Category: fox-news/us/congress

Democrats attempting to visit Brooklyn ICE facility reportedly ‘trapped’ after being rebuffed by agents

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Three Democratic New York City federal lawmakers attempted to gain entry to the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, where as many as 100 illegal immigrants are being held, according to one state lawmaker.

Images posted Wednesday by the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) showed Reps. Adriano Espaillat, Nydia Velazquez and Daniel Goldman walking toward the MDC with the Gowanus Expressway in the background.

The NYIC said the lawmakers had been refused entry to the prison, which has a history of high-profile inmates, including currently Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and Luigi Mangione, and formerly ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen and MSNBC host Al Sharpton after he was arrested for trespassing on a Puerto Rican bombing range in 2001.

"Masked agents refused [the lawmakers’] oversight access to Sunset Park [MDC] and have now trapped them between a fence and the facility," NYIC tweeted.

SENATOR SAYS BALTIMORE ICE FACILITY HIDES ‘EVIL PERSISTING IN DARKNESS’ AFTER DEMS TRY NEWARK REDUX

"They can’t get out or get in."

A spokesperson for Espaillat told Fox News Digital officials "closed the gate and ran away for about 20-30 minutes."

"No one could get in or out – either way – locking the members in for that time period."

Fox News Digital reached out to Goldman and Velazquez for further comment.

Fox News Digital also reached out to ICE and the Department of Homeland Security for their accounting of the incident.

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The situation marks the third time in recent weeks that lawmakers have attempted to gain entry to otherwise secure federal holding facilities.

Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., was arrested for allegedly accosting federal agents outside a jail in her home city of Newark.

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McIver had been joined by several other lawmakers, including Rep. Robert Menendez Jr., D-N.J., son of the former senator, who is currently imprisoned separately on bribery charges.

Reps. Kweisi Mfume, Sarah Elfreth, Johnny Olzewski Jr. and Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., were all similarly rebuffed at a Baltimore ICE office where a handful of detained immigrants were reportedly being held.

ICE said at the time that the building, near Charles Center in the city’s downtown, is not a true holding facility and only a processing center.

In the Brooklyn case, New York Democrats have railed against ICE for some time for their use of the jail as a detention facility for illegal immigrants.

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, D-Bay Ridge, said in July that MDC Brooklyn recently began holding more than 100 detainees and claimed that many have no criminal records.

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"ICE is disappearing immigrants, many of whom have no criminal records, into a jail that a judge called ‘contemptuous of human life and dignity.’ That should appall all of us," Gounardes said in a statement.

"This isn’t about public safety—it’s a show of force meant to instill fear in our communities and keep immigrants in the shadows. It’s incredibly dangerous, disturbing and un-American. It must end now."

Prior to his visit Wednesday, Goldman – who served as Sen. Adam Schiff’s, D-Calif., lead attorney in the congressional impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump – lambasted the president for his administration’s decision to utilize the MDC.

"Rather than continuing the Biden administration’s efforts to boost staffing and reduce lockdowns at the MDC, the Trump administration has reversed those improvements and is now further overloading an already unsafe and understaffed facility with dozens of immigrants with no criminal history," Goldman said.

According to ICE’s Office of Congressional Relations website, members of Congress need only submit a request via email at least seven days in advance of their desired visit.

A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson explained to Fox News Digital that the seven-day requirement is meant to "prevent interference with the President’s Article II authority to oversee executive department functions."

The spokesperson also noted that "ICE law enforcement has seen a surge in assaults of 830%, as well as disruptions and obstructions to enforcement, including by politicians themselves," in an apparent reference to McIver.

Fox News Digital’s Peter Pinedo contributed to this report.

Democrat congressman dragged for ‘weird’ TikTok ‘aura farming’ trend video

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Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., got in on TikTok’s "aura farming" trend, posting a clip of himself dancing solo in the congressional subway, captioned "omw to hold this administration accountable."

In the short clip, Subramanyam appears on the House subway wearing sunglasses, striking poses and waving his arms before locking in on the camera.

Subramanyam's "aura farming" appears to have backfired, with some commenters calling it out as tone-deaf, hypocritical and "cringe."

Left-leaning viewers frustrated with perceived inaction from Democrats under President Donald Trump took aim at the VA-10 congressman in the comment section. One of the top-liked comments asked flatly, "By doing nothing…?" Another read, "Representatives have got to stop doing this. Actually do something."

