Texas AG Ken Paxton cuts deal to pay $300K and avoid felony trial on fraud charges: ‘Happy to comply’

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, agreed to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution on Tuesday under a deal cut with federal prosecutors to terminate fraud charges that have been leveraged against him for nine years. Paxton had pleaded not guilty. 

Prosecutors announced the decision in a Houston courtroom just weeks before Paxton was set to face trial, where he could have faced 99 years in prison if found guilty. 

Paxton's attorney, Dan Cogdell, told Fox News Digital following the announcement that "the state finally realized that they could not prove the charges and simply made us an offer that I could not in good faith advise my client to turn down." 

"Anytime a prosecutor offers clear path to have all the charges against a client of mine dismissed, I am going to recommend they take that path. Only a fool would do otherwise," he said.

EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR DETAILS SURFACE IN HISTORIC IMPEACHMENT TRIAL OF TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON

Cogdell said in a press conference Tuesday that Paxton is "happy to comply with the agreement" and avoid a federal trial. 

"We're glad to have this behind us. Eighteen months from now, or perhaps shorter, the case will be dismissed. There will never be a conviction, and Ken Paxton, at least today, can begin to go back and do what he should have been doing all along and that is representing the state of Texas."

"This was a case we knew in fact from the beginning they couldn't prove … on year nine, we still know they couldn't prove," Cogdell said. "You don't go to trial to prove your innocence, the Constitution says the exact opposite of that." 

TEXAS AG PAXTON ACQUITTED ON ALL IMPEACHMENT CHARGES: 'THE TRUTH PREVAILED'

In July 2015, before he became the state's top law enforcement officer, Paxton was indicted on charges of allegedly misleading and defrauding wealthy tech startup investors and failing to disclose that the startup was paying him to promote its assets.

A Texas grand jury indicted Paxton on two counts of first-degree securities fraud and a charge of not registering. Paxton was also fined in 2014 for not disclosing to Texas securities regulators that he was getting commissions for soliciting investors.

TRUMP WEIGHS IN ON TEXAS AG KEN PAXTON IMPEACHMENT TRIAL, ARGUES ‘ESTABLISHMENT RINOS’ WANT TO ‘UNDO’ ELECTION

The deal that gets Paxton off the hook, which requires him to pay full restitution to victims and complete 100 community service hours and 15 hours of legal education classes, is the second legal victory for the AG in recent months. 

In September 2023, Paxton was acquitted of all impeachment articles filed against him for corruption and unfitness for office. He had faced accusations that he misused his political power to help real estate developer Nate Paul — allegations that stemmed from a lawsuit filed by four former employees who reported him to the FBI. 

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Fox News' Chris Pandolfo and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Trump to renew push for delay in New York hush money trial as $454M fraud bond comes due

Former President Trump will appear in a Manhattan court on Monday, where he is expected to renew his push for a delay in his hush money payments trial.

The trial is currently scheduled for April 15, a date that was already delayed 30 days thanks to the discovery of new evidence material in early March. In a separate case, Trump also faces a Monday deadline to pay a $454 million bond in the civil fraud case brought against him by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Judge Juan Merchan is holding Monday's hearing to make a final determination for the date of the trial. Trump's team argues that the evidence uncovered in early March requires more time for review. They also say that prosecutors with Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's office received elements of the new evidence before the defense and allegedly violated discovery rules.

Trump is accused of falsifying business records in relation to hush money payments he made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.

JUDGE DELAYS TRUMP'S HUSH-MONEY TRIAL AMID LAST-MINUTE EVIDENCE DUMP BY FEDS

Bragg's office urged Merchan do deny Trump's push for further delays in a filing last week. Prosecutors argue Trump's team is seeking to delay the trial for as long as possible, with an ultimate goal of pushing his legal battles past the November election.

TRUMP HOLDS SLIGHT EDGE OVER BIDEN IN CRUCIAL BATTLEGROUND STATE: POLL

"Defendant's accusations of a discovery violation are a distraction from the only issue actually presented here, which is how this Court should respond to the late arrival of potentially relevant evidence from sources outside of the People's direction or control," Bragg wrote in last week's court filing.

"On that question, the appropriate remedy is the brief adjournment that this Court has already granted, which is more than enough time for the parties to review what the People now have good reason to believe is the limited number of relevant records in the USAO's recent productions. This Court should accordingly deny defendant's request for more extreme sanctions," the filing continued.

