most recent attempt, Green framed his impeachments as a sort of litmus test for his own party — to see where they stood on whether Trump had committed high crimes or misdemeanors.

“We have to participate. This is a participatory democracy. The impeachment requires the hands and the guidance of all of us,” Green said in November 2025 as he announced his December attempt. 

AL GREEN RETURNS TO HOUSE CHAMBER FOR TRUMP SOTU AFTER DRAMATIC 2025 EJECTION

Outside groups also praised Green for being willing to put the question to Democrats in Congress. Dave Mytych, outreach lead at For Liberation and Resistance Everywhere (FLARE), praised Green’s latest efforts.

“This is what the American people want. They want fighters that hold the line. Democrats, are you listening? Leader Schumer, are you listening? Leader Jeffries, are you listening?” Mytych said, calling out several high-ranking Democrats.

When asked about those messaging votes, Menefee said his focus would be different.

“If I’m spending time on it, it’s because I’m trying to get something done. My goal in filing impeachment articles is going to be to impeach the President of the United States, no other goal,” Menefee said.

With neither candidate having captured a majority of the vote in the initial Texas primary elections earlier this month, Green and Menefee will face off in a runoff election on May 26.

In a scathing rebuke of President Donald Trump’s endorsement track record, former Rep. Bob Good suggested that the president’s picks would be better used to know which candidates not to support in election contests.

“Truth…face it…Trump IS the problem…not his advisors (that he picks because they say nice things about him on TV)…Trump himself…you would literally do better by using Trump’s endorsement to know who NOT to vote for,” the former lawmaker wrote on X Tuesday.

Good has personal experience running against a Trump-backed opponent.

In 2024, while serving as House Freedom Caucus chair, Good lost a GOP congressional primary in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District to Trump-endorsed challenger John McGuire, who went on to win the general election and succeed Good in the House seat.

TRUMP TEASES KINGMAKER ENDORSEMENT IN TEXAS ‘SOON’ TO FORCE OTHER CANDIDATE OUT OF RUNOFF

Trump had repeatedly trashed Good on Truth Social, asserting, “Bob Good is BAD FOR VIRGINIA, AND BAD FOR THE USA.”

Last week Good declared in a post on X, “Trump LIKES RINOS…based on his endorsement history.”

In a post last month, Good asserted that “Trump has never made an endorsement based on the principles, character, policy positions, or qualifications of a candidate or elected official.”

FORMER FREEDOM CAUCUS CHAIR BOB GOOD CALLS OUT ‘THE BIG GLARING WEAKNESS FOR ALL OF REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT’

Fox News Digital reached out to the Republican National Committee for comment on Wednesday morning.

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene — a longtime Trump ally who had a falling out with the president last year and departed Congress early this year in the middle of her term — has also been a vociferous critic of Trump’s endorsement track record.

EX-TRUMP ALLY MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE RIPS THE PRESIDENT’S ENDORSEMENTS, SAYING THEY ‘SOLIDIFY THE SWAMP’

“Trump’s endorsements do not drain the swamp, his endorsements solidify the swamp and ensure the swamp is never drained,” she wrote in a January post on X.

FIRST ON FOX: A top Senate Republican wants answers on why the Biden administration drained the nation’s oil stockpile but did little to replenish it.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., charged that decisions under President Joe Biden to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) could have a ripple effect as the U.S. continues its war with Iran and as the Iranian government continues its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz.

Cotton, in a letter first obtained by Fox News Digital to Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright, charged that the Biden administration released 180 million barrels from the nation’s reserves in 2022 “to suppress gas prices ahead of the midterm elections.”

US SIGNALS READINESS TO ESCORT TANKERS THROUGH HORMUZ AS TRAFFIC THINS BUT NO MISSION LAUNCHED

“That decision drained the reserve to a 40-year low,” Cotton wrote. “The decision to drain the SPR was not a response to a supply emergency; it was a deliberate political act designed to protect Democrats from the consequences of their own failed energy policies.”

Biden tapped the reserve twice — once in 2021 to relieve soaring fuel prices as the nation still grappled with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and again the following year to combat increased energy costs at the onset of the war between Russia and Ukraine.

The SPR has capacity for over 700 million barrels of crude oil, but currently, the reserve has far less following the drawdown under the previous administration.