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Many commenters linked the post to Subramanyam’s past voting record, including his controversial decision against his party just weeks ago not to move forward with a House impeachment resolution against Trump.

On June 24, 2025, Subramanyam voted to table (i.e., block) a resolution to impeach President Trump over "high crimes and misdemeanors." The resolution was introduced by Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, but was halted by a wide House majority.

Several comments mocked the tone and delivery of the video. One read, "-1000 aura," while another said, "Our taxpayer money hard at work…" Another commenter wrote, "So what exactly are you on your way to do? Because so far democrats have not really done anything at all."

A top comment simply read, "This feels weird idk."

FAR-LEFT LAWMAKER BREAKS SILENCE AFTER UNEARTHED SOCIAL MEDIA POST IGNITES FIRESTORM

One lengthy reply said, "Not trying to be disrespectful. But? Less of this sh--. More fire on the floor please. I get wanting to do outreach. But this? Isn’t the action an average American needs from their representatives right now. We’re approaching no taxation without representation territory here. Do better." 

Another suggested, "Introduce a new amendment for every one performative TikTok a Congress person posts they have to cosign 3 bills that work to limit the power of money in politics."
 

Subramanyam, a former tech advisor in the Obama White House and the first South Asian elected to Virginia’s General Assembly, has gained a reputation as a more moderate Democrat. He won Virginia’s 10th District in 2024 and often plays up his immigrant roots in political messaging.

The "aura farming" trend, popular among Gen Z and Gen Alpha, refers to pulling off effortless, cool gestures usually while standing still. It took off after a now-viral video of 11-year-old Indonesian boy Rayyan Arkan Dikha danced stone-faced and confident while wearing sunglasses aboard a racing boat.

Most "aura farming" clips on TikTok are soundtracked to "Young Black & Rich" by Melly Mike, which includes the lyric "I ain't even gon' get mad, I'm young, black and rich."

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Fox News Digital reached out to Subramanyam’s office and TikTok for comment.

Judge torched for Planned Parenthood order: Her court looks ‘like a fast food drive-through’

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A federal judge drew enormous backlash from Republicans after she blocked the Trump Administration on Monday from following through on a provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that strips federal funding from Planned Parenthood.

Critics of Judge Indira Talwani said her fast-acting decision to grant Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion vendor, a temporary restraining order was an extraordinary overreach of judicial authority.

Tom Jipping, a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital the judge’s move was "obviously out of bounds."

"What you have here is Congress exercising its explicit constitutional authority to make spending decisions, and you have a district judge arguably trying to exercise power she doesn't have to force Congress to change," Jipping said.

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Talwani, a Boston-based judge appointed by former President Barack Obama, issued the temporary order, which lasts 14 days, after Planned Parenthood sued the government over the One Big Beautiful Act, a massive tax and budget bill. The provision stripped Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood, which the nonprofit said could force it to close roughly 200 of its 600 facilities and deprive about one million customers of non-abortion-related services.

Congress narrowly passed the bill with no support from Democrats last week, and Trump signed it into law on July 4.

Talwani’s brief two-page order came on the same day Planned Parenthood sued, and it contained only the explanation that the nonprofit showed "good cause" for the temporary relief.

"I don't know how fast that judge reads, but she issued her TRO within a couple of hours," Jipping said. "That makes her court look like a fast food drive-through."

Sen. Mike Lee, a lawyer and Senate Judiciary Committee member, said he believed the judge’s order was not an innocent mistake and floated the idea that the House could initiate impeachment proceedings against the judge.

"We have the best judicial system in the world, but it’s run by fallible, mortal humans. People make mistakes. But unless I’m missing something here, this wasn’t an honest mistake," Lee said. "This was a pretty egregious judicial usurpation of legislative power."

SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN OKS BAN ON PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERAL FUNDING IN TRUMP MEGABILL

Bill Shipley, a former federal prosecutor who once represented numerous Jan. 6 defendants, suggested on X that the First Circuit Court of Appeals reassign the case.

"The only way District Judges are going to be disciplined to adhere to their role is if they are sanctioned for brazenly ignoring the limits of their authority for partisan ends," Shipley wrote.

Talwani set a hearing for July 21 to consider arguments from Planned Parenthood and the named agencies in the lawsuit, Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) could challenge the order in the interim. DOJ chief of staff Chad Mizelle said the judge's restraining order amounted to "lawless overreach," and he called for the Supreme Court to intervene.