COMER INVITES HUNTER BIDEN, BUSINESS ASSOCIATES TO TESTIFY PUBLICLY MARCH 20 AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

The new evidence is some 15,000 records produced by the Justice Department relating to its investigation of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who is serving as a star witness in the hush money case.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said much of the material is unrelated to the state case against Trump. Federal prosecutors have already provided at least 104,000 pages of records — 74,000 of which initially went just to Bragg's office and not to Trump's lawyers.

Bragg's office has since turned over those 74,000 pages to the defense.

In the civil fraud case brought by the state attorney general's office, Monday is the end of the 30-day grace period Trump was given to post a $454 million appeal bond. If he fails to do so, Attorney General James can enforce the trial court's judgment against the former president and start seizing his property and/or assets.

Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report

Quoting Dr. Seuss, ‘Just go, Go, GO!’ federal judge dismisses Blagojevich political comeback suit

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Rod Blagojevich, the ex-governor and ex-con who often dusted off ancient and sometimes puzzling quotations to emphasize his positions, found himself at the other end Thursday when a federal judge dismissed his lawsuit attempting to return to public life by quoting Dr. Seuss: "Just go."

The Chicago Democrat, impeached and removed from office by the General Assembly in 2009, then sentenced to federal prison for political crimes, filed suit in federal court to reverse a ban accompanying his impeachment that prohibits his return to public office.

BLAGO HOLDS COURT: EX-GOV GIVES DRAMATIC ACCOUNT OF LIFE BEHIND BARS, DECLARES HE’S A ‘TRUMP-O-CRAT’

On Thursday, in a colorful, 10-page smackdown dismissing the action from Chicago, U.S. District Court Judge Steven Seeger debunked the former governor's claims issue by issue, then relied on Dr. Seuss' 1972 book, "Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!" to suggest what Blagojevich should do:

"The time has come. The time has come. The time is now. Just Go. Go. GO! I don't care how. You can go by foot. You can go by cow. Marvin K. Mooney, will you please go now!"

Mark Vargas, a Blagojevich spokesperson, said the ruling was no surprise.

"The people should be able to decide who they want or don't want to represent them," Vargas wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "not federal judges or establishment politicians who are afraid of governors who fight for the people."

He did not say whether Blagojevich, 67, would take further action.

As Illinois governor from 2003 to 2009, Blagojevich was fond of quoting Greek philosophers, Roman statesmen and the Bible (particularly John 8:32: "The truth will set you free.")

He was impeached and removed from office in 2009, then convicted of 17 counts of corruption in 2011, including attempting to sell or trade for political gain the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama upon his election as president. He served eight years behind bars of a 14-year sentence before his sentence was commuted by then-President Donald Trump in 2020. The Illinois Supreme Court also revoked his law license.

Blagojevich, who routinely joked while governor that he had received a "C" in constitutional law at Pepperdine University Law School, filed the lawsuit in 2021, representing himself. Accompanied by a gaggle of news reporters, cameras and microphones outside the Dirksen Federal Building in Chicago, the always impeccably coifed Blagojevich declared, "I’m back."

The federal civil rights complaint sought to reverse the state Senate's impeachment ban on his holding office again, arguing the ban violates the Constitution's Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments and the First Amendment's protection of the people's fundamental right to vote. "And by that," Seeger explained, "Blagojevich apparently means the fundamental right to vote for him."

"The complaint is riddled with problems," Seeger began. "If the problems were fish in a barrel, the complaint contains an entire school of tuna. It is a target-rich environment. The complaint is an Issue-Spotting Wonderland."

First off, Seeger said that civil rights complaints must be filed against a person, which neither the state of Illinois nor its General Assembly is.

Next, Seeger discussed at length why a federal court cannot intervene in a legislative impeachment proceeding because of the Constitution's separation-of-powers provision. The judge then pointed out that even if the impeachment ban was reversed, Illinois state law still prevents a convicted felon from holding "an office of honor, trust or profit."

The Sixth Amendment, Seeger wrote, applies to criminal trials, not civil trials: impeachment "took away his job, not his liberty," he said.

Further, Blagojevich can't sue to protect the rights of voters. They need to speak for themselves, Seeger said, and "no voter is here hoping to cast a vote for Blagojevich."

Finally, the judge said, Blagojevich might not even have a reason to proceed because when he filed the lawsuit, he said he might want to run again, but hadn't decided. Seeger noted that a legal claim is not "ripe" if it depends on "contingent future events that may not occur."

"The case started with a megaphone, but it ends with a whimper," Seeger concluded. "Sometimes cases in the federal courthouse attract publicity. But the courthouse is no place for a publicity stunt.

"He wants back. But he's already gone. Case dismissed."

