Category: fox-news/us/congress

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.

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"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.

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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."

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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

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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

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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.

Speaker Johnson says GOP looking at ‘all available options’ to address ‘activist judges’ opposing Trump

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House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Republicans in the lower chamber are reviewing tools available to take on "activist judges" as President Donald Trump sees resistance from the judiciary in implementing his agenda. 

"Activist judges with political agendas pose a significant threat to the rule of law, equal justice, and the separation of powers. The Speaker looks forward to working with the Judiciary Committee as they review all available options under the Constitution to address this urgent matter," a spokesperson for Johnson's office told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

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News that the House is considering possible actions to rein in the federal judiciary comes after the latest Trump restriction, wherein U.S. District Judge James Boasberg granted an emergency order to temporarily halt the administration's deportation flights of illegal immigrants.

The judge granted the order to review the 1798 wartime-era Alien Enemies Act being invoked by the administration in order to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals and alleged members of the violent gang Tren de Aragua.

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Trump appeared to call for Boasberg's impeachment after the order. "This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!! WE DON’T WANT VICIOUS, VIOLENT, AND DEMENTED CRIMINALS, MANY OF THEM DERANGED MURDERERS, IN OUR COUNTRY. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!" he remarked in a post to Truth Social. 

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In a separate post, Trump said, "If a President doesn’t have the right to throw murderers, and other criminals, out of our Country because a Radical Left Lunatic Judge wants to assume the role of President, then our Country is in very big trouble, and destined to fail!"

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Republicans have continued to criticize the flow of temporary restraining orders against Trump's administration from judges across the country. 

Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy and Homeland Security advisor, wrote on X on Thursday, "Under what theory of the Constitution does a single Marxist judge in San Francisco have the same executive power as the Commander-in-Chief elected by the whole nation to lead the executive branch? No such theory exists. It is merely naked judicial tyranny."

As the House explores options to address the issue, the Senate is also expected to investigate. The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the subject in the coming weeks. 

DeSantis proposes solution as Trump’s agenda is stymied by judges

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As aspects of President Donald Trump's agenda are stymied by judges amid legal challenges, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has suggested that Congress could strip federal courts of jurisdiction.

"Congress has the authority to strip jurisdiction of the federal courts to decide these cases in the first place. The sabotaging of President Trump’s agenda by ‘resistance’ judges was predictable — why no jurisdiction-stripping bills tee’d up at the onset of this Congress?" DeSantis wrote in a Wednesday post on X.

When someone responded by asking how such a move could pass when 60 votes would be needed to push it through the Senate, DeSantis replied, "Attach it to a ‘must pass' bill…"

JUDGE ORDERS REINSTATEMENT OF USAID FUNCTIONS, SAYS DOGE EFFORT TO SHUTTER AGENCY LIKELY UNCONSTITUTIONAL

DeSantis, who sought the 2024 Republican presidential nod but ultimately dropped out and backed Trump after the GOP Iowa presidential caucus, floated the idea of stripping federal courts of jurisdiction when replying to a tweet from U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas.

"Lots of noise about impeachment. We must study every ruling & act accordingly w/ everything on the table (noting: 14 Dem votes required in Senate). But, more fertile ground… 1) House can pass a resolution stating there is/was an invasion, 2) we can defund radical courts," Roy had posted.

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In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump called for the impeachment of a judge, apparently referring to Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

"This Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator who was sadly appointed by Barack Hussein Obama, was not elected President," Trump declared in the post. "This judge, like many of the Crooked Judges’ I am forced to appear before, should be IMPEACHED!!! WE DON’T WANT VICIOUS, VIOLENT, AND DEMENTED CRIMINALS, MANY OF THEM DERANGED MURDERERS, IN OUR COUNTRY."

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, announced that he had introduced articles of impeachment against Boasberg.

FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP'S TRANSGENDER MILITARY EXECUTIVE ORDER

U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement on Tuesday, "For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose."

Fox News' Shannon Bream and Bill Mears contributed to this report

New GOP proposal unshackles victims of sanctuary policies to demand accountability: ‘Reset our system’

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EXCLUSIVE: Victims of sanctuary policies could soon be able to sue the state, county and local governments that enacted them, according to a new proposal by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif.

The Sanctuary City Accountability Act (SCAA) would allow Americans nationwide to sue over the policies that limit the ability of local law enforcement to comply with federal immigration laws. Specifically, the bill would permit victims and their immediate families to take legal action over crimes that impacted them as a direct result of the policies.