The order came in response to Planned Parenthood claiming in its lawsuit that Congress's budget bill unconstitutionally targeted Planned Parenthood because it performs abortions.

FEDERAL JUDGE PAUSES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S PLANNED PARENTHOOD DEFUNDING MEASURE

Opponents of abortion have focused their energy on weakening Planned Parenthood in the years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and the passage of the budget bill marked a milestone success for them. Some told Fox News Digital recently that it was one of several steps they needed to take to address the glaring fact that abortions remain prevalent and could even be on the rise.

Attorneys for Planned Parenthood said Medicaid does not cover abortion and that depriving Planned Parenthood of its hundreds of thousands of dollars in Medicaid reimbursements would cause more than half of its customers to lose access to services that do not include abortion.

Cancer and sexually transmitted infections would go undetected, especially for low-income people, and more unplanned pregnancies would occur because of a lack of contraception access, the Planned Parenthood attorneys said.

"The adverse public health consequences of the Defund Provision will be grave," the attorneys wrote.

Some Democrats celebrated Talwani's order but did not address the legality of it.

House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) said on Bluesky that the judge in her home state delivered "some good news" for people who have relied on Planned Parenthood for health care.

"But make no mistake: our fight is far from over," Clark wrote.

House Democrat pushes to impeach ‘authoritarian’ Trump

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Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, is once again calling on his colleagues in the House to impeach President Donald Trump, saying the president has "devolved American democracy into authoritarianism." 

"I pen this communique with a heavy heart, driven by a conscience that will not allow me to ignore my well-founded, strong pre-election condemnation of Donald John Trump as a threat to American democracy that has now become our reality," Green wrote in a letter urging his colleagues to impeach the president.

Green argues that, contrary to what many believe, there does not need to be a constitutional crisis in order to impeach a president.

HOUSE DEMOCRAT ANNOUNCES ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST TRUMP

On Thursday, he filed H. Res. 415, "Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors."

In the articles of impeachment, Green claims that Trump has engaged in authoritarian rule, violated due process, denigrated federal judges and ignored court orders, including ones from the Supreme Court. He also claims that Trump condoned "untruthful statements" against the Court’s opinion regarding the deportation of accused MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

TOP HOUSE DEMS SAY THEY'LL JOIN GOP TO QUASH TRUMP IMPEACHMENT EFFORT

"An authoritarian does not have to commit a codified statutory offense to be impeached. The constitutional law that authoritarian President Trump would have Congress use to impeach a federal judge for ruling against him (Article II, Section 4 of the United States Constitution) is the same law that has been used, and can be used, to impeach him again for making his threats to democracy a reality," Green wrote in the articles of impeachment, He then vowed to "use that law again."

Green is the second member of Congress to issue articles of impeachment against Trump in the president’s second term. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., also called for Trump’s impeachment, but he later withdrew the bill after getting backlash from party leadership. Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., reportedly called the bill "idiotic," according to Axios. However, Nadler was previously a sponsor of the measure.

In his letter, Green made it clear that he was not afraid to "stand alone" against Trump.

"I encourage all members to vote with their conscience. As for me, I stand where I have stood on impeachment, which is a question of conscience, even when the odds are against me — it is better for me to stand alone than not stand at all — it won’t be the first time," Green wrote.

Green has never been silent about his opposition to Trump, even making multiple attempts to impeach the president during his first term. In March 2025, he was removed from Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress after he heckled the president. He was eventually censured for the protest.

House Democrat pushes to impeach ‘authoritarian’ Trump

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Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, is once again calling on his colleagues in the House to impeach President Donald Trump, saying the president has "devolved American democracy into authoritarianism." 

"I pen this communique with a heavy heart, driven by a conscience that will not allow me to ignore my well-founded, strong pre-election condemnation of Donald John Trump as a threat to American democracy that has now become our reality," Green wrote in a letter urging his colleagues to impeach the president.

Green argues that, contrary to what many believe, there does not need to be a constitutional crisis in order to impeach a president.

HOUSE DEMOCRAT ANNOUNCES ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST TRUMP

On Thursday, he filed H. Res. 415, "Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, of high crimes and misdemeanors."