GOP lawmaker asks ‘Where in the world is Hunter Biden,’ after Cap Hill ghosting as AOC calls hearing a ‘joke’

Hunter Biden's no-show at a congressional hearing wasn't shocking to some House Republicans who joked his whereabouts should be made into a game, but several Democrats told Fox News that President Joe Biden's son has already answered enough questions and the impeachment inquiry should end.

The House Oversight and Judiciary Committees held a joint hearing on Wednesday regarding foreign business dealings and allegations of influence peddling within Biden's family, but Hunter declined to appear. The Republican-led impeachment inquiry into Biden instead heard from the younger Biden's former business associates, Tony Bobulinski and Jason Galanis, along with House Democrats' witness and former Rudy Guiliani associate, Lev Parnas. 

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"It's [Hunter's] history, isn't it?" Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Mike Kelly said. "He's always MIA." 

HUNTER BIDEN'S EX-BUSINESS PARTNER TONY BOBULINSKI SLAMS HIM FOR ‘RUNNING AWAY’ FROM HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

But Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the inquiry a "joke" ahead of the hearing. 

"I think the fact that Republicans' core theory here and their main source turned out to be working with Russian spies is kind of the reason to not show up to this joke," the New York Democrat said. 

Former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov was charged in February with two counts related to "false derogatory information" regarding the Biden family's business dealings, according to court documents. Prosecutors accused Smirnov of "actively peddling new lies that could impact U.S. elections after meeting with Russian intelligence officials," the detention memo states.

"Maybe we should have a game. Where in the world is Hunter Biden?" Rep. Carlos Giménez told Fox News. "He probably didn't show because he didn't want to testify, didn't want to probably lie under oath as to what his activities and his family's activities are."

BIDEN MET WITH CHAIRMAN OF CHINESE ENERGY FIRM HUNTER DID BUSINESS WITH IN 2017, EX-ASSOCIATE TESTIFIES

"Why are people giving millions and millions and companies and adversary nations giving millions and millions of dollars to the Biden family when there's no product to sell or to buy except Joe Biden's influence?" the Florida Republican continued.

Hunter's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, told House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer last week Hunter would be absent because of a court hearing in California the next day and called Republicans' request "hasty." Hunter rejected a November subpoena but unexpectedly showed up to a January congressional committee hearing and testified behind closed doors in February. 

AOC SAYS TRUMP ‘WILLING TO SELL THE COUNTRY FOR A DOLLAR’ AS LAWMAKERS REACT TO POTENTIAL PROPERTY SEIZURES

New York Democrat Rep. Dan Goldman told Fox News ahead of Wednesday's hearing that the president's son has already answered Republicans' questions.

"He debunked all the conspiracy theories … and made a really good point, which is that the witness who should be here on this purported hearing about influence peddling is Jared Kushner, who used his position in the government, unlike Hunter Biden, to solicit and obtain $2 billion from the Saudi Arabians," Goldman said. 

HUNTER BIDEN’S FEDERAL GUN CHARGES TRIAL SLATED FOR EARLY JUNE

Kushner, former President Trump's son-in-law and an adviser during his administration, reportedly received the hefty investment from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund for his private equity firm after he left the White House. Comer said his committee would look into whether Kushner has a "real business" after Democrats urged further investigation during the Wednesday hearing, but noted that Hunter's businesses appeared illegitimate.

Some House Republicans accused Hunter of continuing to avoid transparency about his business dealings and his father's involvement. They also pointed to Hunter's earlier plea for public testimony.

Hunter "actually said he wanted to testify in public and then, given that opportunity, declined to do so," California Republican Rep. Tom McClintock said. "What does that say about him?"

Michigan Republican Rep. John Moolenaar said "it would be best if [Hunter] would simply be transparent and open about his business dealings and cooperate in a way that assures the American people."

Manhattan DA urges judge to deny Trump motion to further delay trial

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is calling on a New York court to deny former President Trump's request for a delay in his trial on Thursday.

Bragg's filing comes after new documents relating to Trump's alleged hush money payments case were uncovered. Judge Juan Merchan agreed to impose a 30-day postponement to allow the documents to be reviewed, setting the date of the trial to April 15.

Trump's legal team argued that delay is not enough. They say the newly discovered documents constitute a violation of discovery policies and argue that a 90-day postponement is warranted.

Bragg's Thursday filing seeks to refute that request, saying that it is merely a ploy by Trump's legal team to delay the case for as long as possible.