"For years, sanctuary cities have openly defied federal law and endangered the American people by not only shielding illegals from the consequences of their crimes, but also ensuring they are allowed to remain free to victimize even more innocent Americans," Issa told Fox News Digital in a statement. "It’s time to reset our system and put the law on the side of American citizens, not criminal illegals.

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The legislation is expected to go through the House Judiciary Committee, of which Issa is a senior member.

"Any individual who is a national of the United States may bring a civil action in an appropriate district court of the United States against a sanctuary jurisdiction in which an alien was located if that alien commits a crime against that individual, or an immediate family member of that individual, in the sanctuary jurisdiction, or in any other jurisdiction to which the alien later relocates, for such injunctive relief or compensatory damages as may be appropriate," the bill's text states.

In the legislation, sanctuary policies are considered ones that limit Immigration and Customs Enforcement "detainer compliance" and not allowing ICE "access to interview incarcerated aliens."

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CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE 

It is also meant to build on the proposed Clear Law Enforcement for Criminal Alien Removal (CLEAR) Act, which would make it federal law to allow local authorities to work with the federal government on illegal immigration issues.

The proposal comes as San Diego County, which Issa represents parts of, failed to scrap its "super sanctuary" policy established in December during a vote earlier this month.

"This is deeply disappointing," Republican Supervisor Jim Desmond said in a statement about the failed repeal vote. "This was not about politics. This was about ensuring that criminals—rapists, child abusers, burglars, and violent offenders—are removed from our communities. Instead, fear and misinformation won the day, leaving law-abiding residents at greater risk."

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Desmond and Supervisor Joel Anderson voted to get rid of the policy that was put in place by the board’s Democratic majority in December, Democratic Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe argued that repealing it would then give a role outside the scope of the county’s purview. The vote for the repeal was 2-1-1, meaning that nobody reached the necessary majority, as there was also a vacancy on the five-person board.

"Even in the very wording of policy L-2, it doesn’t protect criminals. What it was about is ensuring that this county stays in its lane and protects our region and that the federal government stays in its lane," Montgomery Steppe said before voting "no." Her Democratic colleague, Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, abstained.

Recent legislative policy changes have been prompted by crimes committed by illegal immigrants, including the Laken Riley Act, which prompts the Department of Homeland Security to detain illegal immigrants facing charges or conviction for a range of crimes, including burglary, assault and "any crime that results in death or serious bodily injury to another person." The bill passed with some bipartisan support. 

California Sen Adam Schiff changes tune on DOJ, reams increasingly ‘Orwellian’ leadership

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Sen. Adam Schiff, once a staunch defender of the Justice Department’s independence, now warns it has become an ‘Orwellian’ tool for President Donald Trump and ripe for political abuse.

The California Democrat and former U.S. prosecutor, who served four House terms before his election to the Senate last fall, has long been an outspoken Trump foe, using his former posts as chair of the House Oversight Committee and impeachment probes to urge a more independent-minded Justice Department. 

"The rule of law is a core foundation of our nation," Schiff previously told Time Magazine during Trump's first term in office. "No one, not even the president, is above it."

Schiff once served as a federal prosecutor at the Justice Department, where he helped successfully convict an ex-FBI agent on charges of spying for the Soviet Union. Throughout his later service in the House, he repeatedly defended the Justice Department as independent-minded and asserted that its career officials operate above the political fray. 

TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW BAN ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP

He also chided his Republican colleagues who, in his view, too harshly criticized the agency, warning them that doing so could lead to an erosion of trust.

Fewer than four years later, however, Schiff is singing a different tune. 

Now in the Senate, the California Democrat is one of the most vocal critics, sounding the alarm about Trump's efforts to reform the Justice Department to his liking. 

On Monday, he pushed back against Trump's claim that he and other members of the House committee tasked with investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot could be subject to "investigation at the highest level," as the president threatened in a Truth Social post.

"The members of the Jan 6 Committee are all proud of our work," Schiff wrote on X, in response to Trump's remarks. "Your threats will not intimidate us. Or silence us."

Earlier this month, Schiff took aim at the current leadership of the Justice Department in a blistering floor speech, noting that the DOJ’s three most senior officials, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and John Sauer, all formerly represented Trump in criminal court proceedings. 

By so frequently claiming the Justice Department has been improperly "weaponized" against him, Schiff said, Trump has arguably given his officials a green light, "in Orwellian fashion, to do what they have accused others of doing," which is "to weaponize the department. … To use the department as a sword and as a shield."

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Schiff also blasted the Supreme Court decision last August that expanded the view of presidential immunity – a ruling, he said, that "has turbocharged the ability to weaponize the Department of Justice by a president who wishes to use it for that purpose."

