Hakeem Jeffries demands Trump ‘justify’ striking Iran, but side-steps impeachment question

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is demanding President Donald Trump and his senior officials "justify" the U.S. military's recent strikes in Iran.

"We've seen no evidence to date that an offensive strike of this nature was justified under the War Powers Act or the Constitution," Jeffries said. 

"But the whole reason for the Trump administration to undertake that process is to come up to Capitol Hill and convince the American people and their elected representatives in the House and in the Senate. That hasn't happened."

Trump officials have maintained that the strike was in compliance with the War Powers Act, which requires the White House to notify Congress within 48 hours of a military action and blocks that operation from continuing for more than 60 days without approval from lawmakers.

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Jeffries claimed he had not seen "a scintilla of evidence to date" that shows "there was an imminent threat to the United States of America."

"If the administration has evidence to the contrary, come up to present it. We're not hard to find. I'm not hiding," he said.

The House Democratic leader said he requested a briefing Tuesday for the Gang of Eight, the informal name for the top party and intelligence leaders in Congress.

Trump green-lit airstrikes on three of Tehran's major nuclear sites over the weekend. The president said on Truth Social Monday that the areas hit were "completely destroyed."

The move has sharply divided Democrats, with some pro-Israel moderates backing Trump's move — while several progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., have called for the president's impeachment over the operation.

Dozens of left-wing lawmakers have gotten behind a bipartisan war powers resolution by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., to limit Trump's ability to strike Iran.

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Meanwhile, Jeffries side-stepped multiple questions on those calls for impeachment during his press conference, instead reasserting his demand that Trump officials come before Congress.

"A tool that's on the table right now is to continue to demand that the administration present itself before the United States Congress and make the case to the American people as to why this extraordinary step has been taken. That's step one," Jeffries said.

"Step two is for the War Powers Resolution, whether that's the one that has already been introduced or others that may subsequently be introduced, for those resolutions to be debated on the House floor, as should have occurred already. And then we'll see where we're at thereafter."

Pressed again on whether he was taking calls for Trump's impeachment seriously, Jeffries said, "This is a dangerous moment that we're in, and we've got to get through what's in front of us. And what's in front of us right now is the Trump administration has a responsibility to come to Congress, justify actions for which we've seen no evidence to justify its offensive strength in Iran."

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When reached for comment on Jeffries' demands for justification, the White House referred Fox News Digital to press secretary Karoline Leavitt's comments on Fox News Monday morning.

"The White House made calls to congressional leadership. They were bipartisan calls. In fact, Hakeem Jeffries couldn't be reached. We tried him before the strike, and he didn't pick up the phone, but he was briefed after, as well as [Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.], who was briefed prior to the strike," Leavitt said. 

"We gave these calls as a courtesy, and the Democrats are lying about this, because they can't talk about the truth of the success of that operation and the success of our United States military and the success of this president and this administration in doing something that past administrations — Democrats too — have only dreamed about."

Elite university professor sparks social media backlash after revealing what Iran should do next: ‘This demon’

A professor at Georgetown University is in hot water on social media over a post where he explained his "hope" for Iran doing "some symbolic strike" on a U.S. military base, igniting backlash on social media and calls for him to be fired.

"I’m not an expert, but I assume Iran could still get a bomb easily," Dr. Jonathan Brown, the Alwaleed bin Talal chair of Islamic Civilization in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, posted on X on Sunday after the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear sites on Saturday night. 

"I hope Iran does some symbolic strike on a base, then everyone stops. I’m surprised this is what these FDD/Hasbara people have been auto-erotically asphyxiating themselves for all these years. Ironically, the main takeaways (in my non-expert opinion, and I’m happy to be corrected) from all this have nothing to do with a US attack: 1) Iran can take a licking; 2) if Israel attacks Iranian cities, it gets f---ed up pretty bad. I mean I’ve been shocked at the damage Iranian missiles caused; 3) despite his best efforts, Reza Pahlavi HVAC repair services still only third best in Nova."

Many conservatives on social media immediately reacted to the post and interpreted it as a college professor wishing for Iran to attack U.S. soldiers or at least put them in harm’s way.