SCHUMER ONCE BLOCKED TRUMP’S MOVE TO FILL THE NATION’S OIL RESERVES, NOW HE WANTS THEM OPENED

At the end of Biden’s term, the reserve had about 415 million barrels of crude on hand, according to data from the Department of Energy.

Cotton said that it wasn’t “the first time Democrats undermined the reserve” and noted that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and congressional Democrats blocked President Donald Trump’s bid to refill the SPR in 2020, when barrels were cheap, with $3 billion from a colossal COVID-19 stimulus package moving through Congress.

He also said that in 2021, Biden signed an executive order that halted new oil and gas leases on federal lands and offshore, which Cotton charged “constrained domestic production while the administration was draining the reserve.”

TANKERS TO RESUME NORMAL MOVEMENT IN MIDDLE EAST IN ‘A FEW WEEKS’ AT WORST, ENERGY SEC SAYS, ENDING OIL SURGE

Cotton demanded that Wright answer how blocking the $3 billion oil purchase and halting oil and gas leases impacted the nation’s overall domestic supplies that could have been used to replenish the SPR.

Meanwhile, congressional Democrats are demanding that Trump tap into the SPR after oil prices spiked to four-year highs over the weekend as the war in Iran intensifies.

Schumer said that the reserve “exists for moments exactly like this.”

“The Strait of Hormuz is the world’s most important oil transit choke point, with roughly 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption moving through it in recent years,” Cotton said. “That is precisely why the SPR must be treated as a strategic national security asset, not a political tool.”

Republicans sharply criticized former President Joe Biden over rising prices at the gas pump, but a spike in energy prices amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict in Iran threatens to scramble the party’s affordability messaging.

The Iran conflict has led to a surge in gas prices for Americans, leading to an average 50 cents a gallon increase since Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28.

The average price of gas reached $3.54 per gallon on Tuesday, according to AAA. Diesel prices have also risen to $4.72 per gallon. The increases have been mostly fueled by volatility in oil prices, which rose above $100 per barrel on Monday as the Strait of Hormuz remained effectively shuttered.

The president characterized the gas price hike amid the Iran conflict as “a very small price to pay” in a Truth Social post Sunday.

THE WAR HITS HOME: WHY FINANCIAL PAIN AND ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY THREATEN TRUMP’S DRIVE TO TOPPLE IRAN’S REGIME

That statement represented a sharp break with Trump’s typical messaging touting low gas prices prior to Operation Epic Fury.

“Gasoline, which reached a peak of over $6 a gallon in some states under my predecessor — it was quite honestly a disaster — is now below $2.30 a gallon in most states. And in some places, $1.99 a gallon,” President Donald Trump said during his Feb. 27 State of the Union address. “And when I visited the great state of Iowa just a few weeks ago, I even saw $1.85 a gallon for gasoline.”

The surge in gas and diesel prices threatens to undermine the economic message of President Trump and congressional Republicans, who have touted low gas prices as a major win in the lead-up to November’s midterm elections. Cost of living issues are expected to be a key concern among voters as both parties claim to be laser-focused on making everyday life more affordable.

During the 2024 presidential contest, Trump frequently campaigned on ending Biden’s “war on American energy” and pledged to reverse a surge in gas prices that occurred under his predecessor’s tenure.

Gas prices averaged $3.45 per gallon across all fuel grades during Biden’s four-year term, surging to a record high of more than $5 per gallon in June 2022 after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

“Starting on Day 1, we will drive down prices and make America affordable again,” Trump said during a speech at the Republican National Committee convention in July 2024. “People can’t live like this.”

Democrats have seized on rising prices at the pump amid the conflict in Iran.

“I wish the administration thought about this before they started this unnecessary war,” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who caucuses with Democrats, said Monday when asked about the gas price hike.

“Donald Trump’s war has sent gas prices skyrocketing through the roof,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote on social media Monday. “What contempt. What cluelessness.”

Schumer has called on the president to release oil from America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve to combat supply bottlenecks in the Middle East. The top Democrat notably opposed a Trump-led effort to replenish the stockpile in his first term when oil prices were much lower.