In the articles of impeachment, Green claims that Trump has engaged in authoritarian rule, violated due process, denigrated federal judges and ignored court orders, including ones from the Supreme Court. He also claims that Trump condoned "untruthful statements" against the Court’s opinion regarding the deportation of accused MS-13 member Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

TOP HOUSE DEMS SAY THEY'LL JOIN GOP TO QUASH TRUMP IMPEACHMENT EFFORT

"An authoritarian does not have to commit a codified statutory offense to be impeached. The constitutional law that authoritarian President Trump would have Congress use to impeach a federal judge for ruling against him (Article II, Section 4 of the United States Constitution) is the same law that has been used, and can be used, to impeach him again for making his threats to democracy a reality," Green wrote in the articles of impeachment, He then vowed to "use that law again."

Green is the second member of Congress to issue articles of impeachment against Trump in the president’s second term. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., also called for Trump’s impeachment, but he later withdrew the bill after getting backlash from party leadership. Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., reportedly called the bill "idiotic," according to Axios. However, Nadler was previously a sponsor of the measure.

In his letter, Green made it clear that he was not afraid to "stand alone" against Trump.

"I encourage all members to vote with their conscience. As for me, I stand where I have stood on impeachment, which is a question of conscience, even when the odds are against me — it is better for me to stand alone than not stand at all — it won’t be the first time," Green wrote.

Green has never been silent about his opposition to Trump, even making multiple attempts to impeach the president during his first term. In March 2025, he was removed from Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress after he heckled the president. He was eventually censured for the protest.

House progressive backs down from Trump impeachment push after pressure from fellow Dems

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A lone House Democrat pushing to impeach President Donald Trump has backed down from his effort to force a vote on the measure after pressure to do so from fellow liberals.

Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., aimed to force a vote on his seven articles of impeachment against Trump this week through a mechanism known as a privileged resolution that forces the House to reckon with a piece of legislation within two days of being in session.

Democratic leaders made their opposition to the effort known, however, and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., told reporters it was a "distraction."

Thanedar later announced on X he would back off trying to force the vote.

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It comes after Democrats, including House Progressive Caucus Chairman Greg Casar, D-Texas, pushed back on the effort. He said he would vote against the measure and called it "unserious," according to Punchbowl News.

"This doomed impeachment vote is not about holding Trump accountable, but instead seems to be about the interest of the bill sponsor," Casar said.

House GOP leaders had planned a vote to table the measure, a procedural motion blocking a House-wide vote, but called it off after Thanedar apparently missed his window to force the vote.

Thanedar said in a statement on X afterward, "In the fifteen days since I filed seven articles of impeachment against President Trump, he has committed more impeachable offenses, most dangerously, accepting a $400 million private jet from Qatar, which even Republican Members of Congress have called wrong.

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"So, after talking with many colleagues, I have decided not to force a vote on impeachment today. Instead, I will add to my articles of impeachment and continue to rally the support of both Democrats and Republicans to defend the Constitution with me."

Later, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said the situation "speaks for itself" when asked whether he pressured Thanedar to drop the motion.

Thanedar's resolution has caused a modest political headache for Democratic lawmakers at a time the party has struggled with messaging after the 2024 election.

"I have said before from this podium, this is not the right approach we should be taking," Aguilar said at his weekly press conference. "I'll join members of the leadership team in voting to table that motion."

Thanedar acknowledged his colleagues' concerns about his move during his own press conference Wednesday morning, though he insisted it would not deter him.

"Even some Democrats call me a lunatic, just like the president has called me lunatic," the Michigan Democrat said.

"But they have never said, nobody has said to me, ‘Mr. Thanedar, the seven articles of impeachment that you presented to the U.S. Congress, they’re a piece of s---. They're not good. You missed it, missed the point. They are not legally right.' They didn't do that. No one says that."

However, Aguilar said hours later it was not the right time to push an impeachment effort.

"This is such an impactful moment, and our colleagues are locking themselves in a room for 24 hours to protect and defend healthcare. We shouldn't be talking about this proposal that is not right, not timely," Aguilar said, referring to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's meeting on budget reconciliation, which has been ongoing since 2 p.m. Tuesday.

"This president is no stranger to impeachments. He's been impeached twice. Impeachment is a tool that can be used, but it takes weeks, months to do. Right now, the issue of the day is, will Hill Republicans stand up and support healthcare in this country?"

Hours before the expected vote, NBC News reported that House Democratic leaders pressed Thanedar not to show up for the chamber's 5 p.m. vote series, which would have meant he could not force the vote.

Republicans, meanwhile, seized on the disagreement.