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"Are you kidding me?" conservative commentator Sage Steele posted on X in response to the post being picked up by the conservative influencer account LibsofTikTok. 

A ‘Professor of Islamic Civilization’ at @Georgetown ‘hopes Iran does some symbolic strike’ on Americans," GOP Rep. Randy Fine posted on X. "Some civilization. The President of Georgetown will be before @EdWorkforceCmte soon. This demon had better be gone by then. We have a Muslim problem in America."

"A Georgetown professor wants Iran to attack a US base," Foundation for the Defense of Democracies CEO Mark Dubowitz posted on X, before providing information on the background of Brown’s wife. 

"Brown is married to Laila Al-Arian, a journalist for the Muslim Brotherhood propaganda outlet Al Jazeera. Her father, Sami Al-Arian, was deported from the U.S. to Turkey. He was accused of providing material support to the US-designated and Iran-backed terrorist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad."

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Brown's father-in-law, Sami Al-Arian, was deported from the United States to Turkey in 2015 after a long legal battle where he pleaded "guilty" to supporting Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a terrorist organization, according to Politico. 

A 2006 Department of Justice press release said he acknowledged "in the plea agreement that he knew the PIJ used acts of violence as a means to achieve its objectives. Nevertheless, Al-Arian continued to assist the terrorist organization, for instance, by filing official paperwork to obtain immigration benefits for PIJ associate Bashir Nafi, and concealing the terrorist associations of various individuals associated with the PIJ."

"Al-Arian admits that he performed services for the PIJ in 1995 and thereafter, when he was a professor at the University of South Florida and after he knew that the PIJ had been designated by President Clinton as a terrorist organization," the press release said.

"I went to graduate school with Jonathan Brown," Jewish People Policy Institute fellow Dr. Sara Yael Hirschhorn posted on X. "I'm appalled to see him calling for Iran to attack U.S. troops and his awe at attacks on Israeli civilians. @Georgetown- enough!"

"These are the people teaching your kids at colleges and Universities," conservative influencer Laura Loomer posted on X. "@Georgetown should fire him."

In a follow-up post on Monday morning, Brown told his followers he deleted the post and explained why. 

"I deleted my previous tweet because a lot of people were interpreting it as a call for violence," Brown posted on X. "That’s not what I intended. I have two immediate family members in the US military who’ve served abroad and wouldn’t want any harm to befall American soldiers… or anyone!"

When reached for comment on his controversial post, Brown told Fox News Digital he "meant something like right after Solimani was killed, with telegraphed warning and no American casualties and no one felt any further need for attacks."

 "I was calling for de-esclation as I am very opposed to American involvement in foreign wars," he continued.

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A Georgetown University spokesperson told Fox News Digital the university was "appalled" by the social media post.

"We are appalled that a faculty member would call for a ‘symbolic strike’ on a military base in a social media post. The original statement is from an individual faculty member and not the University, and the faculty member has since deleted the post and stated that he would not want any harm to befall American servicemembers," the spokesperson said. "We are reviewing this matter to see if further action is warranted. We take our community’s concerns seriously and condemn language which is deeply inconsistent with Georgetown University’s values."

President Donald Trump announced the U.S. had struck a trio of nuclear facilities in Iran via a Saturday evening Truth Social post, which was not preceded by any media leaks of prior indication such strikes were imminent. 

The president ordered U.S. B-2 stealth bombers to carry out strikes against Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities.

"Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated," Trump said. "And Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier." 

Fox News Digital's Emma Colton contributed to this report

‘Squad’ erupts in fury as Trump takes bold action against Iranian nuclear threat

Members of the congressional "Squad" unleashed sharp criticism of President Donald Trump after he ordered a barrage of missile and bomb strikes on Iranian nuclear sites late Saturday.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., was the most vocal of all, tweeting several times about the offensive.

Responding to cryptocurrency exchange CEO Arjun Sethi’s comment about U.S. "elites" being most united by war "especially against Muslims in the Middle East," Tlaib remarked, "Yep and it’s so f---ing sick."