JUDGE DELAYS TRUMP'S HUSH-MONEY TRIAL AMID LAST-MINUTE EVIDENCE DUMP BY FEDS

"Defendant's accusations of a discovery violation are a distraction from the only issue actually presented here, which is how this Court should respond to the late arrival of potentially relevant evidence from sources outside of the People's direction or control," Bragg wrote.

TRUMP HOLDS SLIGHT EDGE OVER BIDEN IN CRUCIAL BATTLEGROUND STATE: POLL

"On that question, the appropriate remedy is the brief adjournment that this Court has already granted, which is more than enough time for the parties to review what the People now have good reason to believe is the limited number of relevant records in the USAO's recent productions. This Court should accordingly deny defendant's request for more extreme sanctions," the filing continued.

The Department of Justice had notified Trump's legal team and Bragg's office that it planned to produce 15,000 records as potential evidence late last week. The DOJ investigated the hush-money payment matter while Trump was president.

COMER INVITES HUNTER BIDEN, BUSINESS ASSOCIATES TO TESTIFY PUBLICLY MARCH 20 AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

The U.S. Attorneys Office said much of the material is unrelated to the state case against Trump. Federal prosecutors have already provided at least 104,000 pages of records — 74,000 of which initially went just to Bragg's office and not to Trump's lawyers.

Bragg's office has since turned over those 74,000 pages to the defense.

The records from federal prosecutors pertain to a federal investigation that touched on the hush money matter and led to prison time for former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen.

Trump's lawyers were seeking a 90-day delay or a dismissal of the charges against him, arguing that there were violations in the discovery process, whereby both sides exchange materials. Defense lawyers claimed that a 30-day adjournment was "insufficient" and asked Merchan to schedule a hearing on discovery.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records stemming from alleged hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels, an adult-film actress, during his 2016 presidential campaign. 

Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

AOC resurrects ‘Green New Deal’ moniker for public housing bill

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., will resurrect her "Green New Deal" terminology with a new housing bill she plans to announce Thursday, according to Politico.

Ocasio-Cortez will announce the "Green New Deal for Housing" alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders I-Vt., who is sponsoring the legislation in the Senate. She says the bill will focus largely on public housing, arguing that private housing is no longer realistic for many Americans.

"For a long time, we could pass a tax incentive here or there and say, ‘Hey, we've got a great housing policy,’" Ocasio-Cortez told Politico. "And everyday people … were supportive because there was still that dream and that idea that ‘I'm going to be buying a home soon … that's within the horizon for me.’ Right now, we have an entire generation — that is ascending into becoming the most powerful electorate, the largest electorate — for which that is decades away."

The legislation's central change would be to repeal the Faircloth Amendment, which for decades has prevented the Department of Housing and Urban Development from funding new public housing.

HUNTER BIDEN'S EX-BUSINESS PARTNER TONY BOBULINSKI SLAMS HIM FOR 'RUNNING AWAY' FROM HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE

"No housing conversation is complete without a conversation around public housing," Ocasio-Cortez added. "We in the United States have lived under the scourge of the Faircloth amendment for decades, and that has helped precipitate — and contributed to — the housing crisis that we are living in today. A major part of our housing problem is a supply problem."

JOE BIDEN IS 'THE BIG GUY,' TONY BOBULINSKI SAID DURING 'UNSHAKEABLE' TESTIMONY AMID IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY

The legislation comes several years after Ocasio-Cortez's first attempt at a "Green New Deal," which sought to reshape the conversation around clean energy use and emissions in the U.S. That bill was dead on arrival in Congress, as is likely to be the case with her latest effort.

President Biden's administration wished the effort well in a Thursday statement but shied away from endorsing the legislation.

AOC SAYS TRUMP ‘WILLING TO SELL THE COUNTRY FOR A DOLLAR’ AS LAWMAKERS REACT TO POTENTIAL PROPERTY SEIZURES

"As he laid out in his State of the Union address and again this week in Nevada, President Biden is laser focused on lowering housing costs for owners and renters alike," a White House spokesman told Politico when asked about the bill. "We welcome ideas from members of Congress to build on our strong agenda."

Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders are expected to announce the legislation at an event on Capitol Hill later Thursday.

Former Hunter Biden associates to testify publicly in next phase of impeachment inquiry

Former business associates of Hunter Biden are expected to testify publicly on Capitol Hill Wednesday as congressional Republicans begin the next phase of the impeachment inquiry against President Biden. 

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is expected to open the hearing by explaining that throughout the impeachment inquiry, investigators have "found no credible evidence of the Bidens providing any work product" and has "identified no legitimate value or document or even one single hour of work that the Bidens have provided their business partners." 