TANKERS TO RESUME NORMAL MOVEMENT IN MIDDLE EAST IN ‘A FEW WEEKS’ AT WORST, ENERGY SEC SAYS, ENDING OIL SURGE

Republicans have voiced confidence that the rise in gas prices would be temporary. GOP lawmakers have frequently cited their efforts to roll back Biden-era energy regulations and boost domestic production as evidence that their policies are working to lower energy prices.

“It’s going to be probably volatile for a period of time. I think what’s going to be key is ensuring we can get safe access to the Strait of Hormuz,” Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said Monday, adding that he was confident the disruption would be short-lived.

Daines, who abruptly suspended his re-election campaign last week, highlighted that average gas prices were under $3 per gallon prior to Trump’s State of the Union speech. 

“That’s an important win for the American people,” the retiring Montana lawmaker said. “Something you’re reminded of usually weekly when you’re gassing up your vehicle.”

Some Republicans and Trump administration officials are also arguing that a defeated Iran will ultimately spur lower gas prices, even if there is pain in the short run.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt characterized the recent increase in oil and gas prices as “temporary” during a briefing Tuesday.

“Once the national security objectives of Operation Epic Fury are fully achieved, Americans will see oil and gas prices drop rapidly, potentially even lower than they were prior to the start of the operation,” Leavitt said.

“At the end of the day, we’re going to destroy this regime, and their ability to disrupt oil is going to be less, and we’re going to have more production, not less,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told reporters Monday. “Once you take the largest state sponsor of terrorism off the planet, who depends on oil for their revenue, that’s a more stable world.”

Nearly seven in 10 Americans — including 44% of Republicans — expect gas prices to keep increasing in the coming months, according to a Reuters-Ipsos poll released Monday.

Trump has threatened Iran with unprecedented force if the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz is further restricted.

“Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!” Trump wrote Monday on Truth Social.

EXCLUSIVE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Camp East Montana in El Paso, Texas will remain open and is undergoing an operational upgrade, Fox News Digital has learned.

“Camp East Montana is NOT closing, quite the opposite,” an ICE spokesperson exclusively told Fox News Digital Tuesday.

“Rather, ICE has contracted with a new provider following Secretary Noem’s termination of the old contract inherited from the Department of War. ICE is always looking at ways to improve our detention facilities to ensure we are providing the best care to illegal aliens in our custody.”

BLUE-STATE GOVERNORS MOVE TO KEEP HEAT ON NOEM AS DHS FIRES BACK

The spokesperson said the new contract will allow the facility to maintain what the agency described as the “highest detention standards” while expanding oversight.

According to ICE, the new contractor will also provide increased on-site medical care, additional staffing and a “PRECISE quality assurance surveillance plan.”

The agency said the updated agreement also strengthens ICE’s direct oversight of operations at the El Paso-area facility.

“Far from closing, Camp East Montana is upgrading,” the spokesperson said.

FOUR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LINKED TO MS-13 INDICTED FOR ALLEGEDLY MURDERING 14-YEAR-OLD BOY IN MARYLAND PARK

The news that the facility will remain open comes after The Washington Post reported that the facility could face closure amid scrutiny over operations.

A document was distributed to ICE staff, the Post reports, indicated that the agency was drafting a letter to terminate the facility’s $1.2 billion contract at an unspecified date.

ICE officials, however, characterized the contract termination as a deliberate effort by Noem to raise standards and improve services.

The facility, located at Fort Bliss in Texas, has been used to house thousands of detainees as part of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts.

ICE did not immediately provide details on the identity of the new contractor or the timeline for full implementation.

The race for Mississippi’s Senate seat is set for November and will feature a clash of a sitting incumbent battling a foe she once blocked from a lifetime judicial appointment.

Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., cruised to a victory in her primary to earn the GOP nomination for Senate in Mississippi. She beat Sarah Adlakha, a political newcomer who challenged Hyde-Smith’s effectiveness in Washington, D.C., since being appointed to the position in 2018.

Hyde-Smith is running for a second term in the upper chamber and, in deep-red Mississippi, is expected to hold onto her job in the GOP’s sprawling battle to maintain control of the Senate.

PAXTON VOWS HE’S ‘STAYING IN THIS RACE’ EVEN IF TRUMP BACKS CORNYN IN TEXAS GOP CLASH

But she’ll face a Democratic opponent she’s dealt with before — just not on the election battlefield.