"President Trump sending US troops to bomb Iran without the consent of Congress is a blatant violation of the Constitution. The American people do not want another forever war," Tlaib added in a separate message.

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"Instead of listening to the American people, Trump is listening to War Criminal Netanyahu who lied about Iraq and is lying once again about Iran. Congress must act immediately to exert its war powers and stop this unconstitutional war."

She also retweeted right-wing Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who had commented "this (strike) is not constitutional."

Squad Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., echoed Tlaib’s concerns about "endless war," and called Trump and Netanyahu "warmongers."

"It is the people who suffer the illegal & irresponsible actions of authoritarian leaders," she said. "Only Congress has the power to declare war. We must act to protect our safety and shared humanity."

Rep. Gregorio Casar, D-Texas, a newer member of the far-left congressional group, claimed it is "illegal" for Trump to act as he did.

"Congress should immediately pass a War Powers Resolution to block Trump from carrying out an unconstitutional war," the Austin lawmaker said.

"My entire adult life, politicians have promised that new wars in the Middle East would be quick and easy. Then they sent other people’s children to fight and die endlessly. Enough."

The most recognizable Squad member, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., called Trump’s decision "disastrous" and said striking Iran without congressional authorization "a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers."

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"He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations," Ocasio-Cortez went on, adding that Trump has established clear "grounds for impeachment."

Though not a member of the Squad, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., also made an impeachment call Saturday.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., reiterated other Squad members’ criticisms, adding Trump "reckless(ly) escalate(ed)" the conflict between Israel and Iran.

"Congress must vote immediately on Rep. Thomas Massie and Sen. Tim Kaine’s War Powers resolutions when we return to session."

Omar also shared a quote from Bill Clinton, saying prior to the strike that Trump should "diffuse" the situation and that Netanyahu has "long wanted to fight Iran."

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Rep. Ayanna Pressley, the Boston lawmaker who also identifies with the Squad, said Trump violated the Constitution and risking innocent lives.

In Pittsburgh, Rep. Summer Lee said Trump is "acting fully outside of his authority and is once again trampling on the Constitution."

"This is an illegal and terrifying escalation. Dropping bombs on Iran brings us closer to war, not peace, and he is putting millions of lives at stake. Congress must immediately pass our War Powers Resolution to rein him in."

Lee mocked Trump as "your hypocritical ‘anti-war’ president who just illegally struck Iran and is putting countless lives at risk."

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Later Saturday, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said the Squad and others crying out about the War Powers Act, saying that courts have ruled it refers to deploying troops, not what Trump has done.

"If we are attacked, the commander-in-chief has the authority and ability to protect Americans at home and abroad if we feel threatened or attacked," Mullin said.

"He’s keeping America safe," he told "Hannity."

AOC, other angry Democrats, call for Trump impeachment over attack on Iran

Progressive champion Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a handful of other Democrats quickly floated the prospect of impeaching President Donald Trump for launching a military strike on Iran without Congressional authorization.

"The President’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers," the four-term congresswoman from New York wrote on social media Saturday night, soon after the president announced the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

Ocasio-Cortez charged that Trump "has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment."

CLICK HERE FOR FOX NEWS LIVE UPDATES ON THE U.S. MILITARY STRIKE ON IRAN

Democrat Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois also argued that the president's order to bomb Iran's nuclear sites without seeking Congressional approval could be considered an "unambiguous impeachable offense."

Casten, a four-term representative whose district covers southwestern Chicago and surrounding suburbs, wrote Saturday night on social media that "this is not about the merits of Iran’s nuclear program….to be clear, I do not dispute that Iran is a nuclear threat." 

WATCH PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FULL ADDRESS TO THE NATION ON THE IRAN STRIKE

But he highlighted that "no president has the authority to bomb another country that does not pose an imminent threat to the US without the approval of Congress. This is an unambiguous impeachable offense."

"I’m not saying we have the votes to impeach," Casten added. "I’m saying that you DO NOT do this without Congressional approval."

The calls for impeachment are the most visible, and furthest reaching, representation of the party's anger with Trump for taking unilateral action against Iran.