"House Democrats have demonstrated once again they are willing to abuse the Constitution in their effort to impede the agenda of the American people," Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a statement before the vote.

"Their latest sham impeachment charade against President Trump is another embarrassing political stunt. Today, House Republicans will move promptly to discard it."

When reached for comment on Thanedar's push Tuesday, White House spokesperson Liz Huston told Fox News Digital, "Every action taken by President Trump and his administration is fully lawful and firmly rooted in the will of the American people. President Trump is doing exactly what he promised: securing our border, bringing in trillions of dollars in investment to America and restoring common-sense leadership."

"Meanwhile, Democrats are once again showing where their true priorities lie — siding with illegal immigrants over the safety, security and well-being of hardworking American citizens. This desperate impeachment stunt is nothing more than a reckless political act that the American people see right through," the White House said.

Fox News' Tyler Olson contributed to this report

Texas AG Ken Paxton announces run for US Senate

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Fox News' The Ingraham Angle Tuesday night that he will run for the U.S. Senate. 

The announcement comes as Paxton no longer faces the cloud of a federal corruption investigation that loomed over him as he rose up the ranks in the Republican Party. 

The announcement by Paxton, a close ally of President Donald Trump and a MAGA firebrand, comes two weeks after Republican Sen. John Cornyn officially launched his re-election campaign as he bids for a fifth six-year term serving Texas in the Senate.

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"It's time for a change in Texas," Paxton told Fox News' Laura Ingraham, before acknowledging Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas' other Republican senator. "It's time that we have another great senator that will actually stand up and fight for Republican values, fight for the values of the people of Texas and also support Donald Trump in the areas that he's focused on in a very significant way."

On Sunday, Cornyn said he was looking forward to "the competition" amid rumors of Paxton's candidacy. 

Paxton, who has been Texas' top prosecutor since 2015, criticized his GOP rival, pointing to Cornyn's position on a border wall and opposing Trump during the 2016 election. 

"Ken Paxton is a fraud," Cornyn's campaign wrote on X after Paxton's announcement. "He talks tough on crime and then lets crooked progressive Lina Hidalgo off the hook. He says his impeachment trial was a sham but he didn’t contest the facts in legal filings which will cost the state millions."

"He says he’s anti-woke but he funnels millions of taxpayer dollars to lawyers who celebrate DEI," the post continued. "And Ken claims to be a man of faith but uses fake Uber accounts to meet his girlfriend and deceive his family."

Cornyn also previously came under criticism from conservatives after he helped push a bipartisan gun control bill after the 2022 mass shooting at a Uvalde, Texas elementary school that killed 19 students and two teachers. 

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

Cornyn's campaign noted that the incumbent senator has voted with Trump more than 95% of current senators. Trump and Texas need a "battle-tested conservative" who knows how to protect his agenda in the Senate and won't be outsmarted by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Democrats, the campaign said. 

"It sets the table for the most expensive primary in Texas. It will be a brutal battle," veteran Republican strategist Dave Carney told Fox News. Carney, the longtime top political adviser to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, noted that the announcement by Paxton also "opens up the attorney general’s race. There will probably be a very competitive primary for that and we’re going to have a lot of musical chairs down ballot."

Matt Mackowiak, a veteran Republican strategist and communications consultant based in Texas and Washington, D.C., said "this is going to be the most expensive, nastiest, most aggressive, most personal U.S. Senate primary in Texas history."

"You have two candidates who are going to raise significant funds, who are in significant positions, who do not like each and have not liked each other, whose teams do not like each other and the stakes could not be higher," he emphasized.

The announcement from Paxton puts the gears in motion for what may be an extremely expensive and bruising GOP primary battle, pitting the remaining establishment and business factions of the Republican Party versus the ascendant MAGA wing.

WILL DEMOCRATS ONCE AGAIN CHASE THE ‘GHOST OF A BLUE TEXAS’ IN NEXT YEAR'S SENATE RACE?

Paxton's announcement was not a huge surprise, as he has long claimed Cornyn does not represent the conservative values of Texans and has accused the senator of not being an ally of Trump.

He has also regularly labeled Cornyn a "RINO," a "Republican in name only" and an insult MAGA and "America First" Republicans have regularly used to criticize more mainstream or establishment members of the GOP.

And Paxton, for a couple of years, has flirted with a primary challenge against the 73-year-old Cornyn, a former state senator, former Texas Supreme Court justice, and former state attorney general, who first won election to the U.S. Senate in 2002.