Mississippi District Attorney Scott Colom came out on top of his crowded primary to earn the Democratic nomination for Senate in the Magnolia State. He toppled U.S. Marine Corps veteran Albert Littell and Priscilla Till, the cousin of Emmett Till, who was abducted and lynched in Mississippi in the 1950s.

Hyde-Smith and Colom have a history dating back to the Biden administration, when the lawmaker blocked his nomination to serve as a district court judge in Mississippi.

TRUMP TEASES ENDORSEMENT COMING SOON IN CRUCIAL GOP CLASH

At the time, she used the veto power each home-state senator has, known as a blue slip in the upper chamber, to weigh in on a judicial nominee — it’s a tradition that President Donald Trump has demanded be done away with to nullify Democratic resistance to his own judicial nominees.

Hyde-Smith told the Magnolia Tribune at the time that while she recognized that Colom was “smart and well-liked in his district,” she had concerns over his record.

Nathan Calvert, spokesperson for the Hyde-Smith campaign, told Fox News Digital in a statement that “Colom has never seen a Biden/Harris policy he didn’t like.”

“Senator Hyde-Smith is proud of opposing judicial nominations for extreme leftists who support a radical transgender agenda,” Calvert said. “She opposes allowing men to participate in women’s sports and believes we need judges who will take the same stance.”

“Senator Hyde-Smith believes we need to cut government spending, fight inflation (driven by excessive government spending), and reduce (not increase) our soaring national debt, and she’ll continue voting to do that,” he continued. 

CONTENTIOUS REPUBLICAN SENATE PRIMARY IN TEXAS HEADED INTO OVERTIME

“As someone with a strong interest in protecting the rights of girls and women, I am concerned about Scott Colom’s opposition to legislation to protect female athletes,” Hyde-Smith said. “The significant support his campaign received from George Soros also weighs heavily against his nomination, in my view. I simply cannot support his nomination to serve on the federal bench in Mississippi for a lifetime.”

Meanwhile, Colom has gone after Hyde-Smith for voting against federal funding coming into Mississippi, which has consistently ranked as the poorest state in the country.

His website accused Hyde-Smith of not “working for us anymore, voting against Mississippi jobs and investments because it serves her donors’ agenda.”

Fox News Digital reached out for comment to Colom’s campaign, but did not immediately hear back. 

The special election to fill former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s vacant House seat in Georgia’s solidly red 14th Congressional District is headed to a runoff next month.

The seat in northwestern Georgia was left vacant when Greene stepped down at the beginning of January. Green quit Congress with a year left in her term after a public falling out with President Donald Trump over the Epstein files.  

Tuesday’s special election ended in a runoff between Trump-endorsed Republican District Attorney Clay Fuller and retired Army veteran Shawn Harris. 

The GOP clings to a razor-thin 218–214 majority in the House. As a result, Republicans cannot afford any surprises and allow the Democrats to pull an upset in a district Trump carried by a whopping 37 points during his 2024 presidential election victory.

TRUMP FOE FANI WILLIS BLOCKED YET AGAIN FROM COLLAPSED RICO CASE AS PRESIDENT PUSHES TO CLAW BACK MILLIONS

All 17 candidates in Tuesday’s special election in Georgia, regardless of party affiliation, were on the same ballot. Twelve were Republican, three were Democrats.

Since no contender topped 50% of the vote in the primary, the top two candidates are advancing to an April 7 runoff.

Harris, a retired Army brigadier general, got 39.9% of the vote, while Fuller, a district attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, got 34.2%.

HOUSE GOP FEARS PRIMARY LOSERS COULD JEOPARDIZE RAZOR-THIN MAJORITY

With $4.3 million raised, Harris was the fundraising champion among all 17 candidates, but Fuller has a Trump endorsement in a district the president won handily. 

Fuller teamed up with the president recently during a stop in the district at an event in Rome, Georgia, during which he described himself as a “MAGA warrior.” In addition to his Trump backing, Fuller is backed by the politically potent and deep-pocketed fiscally conservative group the Club for Growth. 

Former Congresswoman Greene, once a top Trump ally in the House, became a vocal critic of his and stayed neutral in the race to succeed her.