"What is apparent, after over a year of investigation, is that the Bidens do not work in any traditional sense of the word. They do not work as consultants. Or lawyers. Or advisors. The Bidens don’t sell a product or a service or a set of skills," Comer will say, according to excerpts of his opening statement obtained by Fox News Digital. "The Bidens sell Joe Biden.

Comer will say that Joe Biden "has taken action after action to further his family’s plans to get rich."

"The scam is simple. The Biden family promises they can make a foreign partner’s problems go away by engaging the U.S. government," Comer will say. "It’s done over and over again. The Biden family promises Joe’s power, Joe Biden shows up, and millions of dollars come into the Bidens’ pockets." 

Comer will add: "Joe Biden is the Biden family’s closer."

Tony Bobulinski, a U.S. Navy veteran, will appear publicly for a joint hearing of the House Oversight and Judiciary committees Wednesday morning. 

Jason Galanis, who is serving a 14-year prison sentence, will also testify but will do so virtually from Federal Prison Camp, a minimum-security prison for male inmates in Montgomery, Alabama. 

HUNTER BIDEN REFUSES TO ATTEND HOUSE HEARING WITH FORMER BUSINESS ASSOCIATES

Democrats have invited Lev Parnas, a former associate of former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, to testify publicly as well. 

In announcing the hearing earlier this month, Comer invited Hunter Biden to testify publicly as well, per the first son’s repeated requests. Through his attorney Abbe Lowell, Hunter rejected the invitation. 

Lowell, in a letter to the committees, called the hearing a "carnival side show."

Comer also invited Hunter Biden’s former associate, Devon Archer. Archer is not expected to attend. 

Comer, though, has said he has "called Hunter Biden's bluff." 

HUNTER BIDEN ADMITS HE PUT HIS FATHER ON SPEAKERPHONE, INVITED HIM TO MEETINGS, BUT DENIES 'INVOLVEMENT'

"Hunter Biden for months stated he wanted a public hearing, but now that one has been offered alongside his business associates that he worked with for years, he is refusing to come," Comer said. "During our deposition and interview phase of our investigation, Hunter Biden confirmed key evidence, including evidence that his father, President Joe Biden, lied to the American people about his family’s business dealings and, in fact, attended meetings, spoke on speakerphone and had coffee with his foreign business associates who collectively funneled millions to the Bidens." 

Comer had subpoenaed Hunter Biden for a deposition scheduled for early December, but the president's son defied that subpoena for a closed-door deposition, demanding a public hearing instead. Comer vowed to give Hunter Biden that public hearing after the committee had him for a deposition — like all other witnesses. 

"When you're investigating a family for this level of corruption you deserve the truth, the American people deserve the truth," Comer said. "We're giving Hunter Biden a venue to testify publicly." 

Hunter Biden appeared for his highly anticipated deposition last month before both the House Oversight and Judiciary committees and maintained that his father was never involved in and never benefited from his businesses. 

The committee also heard testimony from James Biden, the president’s younger brother, who testified the same. 

JOE BIDEN ALLEGEDLY CONSIDERED JOINING BOARD OF CCP-LINKED COMPANY, WITNESS TESTIFIES FROM PRISON

Hunter Biden did admit, however, that he put his father on speakerphone with his business associates and invited him to drop by his business lunches. 

Archer testified before the House Oversight Committee last year that Hunter Biden put his father on speakerphone at least 20 times with business associates. 

Without Hunter and Archer, the hearing Wednesday will feature testimony from Bobulinski, who worked with Hunter Biden to create the joint venture SinoHawk Holdings with Chinese energy company CEFC. Bobulinski testified behind closed doors that he personally met with Joe Biden in 2017 for more than 45 minutes. 

Bobulinski also testified that Joe Biden "enabled" his son Hunter to sell access to the "most dangerous adversaries" of the U.S., including the Chinese Communist Party, Russia and others.  

JOE BIDEN 'ENABLED' FAMILY TO SELL ACCESS TO 'DANGEROUS ADVERSARIES,' TONY BOBULINSKI TESTIFIES

Galanis’ testimony will also focus on whether Joe Biden was involved in the businesses he worked on with Hunter Biden. 

Galanis, who was interviewed by congressional investigators in prison last month, testified that Joe Biden was considering joining the board of a joint venture created by Hunter Biden and his business associates with ties to the Chinese Communist Party after he left the vice presidency.

Galanis also said that the words "lean in" were "used often by Devon and Hunter in our business dealings as a term for access to Vice President Biden’s political influence."