FACING POSSIBLE PRIMARY CHALLNGE FROM A TRUMP ALLY, LONGTIME TEXAS SENATOR ANNOUNCES RE-ELECTION

"I can’t think of a single thing he’s accomplished for our state or even for the country," Paxton said in a September 2023 interview on the Fox News Channel. "Somebody needs to step up and run against this guy," adding, "everything’s on the table for me."

Fast-forward to earlier this year, and Paxton, at a county GOP meeting in Texas, told supporters that one of the things "we need to do, and I might play a role in this, is replace John Cornyn in the U.S. Senate."

And in a Fox News Digital interview in January, Paxton acknowledged that he was "looking potentially at the U.S. Senate."

Cornyn, during the early stages of the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race, had said he would prefer that the GOP take a new direction, which angered Trump. But the senator endorsed Trump in late January of last year, after the then-former president won both the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary, the first two contests in the Republican presidential nomination calendar.

Since Trump returned to the White House three months ago, Cornyn has been supportive of the president's Cabinet nominees and agenda.

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And in the senator's campaign launch video last month, the announcer highlighted that during Trump's first term in office, "Texas Sen. John Cornyn had his back."

As he gears up for what will most certainly be his roughest re-election of his decades-long career, Cornyn has the backing of the top Republican in the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

And Republican sources confirm to Fox News that Thune, as well as National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Sen. Tim Scott, have personally asked Trump to back Cornyn.

The president's grip on the GOP is stronger than ever and any endorsement Trump may make in the emerging Republican Senate primary in Texas would be extremely influential.

Making Cornyn's path to renomination even more difficult is a possible Senate bid by Rep. Wesley Hunt, who represents a Houston area district.

The third-term 43-year-old Texas Republican and rising MAGA star has made his case to the president's political team, sources confirm to Fox News. Hunt's argument is that he's the only person who can win both a GOP primary and a general election, a source familiar with the discussions confirmed to Fox News.

An outside group supportive of Hunt is currently spending seven figures to run ads across the Lone Star State to increase the lawmaker's name ID.

CORNYN'S RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN SPARKS QUESTIONS ON BOTH PARTY FLANKS AS DEMS CHASE 'THE GHOST OF A BLUE TEXAS'

Some Republican operatives and strategists worry that a primary battle in Texas could cost up to $100 million, potentially diverting much-needed resources from other races.

While Paxton is very popular with the conservative base of the party, it's not clear at this point what Trump will do regarding the race. And political strategists note that toppling Cornyn in a GOP primary will likely be a very expensive proposition, and it's not clear if Paxton can raise the money needed for victory.

"This says two things. One, Paxton sees an opportunity. And two, him getting in this early shows he needs the maximum time possible to try to raise money," Mackowiak said,  He added that Paxton "has received some negative feedback on fundraising."

Paxton grabbed national attention in 2020 for filing the unsuccessful Texas vs. Pennsylvania case in the Supreme Court that tried to overturn former President Joe Biden’s razor-thin win over Trump in the Keystone State, and for speaking at the Trump rally near the White House that immediately preceded the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by right-wing extremists aiming to disrupt congressional certification of Biden’s Electoral College victory.

During Biden's four years in the White House, Paxton took the administration to court numerous times.

While Paxton, who's in his third four-year term as Texas attorney general, has long been a legal warrior in the MAGA movement, he also has plenty of personal political baggage.

Paxton was indicted on securities fraud charges soon after taking office in 2015, and more recently came under investigation by the FBI over bribery and corruption allegations from former top staffers. And in 2022, he survived a bruising primary amid his many legal difficulties.

In 2023, Paxton was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives, but he was later acquitted of all charges by the state Senate. 

The charges in the long-running federal corruption probe were dropped during the final weeks of the Biden administration. 

The attorney general also faced an investigation by the Texas State Bar for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

While Paxton for years has denied any wrongdoing and has survived his legal fights, he would likely continue to face tough optics and plenty of incoming fire over his past predicaments during a Senate showdown.

The eventual winner of next year's GOP primary will be considered the favorite in the general election against whomever the Democrats nominate.

Former Rep. Colin Allred has said he'll decide by this summer if he'll mount a 2026 Senate campaign.

Allred, a former Baylor University football player and NFL linebacker who later represented Texas' 32nd Congressional District (which includes parts of Dallas and surrounding suburbs), was last year's Democratic challenger in the race against Cruz.