FBI SUBPOENAS 2020 ARIZONA VOTING DOCS AS FEDERAL PUSH INTO ELECTION ADMINISTRATION WIDENS

Third place Tuesday evening went to former state Sen. Colton Moore, a vocal Trump backer who enjoyed support from the far right. Moore garnered 10.9% of the vote.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., signaled Tuesday that Republicans will continue to closely align themselves with President Donald Trump as the November midterms creep closer.

“The American people are going to understand he is on the ballot, at least in a metaphorical sense, because if we were to lose the midterms, everybody knows the chaos that would ensue,” the leader of the House of Representatives told NBC News reporter Scott Wong.

Johnson made the remarks at House Republicans’ annual policy retreat, which is taking place this year at Trump’s golf course and resort in Doral, Florida, where GOP lawmakers are huddling to hash out policy goals ahead of the midterm races and beyond.

MCINTOSH: MIDTERMS A CHOICE BETWEEN TRUMP’S ‘GREAT PROGRESS’ AND ‘SOCIALISTS BACK IN’

He said Trump is also going to take an “active” role in the coming election cycle.

“President Trump is going to be … he’s engaged, he’s going to run like he’s 2024. He’s going to do the rallies and do the events, and he’s already doing it now,” Johnson said.

“He’s going to be heavily involved. And he is still the turnout machine for our side — as well as the other side, I acknowledge that.”

The speaker’s comments are not surprising given Trump’s continued command and influence over the GOP, but tying Republicans so closely to a sitting president in a midterm year could be viewed as a risky strategy.

JOHNSON WARNS HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO ‘STAY HEALTHY’ AS GOP MAJORITY SHRINKS TO THE EDGE

Political history dictates that the party holding all levers of power in Washington at the beginning of a presidential term — in this case, Republicans — generally lose control of one or both houses of Congress in the following election cycle.

It happened most recently during former President Joe Biden’s term, when Republicans clawed back the House majority in the 2022 races and won the Senate in the following 2024 cycle.

But Johnson has been and continues to be optimistic about Republicans’ chances of bucking that trend in November.

“I think there’s so many factors in our favor. I think the energy and excitement is going to be on our side,” Johnson said. “I can’t wait for the midterm convention that we’re going to have before early voting starts in the fall, where we parade all of our stars across the stage, and we talk about all the great things we’ve done for the American people.

“This is a midterm like none other. So, I’m telling you, do not bet against the House Republicans.”

A senior Trump administration official and former acting U.S. attorney for D.C. is under disciplinary review for his role in President Donald Trump’s anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative — sparking outrage from the Justice Department, which assailed alleged ethics violations against Ed Martin as a “partisan” effort, and one that unfairly targets Trump and his allies. 

The disciplinary charge, filed Friday to the D.C. Court of Appeals Board on Professional Responsibility and published Tuesday, centers on a letter sent by Martin to Georgetown Law last February while Martin was serving as interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. 

Martin allegedly demanded in the letter that Georgetown Law provide information about its DEI practices and teachings, according to the ethics complaint. It states that without “further explanation,” and without receiving a response from Georgetown Law, Martin then announced he would be imposing sanctions on the school — instructing his staff not to hire any students, fellows, or interns affiliated with the university.

EXCLUSIVE: BONDI TRANSFERS FORMER DEATH ROW INMATES COMMUTED BY BIDEN TO ‘SUPERMAX’ PRISON

The Justice Department blasted news of the ethics complaint, telling Fox News Digital on Tuesday that the complaint represented yet another “clear indication” of unfair and “partisan” treatment from the D.C. Bar, a body they argued has continued “to target and punish those serving President Trump while refusing to investigate or act against actual ethical violations that were committed by Biden and Obama administration attorneys,” representing what DOJ spokesperson described as “a clear indication of this partisan organization’s agenda.”

The complaint was signed by the disciplinary counsel for the D.C. Bar, Hamilton Fox, whose role allows him to function similarly to a prosecutor for attorney misconduct cases.  Fox previously donated thousands to Obama’s first presidential campaign in 2008, according to FEC records reviewed by Fox News Digital. 

The complaint accuses Martin of violating the First and Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by using his role as a government official to demand that the university change its teachings; failing to give the university a time frame to respond; and threatening adverse action against Georgetown Law for teaching a particular viewpoint.