ERIC SCHWERIN CONFIRMS JOE BIDEN USED 'ROBINWARE456' EMAIL ALIAS WHILE SERVING AS VICE PRESIDENT

Galanis is serving a 14-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to securities fraud based on bonds issued by a company affiliated with a Native American tribe in South Dakota. The funds were reportedly supposed to be used for certain projects but were instead used for his personal finances. He was sentenced in 2017.

DEVON ARCHER: HUNTER BIDEN, BURISMA EXECS ‘CALLED DC’ TO GET UKRAINIAN PROSECUTOR FIRED

Democrats have blasted what they call the "hopeless impeachment investigation," with the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., telling Fox News Digital the inquiry "originated with a bunch of lies told by an indicted liar in close proximity to Russian agents." 

"So who better than Lev Parnas himself — Rudy Giuliani’s right-hand man on the original mission to smear Joe Biden — to tell the story of how this campaign of lies and slander works?" Raskin said. "Lev Parnas can debunk the bogus claims at the heart of the impeachment probe and, in the process, explain how the GOP ended up in this degraded and embarrassing place." 

Biden to use State of the Union to stress ‘historic achievements’ and importance of ‘saving our democracy’

President Biden is expected to lay out his administration’s "historic achievements" during his third State of the Union address Thursday night, the White House said, while stressing the importance of "uniting the country" and "saving our democracy." 

The president is expected to deliver his State of the Union address Thursday at 9 p.m. ET. 

A White House official told Fox News Digital the president will "lay out the historic achievements he has delivered on for the American people and his vision for the future." 

"President Biden got more done in the first three years than most presidents have accomplished in two terms," a White House official told Fox News Digital. 

JIM BANKS CALLS ON BIDEN TO 'PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE' LAKEN RILEY AT SOTU

The president is expected to discuss "protecting and implementing his agenda" during the last year of his term and in what he hopes will be a second term. 

The official said Biden will discuss infrastructure and investment in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, lowering drug prices and "getting rid of junk fees." 

But, at the heart of the speech, the president is expected to discuss "whose side he is on," the official said, and "the work ahead to make life better for every American." 

The president will discuss lowering costs, lowering health care premiums and "taking on the drug companies to lower the cost of prescription drugs." 

Biden is also set to discuss ways he intends to put the middle class "first." 

The official said Biden will also lay out strategies for "saving our democracy" and "protecting women’s reproductive health." 

While the State of the Union cannot be viewed as a campaign speech, the president, who is running for re-election, will likely try to draw a contrast between his policies and Republican policies. 

"Rights and freedoms are on the ballot," the White House official said, adding that Biden will discuss "uniting the country" and his "unity agenda." 

That "unity agenda," according to the official, will touch on privacy and big tech, ways to curb fentanyl, helping veterans and ending cancer. 

"We want to get as much done as we can as soon as we can," the official said. "We're going to be pedal to the metal this year, and there’s much more to come in a second term." 

BIDEN’S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: BRET BAIER, MARTHA MACCALLUM TO LEAD FOX NEWS CHANNEL'S SPECIAL COVERAGE

But the White House did not offer any insight into how the president will address the crisis at the southern border during his Thursday night address. 

The ongoing border crisis has become a top political issue in the days leading up to the address, with Biden expected to renew his calls for the Senate to pass a border agreement unveiled earlier this year. Republicans have blamed the crisis on the policies of the administration.

The address comes after a historic year for illegal immigration, with more than 2.4 million migrant encounters in fiscal year 2023. Fiscal 2024 has been similarly overwhelming, with over 300,000 encounters in December. 

The president visited the southern border last week, traveling to Brownsville, Texas. His visit came on the same day as his GOP opponent, former President Trump. Biden met with Border Patrol, law enforcement and local leaders and urged Republicans to back a bipartisan Senate bill to address the crisis. 

"It's real simple. It's time to act. It is long past time to act," the president said last week.  "It's time for us to move on this. We can't wait any longer."

The president's visit came just days after the murder of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley. Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal migrant from Venezuela, was arrested and charged in Riley's murder.

ALABAMA SEN. KATIE BRITT TO DELIVER REPUBLICAN RESPONSE TO BIDEN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS: 'TRULY HONORED'

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed the Venezuelan national entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and had previously been arrested in New York City and later released. 

Biden has not yet mentioned Riley’s name. 

The president’s address also comes at a time of global uncertainty, amid ongoing wars between Israel and Hamas and Russia and Ukraine and tensions rising in the Indo-Pacific. 