GOP congressman says Signal leak was ‘obviously’ a mistake, defers to president to determine consequences

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GOP Rep. Marlin Stutzman told Fox News Digital that the recent Signal leak debacle was "obviously" a mistake, but he expressed confidence in the Trump administration's national security officials and said he trusts the president to determine whether any consequences should be handed down.

"Yes, obviously, we don't want those things to happen," Stutzman. R-Ind., told Fox News from inside the Capitol. "We all know that President Trump is America First. He supports our military, he supports security – I mean, he is the law and order president, so he's going to make sure that he takes care of this… he's going to be the one to make this decision and I support whatever decision he makes."

RUBIO BREAKS SILENCE ON LEAKED SIGNAL CHAT: ‘SOMEONE MADE A BIG MISTAKE’

Stutzman's comments came amid a reported attempt by Democratic Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to introduce articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, national security advisor Michael Waltz and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, each of whom were involved in the Signal chat leak. 

Trump confirmed Thursday aboard Air Force One that multiple employees within the National Security Council were fired, but did add that it was not many. So far, no consequences have been handed down to Hegseth, Waltz or Ratcliffe, three of the highest-ranking officials who allegedly participated in the leaked Signal chat.  

PENTAGON WATCHDOG OPENS PROBE INTO HEGSETH'S USE OF SIGNAL TO DISCUSS HOUTHI ATTACK PLANS

Republicans have said there was no classified material shared or discussed in the leaked Signal chat, but Democrats have insisted the manner in which sensitive information was handled was still "reckless," potentially illegal and constituted the need for repercussions.

But Stutzman expressed confidence in the administration's national security officials and the president, noting that "so far" everyone involved has taken appropriate responsibility and "they're going to make sure that it doesn't happen again."

"I think they'll analyze every communication channel that they have," Stutzman said. "I think that they're going to be sure, especially this soon in the administration – this will be a top priority for them… we all know that there are folks all around the world trying to get into American leaders' conversations all the time, and so they're going to be just as diligent."

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to how Congress may try to discipline judges who rule against Trump

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Congressional Republicans are searching for a way to discipline or rein in federal judges, whom they believe have exceeded their authority. 

House Republicans will have to wrestle with a push by some conservatives to impeach judges who have ruled against President Donald Trump. 

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, has drafted an article of impeachment for Judge James Boasberg over his suspension of some deportations.

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: IMPEACHAPlOOZA IS HERE TO STAY 

Some conservatives are pushing impeachment for Boasberg and several other judges they believe exceeded their authority. 

The House Republican leadership does not want to deal with impeachment, and it’s unclear if the House would ever have the votes to impeach. Conservatives could try to go over the heads of the GOP brass and put impeachment on the floor by making the resolution privileged. However, Republican leaders could try to euthanize that effort by moving to send the impeachment articles to committee. Thus, the vote is on the motion to send the articles to committee, not on impeachment. 

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That said, the administration appears to prefer a remedy offered by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. Issa’s bill would limit the scope of rulings by these judges. 

Moreover, it’s unclear that the House would ever have the votes to impeach, and even if they did, a Senate trial would end without conviction. It takes 67 votes to convict in an impeachment trial. 

Reporter’s Notebook: Impeachapalooza is here to stay

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

And you thought they just wanted to impeach former President Joe Biden.

Maybe former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas – whom the House did impeach last year.

How about former FBI Director Christopher Wray? Former Attorney General Merrick Garland? Former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin?

That is so 2023.

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This is 2025. The Biden administration is long gone.

But the concept of impeachment hasn’t waned for some House Republicans. And even for President Donald Trump.

D.C. Circuit Court Judge James Boasberg ordered a two-week halt to the deportation of Venezuelan gang members after Trump leaned on the Enemy Aliens Act of 1798 to remove them from the U.S.

The president didn’t mention Boasberg by name, but he whipsawed the jurist on social media.

"This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!!" wrote President Trump. He characterized Boasberg as a "Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator who was sadly appointed by Barack Hussein Obama."

Elon Musk has pushed for the removal of judges whose rulings run afoul of the administration. But freshman Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, introduced articles of impeachment for Boasberg, accusing him of "high crimes and misdemeanors."

Gill argues that Boasberg "has done exactly what the Supreme Court commanded not be done." Gill’s resolution asserts that Boasberg "illegitimately tried to substitute his own judgment for the elected President of the United States."