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the top Democrat in the chamber, wrote that the president had "failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East."

"Donald Trump shoulders complete and total responsibility for any adverse consequences that flow from his unilateral military action," Jeffries added in a statement.

While the executive branch technically doesn't have the legal authority to order a foreign military attack without the approval of Congress, previous presidents, including Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Trump during his first term, launched comparable military actions in Libya, Sudan, Afghanistan and Iran.

Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of New York, in an interview Sunday morning on "Fox and Friends," criticized impeachment calls by Ocasio-Cortez and other Democrats.

"For my colleagues that are now demanding impeachment, it is absolutely absurd," Lawler argued. "Barack Obama attacked Libya, Syria, Pakistan, Yemen during his tenure and never once did they call for impeachment. So, these folks are truly reaching new levels of Trump derangement in the aftermath of yesterday's decision."

Congress has not actually declared war since 1941, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II, and legal scholars have long been divided on whether the president has the authority to unilaterally launch a military strike.

GOP Louisiana state senator says he’s running for US Senate because incumbent Republican ‘sucks’

Louisiana state Sen. Blake Miguez announced a U.S. Senate bid, declaring in a campaign video that he is "running for the U.S. Senate because Bill Cassidy sucks."

The video highlights old footage of Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, noting that he voted to convict President Donald Trump. Cassidy voted to convict after the House impeached Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. 

However, the Senate vote happened after Trump left office, and it ultimately fell short of the threshold necessary for conviction.

"Today, I'm announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate," Miguez declared in a Tuesday post on X that features the campaign video. "I'm running because the American Dream is worth fighting for - and DC phonies forget that. Bill Cassidy betrayed our state, our President, and our principles.

"As your next Senator, I won't bend. I won't break. I'll stand with President Trump. And I'll never stop fighting to put America First. Bill Cassidy had his shot. He missed. I won't," the Republican state lawmaker's post reads.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to Cassidy's campaign for comment.

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Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming, who is also targeting Cassidy for ouster, announced a U.S. Senate bid last year.

The Bayou State's next U.S. Senate election will be held in 2026.

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Cassidy has served in the Senate since 2015. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives, and before that, in the Louisiana state Senate.

Lawmakers, media dinged for blaming Trump or ripping Israel on Iran: ‘You think Kamala could’ve stopped them?’

Lawmakers and mainstream media figures were blasted online Friday morning over some of their responses to the development that Israel executed a widespread bombing campaign against key Iranian targets.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-CT., wrote on X that Israel’s attack was "clearly intended to scuttle the Trump administration's negotiations with Tehran," and is "further evidence of how little respect world powers - including our own allies - have for President Trump."

Murphy, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Europe, was later mocked for using the situation to slam Trump:

"Do you think Israel respected Biden, Obama, or Bush? Now is not the time for a partisan bromide," one critic replied.

"You think Kamala could’ve stopped them?" riffed another.

Former Ohio State Sen. Nina Turner, D-Cleveland, an occasional media figure and former campaign staffer for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., replied to Murphy’s critics, saying that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has "always wanted a broader war." 

"This was inevitable, given the U.S. foreign policy towards Israel. Arms embargo now," Turner added.

Left-wing former ESPN and MSNBC host Keith Olbermann informed Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on X that "your soul is lost" after the lawmaker celebrated Iran being attacked.

"Game on, pray for Israel," Graham originally wrote.

The oft-profane pundit did, however, receive some backhanded support from the right for the remarks, with one respondent saying, "you know society is about to collapse when I agree with Keith" – while another shared a "holy s---" meme featuring actor Keegan Michael Key. 

Former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., who has become one of President Donald Trump’s loudest critics, went after Trump’s supporters following the bombings.

"Yesterday: Trump scared to death of action against Iran."

On X, several pro-Trump ripped Kinzinger, saying he "lives in a bottle," "was too scared to run for reelection" in his swing Kankakee district because of his break with Trump, and should "cry harder."

Kinzinger, however, did appear to celebrate Israel’s killing of Iranian military commander Hossein Salami -- sharing a grinning GIF of the late Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain in response to a news alert.