Last month, White House officials acknowledged a national security threat related to Russian abilities in space that could impact U.S. and global military telecommunications. 

RUSSIAN NUCLEAR CAPABILITIES IN SPACE COULD THREATEN INTERNATIONAL SATELLITES, US MILITARY COMMS: SOURCES

Also, last month, the United States conducted retaliatory strikes on more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups and proxies. The strikes came in response to the deaths of three U.S. service members on a U.S. base in Jordan.

There have been at least 160 attacks on U.S. troops in the Middle East since mid-October.

The president's address also comes as the House of Representatives conducts an impeachment inquiry against him. GOP lawmakers are investigating whether he was involved or benefited from his family's overseas business dealings, something they say could impact U.S. national security. 

US 'NOT LOOKING FOR A WAR WITH IRAN,' WHITE HOUSE SAYS, STRIKES DESIGNED TO 'PUT AN END' TO ATTACKS ON TROOPS

His speech to the nation also comes just weeks after special counsel Robert Hur released his highly anticipated report following his months-long investigation into Biden's improper retention of classified records. 

Hur, in his report, described the president as a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory," and did not bring charges against him. 

SPECIAL COUNSEL CALLS BIDEN 'SYMPATHETIC, WELL-MEANING, ELDERLY MAN WITH A POOR MEMORY,' BRINGS NO CHARGES

Opponents of the president have raised concerns about his mental fitness for the presidency and a potential second term. 

Meanwhile, White House communications director Ben LaBolt said the president, in his address, "will make the case to continue to build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out," saying his policies have "led to record job creation, the strongest economy in the world, increased wages and household wealth and lower prescription drug and energy costs." 

BIDEN ON ICE CREAM OUTING WITH SETH MEYERS SAYS HE HOPES FOR GAZA CEASE-FIRE BY ‘END OF THE WEEKEND’

LaBolt drew the contrast between that of the "MAGA Republican agenda," which he claims is focused on "rewarding billionaires and corporations with big tax breaks, taking away rights and freedoms and undermining our democracy." 

But the White House’s messaging is not only focused on Thursday night’s speech. LaBolt said we live in a "fractured communications landscape" and said many Americans "won’t consume the State of the Union collectively in the same moment or through the same medium." 

"Therefore, we’re fanning out aggressively not only Thursday but in the weeks ahead to reach Americans where they receive the news with the president’s message about whose side he’s on," LaBolt said. 

In the days following the State of the Union, Biden is expected to travel to Philadelphia and Atlanta, and Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Arizona and Nevada. 

The White House will also send cabinet secretaries to states across the nation, including Colorado, Ohio, Missouri, Kentucky, South Carolina, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Tennessee, Michigan and other states to highlight the Biden administration’s agenda. 

Following Biden’s address Thursday night, Alabama Republican Sen. Katie Britt is expected to deliver the GOP response. 

Fox News' Adam Shae contributed to this report. 

Comer invites Hunter Biden, business associates to testify publicly March 20 amid impeachment inquiry

FIRST ON FOX: House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is inviting Hunter Biden and his business associates to testify at a public hearing later this month as part of the ongoing impeachment inquiry against President Biden. 

Comer, R-Ky., invited Hunter Biden, Tony Bobulinski, Devon Archer and Jason Galanis to testify at a public hearing March 20 at 10 a.m. 

All four individuals have testified behind closed doors as part of the impeachment inquiry, but Comer said the hearing will "examine inconsistencies among the witnesses’ testimonies in order to get the truth for the American people."

HUNTER BIDEN ADMITS HE PUT HIS FATHER ON SPEAKERPHONE, INVITED HIM TO MEETINGS, BUT DENIES 'INVOLVEMENT'
 

"Evidence obtained in the House of Representatives’ impeachment inquiry reveals Joe Biden knew about, participated in, and benefited from his family cashing in on the Biden name," Comer said in a statement Wednesday.

"Multiple witnesses have testified Joe Biden allowed his family to sell him as ‘the brand’ around the world to enrich the Biden family. Joe Biden met with nearly all of his son’s foreign business associates; attended dinners with foreign oligarchs who collectively funneled his son millions of dollars; spoke on speakerphone with his son’s foreign associates, telling those who did business with his son to be ‘good to my boy;’ and had coffee with his son’s Chinese business associate." 

Comer said the Bidens’ "pay-to-play scheme is corrupt and Americans demand accountability."

"During our deposition and interview phase of the investigation, Hunter Biden confirmed evidence about Joe Biden’s involvement, yet his testimony conflicts with other witnesses’ testimonies," Comer continued. "Given the (president's) son’s repeated calls for a public hearing, I fully expect Hunter Biden to appear for a scheduled Oversight Committee hearing on March 20, alongside Biden family business associates.