There are a total of four federal judges who could face articles of impeachment in the House.

It’s unclear whether this effort could pick up steam. If conservatives wanted to go to the mat, they could try to make their impeachment resolutions "privileged" in the House. That would compel the House to consider such a proposal immediately. It also would go over the head of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

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Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., filed articles of impeachment for Biden two years ago. After inaction, Boebert attempted to fast-track her plan, circumventing the GOP leadership – to say nothing of hearings and preparation of the articles in committee. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., argued that impeachment was "too serious" to sidestep the rigorous steps usually undertaken. So, Republican leaders intervened.

Once Boebert’s resolution was up, they moved to euthanize the plan by sending it to the Homeland Security Committee. The full House actually voted on the motion to dispatch the resolution to committee – not on impeachment. Otherwise, the House would have voted on impeaching Mr. Biden on the spot – committee investigation or not.

The motion to send the resolution to committee actually inoculated a lot of Republicans from political angst. They wanted to talk about impeaching Biden. But few actually wanted to impeach Biden.

Impeachment works the same with federal judges as it does with presidents or cabinet secretaries. The House has only impeached four federal judges in the past 36 years. The most recent impeachments were for the late Judge Thomas Porteous and former Judge Samuel Kent – both in 2009.

After the House impeached Porteous, the Senate conducted a short trial and convicted him. That removed Porteous from the bench. The House also impeached Kent, but he resigned before the Senate could conduct a trial to remove him.

Porteous was accused of accepting cash and bribes from lawyers arguing cases before him. A court convicted and sentenced Kent to nearly three years in jail for sexually abusing female employees. The Senate removed neither based on their judicial rulings.

But here is what to watch:

How much pressure will Trump and Musk apply on Johnson to advance the articles of impeachment?

Johnson may have to finesse this. But Gill and other conservatives could attempt to go over the head of the Speaker, making their resolution "privileged." That is what Boebert did, and it would force the House to tangle with the impeachment articles in some fashion. Republican leaders could move to table the resolution or try to send it to committee. Thus, the actual vote would not be on impeachment but on an issue two steps removed from that.

U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts took the extraordinary step of publishing a statement about impeachment threats.

"For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision," said Roberts this week.

Fox is told House GOP leaders are anxious about what to expect from conservative lawmakers, stoked by the possibility of impeachment. GOP leaders simply don’t want to burn valuable time on this issue.

But they’d like to talk about it.

Trump supports a bill crafted by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., titled the "No Rogue Rulings Act." The bill limits the scope of rulings by U.S. district judges, preventing their decisions from carrying nationwide weight.

"The President wants this," two White House sources told Fox News' Liz Elkind.

Issa characterized impeachment as a rather "dull tool" that should be restricted to actual criminality or malfeasance in office – such as the cases with Kent and Porteous. House Republican leaders could also shop the Issa bill to conservatives itching for impeachment as an alternative. However, even if the House were to OK Issa’s legislation, it would likely die in the Senate. It would need 60 votes to clear a filibuster.

By the same token, if the House were to impeach Boasberg or any other judge, pressure mounts on Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to hold an impeachment trial. That could chew up valuable floor time as the Senate tries to wrestle with the complex "budget reconciliation" process to avoid a filibuster on President Trump’s plan to cut taxes and reduce the size of government.

Moreover, a Senate impeachment trial certainly would not result in removal. It takes 67 votes to convict a federal judge and extract them from the bench. That is not going to happen.

But the controversy over rulings of federal judges and President Trump’s executive orders won’t dissipate any time soon. Depending on your metric, federal courts have issued around 50 injunctions to halt various administrative moves by the President. There are anywhere from 130 to 140 total legal challenges floating about the court system.

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In 2023 and 2024, lots of conservatives chattered actively about the possibility of impeaching then-President Biden. Some saw it as retribution for the dual impeachments of President Trump. Others knew they could fundraise off impeachment. Maybe score some plaudits on social media. Still, others saw it as good politics in their district. They were happy to talk about impeachment for Biden but not necessarily vote for it. That’s why members looked at low-hanging fruit like Mayorkas. They considered targeting Lloyd Austin and the Afghanistan withdrawal.

Some of the loudest voices in the Republican Party will now clamor for the impeachment of "activist judges." That is what they say publicly, but public conversations are very different from private ones. And that is why "impeachapalooza" is here to stay in the 119th Congress.