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Several "Squad" members also got in on the action Friday, including Rep. Gregorio Casar of Texas.

Casar said Netanyahu’s "reckless strike risks provoking a wider war and pulling in the United States."

He called on Trump to oppose Netanyahu’s escalation and "not violate the Constitution" by involving U.S. troops without congressional approval.

Reaction to Casar was mixed, with some respondents asking what his own strategy would be, while one defender of the Austin lawmaker shared a meme of Trump dressed as a chambermaid standing aside Netanyahu in his office.

Meanwhile, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., actively sparred with critics of her statement that "regardless of what Trump thinks, Israel knows America will do whatever they want and feels confident about their ability to get into war and have the American government back them up."

"Everyone in America should prepare themselves to either see their tax dollars being spent on weapon supplies to Israel or be dragged into war with Iran if this escalates."

"Somalians belong in Somalia," one critic responded. "And in Congress," Omar shot back.

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When another critic said she should focus more on issues in her Minneapolis district, the congresswoman replied, "I am focusing on my district and we don’t believe our tax dollars should go to war. Thank for your input."

"This is all planned," tweeted "Squad" colleague Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.

"Both [U.S. and Israel] are liars."

Tlaib then claimed Jerusalem’s government is "genocidal" and that "war criminal Netanyahu will do anything to maintain his grip on power."

"Squad" member Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., followed by tweeting support for her "Block the Bombs Act" to withhold weapons sales to Israel in response to actions in Gaza.

The far-left lawmaker, who took over longtime moderate Democrat Dan Lipinski’s district, said that Netanyahu "cannot be trusted with offensive weapons that enable dangerous actions like what we saw last night."

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Elsewhere on social media, other liberal figures were raging at the Trump administration for other recent developments, like the brief detainment of Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., after he crashed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s Los Angeles press conference.

Col. Alexander Vindman, now retired, but a key figure in the Trump-Ukraine impeachment saga and a twin brother of Rep. Yevgeny "Eugene" Vindman, D-Va., railed against Noem multiple times, calling her a "fascist b---h."

"Hey Kristi, f--- off," Vindman wrote.

Frequent "Special Report" All-Star panelist Mollie Hemingway responded to Vindman, remarking on how the mainstream media regularly characterized him as a "stable," nonpartisan whistleblower.

Why Trump’s constant attacks and his sniping with Elon Musk helps him and keeps the media scrambling

Donald Trump is relishing all this, flaming every target in sight – or trying to put out fires in Los Angeles – as a president who loves being at war. 

Elon Musk, clearly missing the spotlight, is using X as a weapon, calling for his former pal's impeachment – but deleting his tweet tying Trump to Jeffrey Epstein in what might be viewed as an apology. 

Gavin Newsom is all fired up, daring Trump's border czar to arrest him and accusing the president of inflaming the situation by dispatching the National Guard over his objections. 

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The media are eagerly drinking from the Trump fire hose in the greatest, most entertaining breakup since Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni were denouncing each other. But several journalists were injured covering the violent L.A. protests, even as they reported that the vast majority of demonstrators are peaceful. 

And for me, it meant a crazy hour of television. 

We made lots of last-minute changes on "Media Buzz," but the biggest one involved ABC correspondent and anchor Terry Moran. I was tapping out the script on my phone during commercial breaks. 

For reasons I'll never be able to fathom, Moran posted a scathing attack on White House domestic policy chief Stephen Miller, calling him a "world-class hater." He also put Trump in the same category. 

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On Maria Bartiromo's show, which airs before mine, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Moran should be suspended or fired. Shortly after we went off the air, ABC suspended Moran, saying he had violated company standards. I’ll never fathom why he blew up his career.  

You can't overcover a public meltdown like this – Trump now saying Musk had "worn thin" and he'd asked him to leave – but journalists have a high-minded justification for the low-rent sniping. The president's entire agenda is wrapped up in the not-so-beautiful bill, including border funding, tax cuts, food stamps and trimming the Medicaid rolls. 