It also accuses Martin of conducting unauthorized, ex parte communications with the chief judge and senior judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit after he was asked to respond to a complaint about his remarks to Georgetown Law. “In that letter, he stated that he would not be responding to Disciplinary Counsel’s inquiry, complained about Disciplinary Counsel’s ‘uneven behavior,’ and requested a ‘face-to-face meeting with all of you to discuss this matter and find a way forward,’” the complaint said, noting that Martin had copied White House counsel onto the email. 

JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA

The Justice Department’s second-highest-ranking official, Todd Blanche, sharply criticized the complaint on social media Tuesday, noting: “The DC Bar is such a blatantly Democrat-run political organization.”

“Thank God I’m not a member, and trust me, I never will be,” Blanche said in a post on X.Martin, a former defense attorney who helped represent individuals charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, has made headlines during his short time at DOJ. His path to confirmation to serve as U.S. Attorney for D.C. stalled last year amid concerns from some Senate Republicans, prompting Trump to install Martin last May as the Justice Department’s pardon attorney. 

EX-JUDGES BLAST TOP TRUMP DOJ OFFICIAL FOR DECLARING ‘WAR’ ON COURTS

Trump also tapped Martin at the time to head up the Justice Department’s so-called “Weaponization Working Group,” or the newly formed internal body within DOJ tasked with probing federal prosecutions viewed by the administration as unfairly partisan. 

Martin was removed last month from his role heading up the working group, though no reason for his removal was immediately provided. 

The complaint will now be kicked to D.C. Court of Appeals for next steps and review — a notoriously lengthy process that will likely take months, if not longer.

News of the ethics complaint comes just days after the Justice Department filed a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register that would allow the department to suspend state bar investigations while the DOJ conducts its own review. 

Voters say artificial intelligence (AI) could dramatically reshape life in the United States — but for now, most say that transformation still feels more like a headline than a lived reality.

The latest Fox News poll finds nearly 9 in 10 voters think AI will change the way we live either a lot (53%) or some (34%) in the next few years. Roughly 1 in 10 think it won’t change much (8%) or at all (4%). Although overall sentiment is where it stood two years ago, the share saying AI will change our lives “a lot” is up by 10 percentage points — from 43% in 2023 to 53% today.

While nearly half find AI very or somewhat useful (47%) in their day-to-day lives, a small majority (53%) says it’s not very or not at all useful. More than twice as many say AI is “not at all” useful (29%) as think it is “very” useful (12%).

FOX NEWS POLL: SOCIALISM GAINING GROUND AMONG VOTERS

Men under age 45 (66% very/somewhat useful) and Republicans under age 45 (61%) are the most likely to find AI useful — the only groups where more than 60% say so.

Among those least likely to find AI helpful are voters ages 65+ (67% not very/at all useful), women without a college degree (63%), Democrats ages 45+ (62%), rural voters (62%), and households with income below $50,000 (61%).

An overwhelming majority feels people should be clearly told when online images, videos, or written content are created with AI (89%). The survey was completed before an X announcement March 3, requiring its users to disclose when videos of an armed conflict are AI-generated, or face consequences.

Eight in 10 voters are extremely (44%) or very (36%) concerned AI is eroding trust in what we see and hear on the news and social media.  Nearly 9 times as many are extremely concerned (44%) as say they are not at all concerned (5%).

FOX NEWS POLL: DISAPPROVAL OF ICE ON THE RISE

Overall, 60% feel confident they can tell if something is AI-generated, while 40% are not — unchanged since June 2025.

By a narrow 5 percentage-point margin, more voters are concerned AI will eventually take control of humans (52% extremely/very concerned) than unconcerned (47% not very/not at all). 

Those most likely to be concerned are very conservative voters (63% extremely/very concerned), MAGA supporters (61%), households with income below $50K (59%), Hispanic voters (58%), and Republicans (58%).

One more thing …

While the AI debate rages here on earth, a majority of voters are certain about intelligent life elsewhere.

By a 50-point margin, more think life did or does exist on other planets in the universe (74%) than believe it never existed (24%).

CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE

Democrats (78% yes, life exists), independents (77%), Catholics (77%), and White voters (76%) are more likely to believe in life beyond our solar system than Republicans (68% yes, life exists), Protestants (67%), White evangelicals (64%), Black voters (65%), and Hispanics (68%).

Conducted Feb. 28-March 2, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,004 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (104) and cellphones (642) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (258). 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.