JOE BIDEN ALLEGEDLY CONSIDERED JOINING BOARD OF CCP-LINKED COMPANY, WITNESS TESTIFIES FROM PRISON

"The American people deserve the facts about the Biden family’s corrupt influence peddling and Oversight Republicans will work to ensure accountability and press for answers to inform legislative solutions to prevent this abuse of power." 

Hunter Biden appeared for a highly anticipated deposition last week before both the House Oversight and Judiciary committees and maintained that his father was never involved and never benefited from his businesses. 

The committee also heard testimony from James Biden, the president’s younger brother, who testified the same. 

JOE BIDEN 'ENABLED' FAMILY TO SELL ACCESS TO 'DANGEROUS ADVERSARIES,' TONY BOBULINSKI TESTIFIES

Hunter Biden did admit, however, that he put his father, Joe Biden, on speakerphone with his business associates and invited him to drop by his business lunches. 

Archer testified before the House Oversight Committee last year that Hunter Biden put his father on speakerphone at least 20 times with business associates. 

And Bobulinski testified he personally met with Joe Biden in 2017 for more than 45 minutes. He also testified that Joe Biden "enabled" his son Hunter to sell access to the United States’ "most dangerous adversaries," including the Chinese Communist Party, Russia and more. 

DEVON ARCHER: HUNTER BIDEN, BURISMA EXECS ‘CALLED DC’ TO GET UKRAINIAN PROSECUTOR FIRED

Meanwhile, Galanis, who is serving a 14-year sentence, testified from prison that Joe Biden was allegedly considering joining the board of a joint venture created by Hunter Biden and his business associates with ties to the Chinese Communist Party after he left the vice presidency.

Galanis also said that the words "lean in" were "used often by Devon and Hunter in our business dealings as a term for access to Vice President Biden’s political influence."

Haley slams Trump for Senate losses, calls out GOP lawmakers for courting him

Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley blamed former President Trump Friday for recent Republican losses in critical electoral races, including those for seats in the Senate, while expressing hope the GOP's new leader in the upper chamber is focused on setting a tone rather than courting Trump. 

"You're seeing the wave of what Congress thinks they need to do to win," Haley told reporters during a briefing at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington's Georgetown neighborhood.

Haley was likely referencing Trump's dominance over the House and Senate relative to endorsements and influence. 

But Haley suggested lawmakers who cater to the former president are misguided because Republicans have lost pivotal matchups since his presidency. 

SENATE REPUBLICANS KEEP HOPE FOR MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT ALIVE

"All of these losses happened after Donald Trump became president in 2016," she said, noting gubernatorial, federal and statewide losses in Michigan, Minnesota and Virginia. 

Haley claimed the only reason Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Va., was elected in 2021 was because "he distanced himself" from Trump. 

Youngkin's political team declined to comment to Fox News Digital. 

"It’s not an accurate statement," according to Zack Roday, a former Youngkin adviser and partner at Ascent Media.

DC PRIMARY REPRESENTS HALEY'S BEST CHANCE YET TO BEAT TRUMP

"Glenn Youngkin won because he built a movement and coalition of Republicans, independents and even Democrats who wanted a new direction for Virginia." 

Despite the losses, Haley claimed members of the House and Senate are now "falling all over themselves to show that they're more Trump than everybody else." 

Haley weighed in on what the next Senate Republican leader should bring to the table after Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's surprise announcement Wednesday that he's stepping down. She didn't suggest any specific senators for the role but explained she wants a leader focused on the people and "not rewarding people for peacocking on TV."

"I want to see somebody inspirational. I want to see somebody that says, ‘You know what, we can do things differently,'" Haley said. "My hope is that we will. But we'll have to see."

Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital the campaign's focus is now on Biden and the general election.

"Republican voters have delivered resounding wins for President Trump in every single primary contest, and this race is over," she said. 

SHIRTLESS GOP US SENATE CANDIDATE TAKES COLD PLUNGE IN WISCONSIN LAKE, CHALLENGES DEMOCRATIC OPPONENT

So far, only Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has announced a bid for the leadership position in the Republican conference. But several other senators are rumored to be considering their own bids for the coveted role. Senators John Barrasso, R-Wyo.; John Thune, R-S.D.; Rick Scott, R-Fla.; Steve Daines, R-Mont.; and Tom Cotton, R-Ark., have all also been suggested as potential successors to McConnell.