The measure passed the House by a single vote because a number of hard-line Republicans agree with Musk that it's a "disgusting abomination" which, at a minimum, would boost the deficit by $2.4 billion over 10 years. 

But Trump is like a movie studio mogul who simultaneously moves from one sound stage to the next. And that is a challenge to journalists who race to keep up–but also boosts ratings as he constantly taking questions from the reporters and producers he also denigrates. It’s a love-hate relationship, but lately, mostly hate.

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Trump issued a travel ban on 12 countries, mostly in the Middle East and Africa. Big story.

Trump brought Kilmar Abrego Garcia back to the U.S., after saying it couldn’t be done, and the mistakenly deported Salvadoran will face charges of human trafficking of illegal migrants – months after the Supreme Court ordered his return.

Trump is battling elite law firms, many of which are caving and agreeing to provide up to $125 million in free services rather than lose access to classified material that would cause an exodus of clients. Big story.

Trump backed off on criticizing Vladimir Putin after that incredible Ukrainian drone strike decimated a third of the Russian fleet, thousands of miles away. Now he says he may walk away from a war in which Putin has no conceivable interest in peace. Big story.

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Trump issued a wave of controversial pardons, especially one for a man who committed fraud by stealing from his employees, which came after his mother, a big-time GOP donor, paid $1 million to get face time with the president at a Mar-a-Lago fundraising dinner. Now he avoids a jail term and having to make over $4 million in restitution to his victims. Big story.

Trump is freezing funds for Harvard and investigating the Harvard Law Review. Big stories.

SUBSCRIBE TO HOWIE'S MEDIA BUZZMETER PODCAST, A RIFF ON THE DAY'S HOTTEST STORIES

Trump has ordered an investigation of Joe Biden and the undisputed coverup of his mental decline, arguing that his actions could be overturned if top aides were making the decisions. Huge story. But the coverage has been muted, in part because the press doesn’t take it seriously and Democrats don’t want to fuel any story that involves more visibility for Biden.

This nonstop gusher may deflect criticism that Trump is profiting from the presidency by selling meme coins and other items that once would have prompted an uproar. 

By the time you read this, the president may have made news on several other controversial subjects. It’s a strategy that helps him and, in many ways, the media that are always scrambling to keep up.

Mark Green announces retirement from Congress before end of term

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., is departing Capitol Hill early, he announced on Monday.

Green said he is leaving Congress for the private sector after the House votes again on President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful bill" in the coming weeks, in a statement first obtained by Fox News Digital.

"It is with a heavy heart that I announce my retirement from Congress. Recently, I was offered an opportunity in the private sector that was too exciting to pass up. As a result, today I notified the Speaker and the House of Representatives that I will resign from Congress as soon as the House votes once again on the reconciliation package," Green said.

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He called serving Tennessee's 7th Congressional District "the honor of a lifetime."

"They asked me to deliver on the conservative values and principles we all hold dear, and I did my level best to do so. Along the way, we passed historic tax cuts, worked with President Trump to secure the border, and defended innocent life. I am extremely proud of my work as Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, and want to thank my staff, both in my seventh district office, as well as the professional staff on that committee," Green said.

Green acknowledged in his statement that he had previously geared up to retire in the last Congress, but reversed course.

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"Though I planned to retire at the end of the previous Congress, I stayed to ensure that President Trump’s border security measures and priorities make it through Congress," he said.

"By overseeing the border security portion of the reconciliation package, I have done that. After that, I will retire, and there will be a special election to replace me."

Green is an Army veteran who has served in Congress since 2019.

As House Homeland Security Committee chairman, he oversaw Republicans' impeachment of former Biden administration DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

It's not clear where in the private sector Green will go, but it's a safe bet to assume his House seat will stay in Republican hands.

The district voted for President Donald Trump by more than 20 percentage points over former Vice President Kamala Harris last year.

Republican leaders are hoping to complete consideration of Trump's massive agenda bill by the Fourth of July or shortly thereafter.

The bill passed the House in a narrow 215-214 vote, and it is now being considered by the Senate. If the Senate changes the bill, as expected, the House will have to approve that version before it hits Trump's desk.

Trump warns of ‘serious consequences’ if Elon Musk funds Democrats

President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that there would be "serious consequences" for Elon Musk if he were to fund Democratic candidates. The president made the remark during a phone interview with NBC News.

"If he does, he’ll have to pay the consequences for that," Trump told NBC News. However, according to the outlet, Trump did not detail what the consequences would be.

The president also told the outlet that he has no interest in repairing his relationship with the Tesla founder and CEO. When asked if he thought his relationship with Musk was over, Trump reportedly told NBC News, "I would assume so, yeah." Trump also apparently has "no intention" of speaking with Musk — which is what he told Fox News Chief Political Anchor Bret Baier.

Trump and Musk have been engaged in a heated feud that has rapidly escalated in a matter of days. The spat began when Musk criticized the Trump-backed "Big Beautiful Bill" after his time with the administration ended.

"I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination," Musk said in a Tuesday post on X. "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."

Musk later had two explosive posts on X, both of which are now deleted. In one, Musk accused Trump of being in files related to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Then, he agreed with a post calling for Trump's impeachment and suggested that Vice President JD Vance take charge.

In one of his posts criticizing the bill, Musk argued that the bill "more than defeats all the cost savings achieved by the DOGE team at great personal cost and risk."

On Friday, Trump spoke with Baier and told him that "Elon’s totally lost it." That same day Trump posted on Truth Social that Musk should have turned on him "months ago."

"I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress. "This puts our Country on a Path of Greatness. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

Musk endorsed Trump after the then-candidate was nearly assassinated in Butler, Pa., during a campaign rally. The two seemed to become fast friends, with Musk eventually agreeing to join the Trump administration and lead DOGE.

Musk jokes about reconsidering stance on Big Beautiful Bill after Schiff’s praise

Elon Musk appeared to jokingly reconsider his stance on the Big Beautiful Bill after a California Democrat came to his defense.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., wrote on X that "I can't believe I'm saying this – but [Elon Musk] is right." However, that seems to be the last point on which the two agree. They both object to the Big Beautiful Bill, viewing it as full of pork. Musk opposes the bill because he believes it raises government spending too much, while Schiff objects to what he calls its "far-right" content, which he describes as "dangerous."


REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS STAND FIRM AGAINST MUSK'S 'KILL THE BILL' ASSAULT ON TRUMP'S AGENDA

Musk fired off a response rejecting Schiff’s alleged praise of the tech billionaire’s position on the bill.

"Hmm, few things could convince me to reconsider my position more than Adam Schiff agreeing with me!"

On May 30, Musk’s time with the administration came to an end, and he seemed to leave things on good terms. President Donald Trump thanked Musk for his work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and gave him a symbolic "key to the White House" as a parting gift. 

Following his departure from the White House, Musk said he was looking forward "to continuing to be a friend and adviser to the president." However, things took a sharp turn as a feud between Trump and Musk quickly heated up after the Tesla founder began publicly criticizing the Big Beautiful Bill. 

INSIDE THE MUSK-TRUMP FALLOUT

After the legislation passed the House, Musk said that the "massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. "Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it."

Musk’s criticisms received mixed reactions from Republicans, with some — such as Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky. — agreeing with him. Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was "surprised" by Musk’s reaction and claimed the two of them had a good discussion about the bill.

Trump and Musk then began slugging it out on their respective social media platforms — X and Truth Social — as well as TV. The president told reporters in the Oval Office that he was "very disappointed" with Musk and claimed that the former DOGE head knew what was in the bill, something that Musk denied. 

TRUMP NOT INTERESTED IN TALKING TO MUSK: 'ELON'S TOTALLY LOST IT'

The heated exchange led to two explosive tweets, both of which were later deleted. In one post, Musk claimed Trump was mentioned in files relating to Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased sex offender and disgraced financier. In his other post, Musk endorsed a message that called for Trump’s impeachment and said that Vice President J.D. Vance should take over.

While it’s unclear whether Trump and Musk will reconcile, for now it seems unlikely. Trump told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier that he was not interested in talking to Musk and that "Elon’s totally lost it."