Last month, Schiff joined other Democrats on the panel in urging the administration to turn over information that prompted their decision to remove or reassign dozens of career Justice Department officials and FBI personnel. 

Lawmakers also cited concerns about a sprawling questionnaire sent by Justice Department officials to thousands of FBI agents and supervisors in January asking detailed questions about their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot investigation.

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That questionnaire is also the subject of a lawsuit filed this year by current and former FBI agents, who are seeking to head off any retaliation or discriminatory action against personnel involved in the Jan. 6 probe. A judge is expected to hear from both parties in court later this month.

Most recently, Trump attempted to strip security clearances and access to federal government buildings for all Perkins Coie employees, a law firm he sees as opposed to his political agenda, prompting a federal judge to step in and block the order.

 "An American President is not a king – not even an 'elected' one – and his power to remove federal officers and honest civil servants like plaintiff is not absolute," U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell wrote in a court order this month that blocked one of Trump’s executive orders from taking force.

Schiff, for his part, appears to share that view.

"There could be no more frontal assault on the post-Watergate policy of having some division between the White House and the Justice Department than the Supreme Court of the United States saying, ‘Break down that wall. Use the department any way you wish. Create cases where there’s no evidence. Dismiss cases where there’s plenty of evidence. And you will never face accountability. No matter how corrupt a motive,'" Schiff said this month. 

Reached for comment about his evolving views on the Justice Department, Schiff's office pointed Fox News Digital to his previous remarks, including a February interview on MSNBC’s "The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell." Asked about his claims that Trump has weaponized the Justice Department – and the severity of the issue – Schiff responded, "We’ve had a debate about what level of constitutional crisis we’re in, and frankly, I think we’re already there."

Republican, independent voters loved pushback after Al Green disrupted Trump speech

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

Both Republican and independent voters reacted positively in the aftermath of Rep. Al Green’s disruption of President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress, which resulted in the Texas Democratic lawmaker being removed from the House chamber.

Chants of "USA!" broke out in the House chamber as Green attempted to disrupt Trump’s speech, with Fox News voter dials showing that Republican and independent voters, represented by the red and yellow lines respectively, had a positive reaction to how the interruption was handled.

Meanwhile, Democratic voters, represented by the blue line, had a mostly neutral reaction that trended slightly toward negative as the "USA!" chants continued.

DEM REP. AL GREEN, BOOTED FROM TRUMP'S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS, DOUBLES DOWN ON IMPEACHMENT

Green was removed from Trump’s speech after repeatedly disrupting the beginning of Trump’s remarks Tuesday night, shouting that Trump had "no mandate" as the president attempted to tout the GOP’s control of both the White House and both chambers of Congress.

House Speaker Mike Johnson had the Texas lawmaker removed from the House chamber by the U.S. Sergeant-At-Arms, a punishment Green would later say he was okay with.

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER HOUSE DEM AL GREEN INTERRUPTED TRUMP'S ADDRESS: ‘EMBARRASSING THEMSELVES’

"I'm willing to suffer whatever punishment is available to me. I didn't say to anyone, don't punish me. I've said I'll accept the punishment," Green later told reporters. "But it's worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are going to stand up against this president's desire to cut Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security."

Republicans, meanwhile, were not impressed with the opposition party’s antics throughout Tuesday’s proceedings.

"What they've shown is ridiculous to the American people," House GOP Policy Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-Okla., told Fox News Digital. "I can't see how any American would think that's right."

That sentiment was shared by Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., who argued that there should be "consequences" for Green specifically.

"The Democrats' behavior last night was disappointing," Carter told Fox News Digital. "There must be consequences for Rep. Al Green's outburst, which displayed a clear lack of decorum and respect for the Office of the Presidency."

The Fox News Digital focus groups were conducted by maslansky + partners.

Fox News Digital's Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

Trump earns largely positive speech reaction, but ejected Dem’s behavior widely deemed inappropriate: CNN poll

Posted on by Latest Political News on Fox News

A majority of speech viewers (69%) had a very or somewhat positive reaction to President Donald Trump's Tuesday address before a joint session of Congress, according to a CNN poll by SSRS.

While 44% indicated that they had a "Very positive" reaction to the speech, 25% felt "Somewhat positive," 16% had a "Very negative" reaction and 15% had a "Somewhat negative" reaction to the address.

"A total of 431 adults nationwide were surveyed via text message," according to a document about the poll. "Among the entire sample, 21% described themselves as Democrats, 44% described themselves as Republicans, and 35% described themselves as independents or members of another party," the document notes. "The margin of sampling error for total respondents is +/-5.3 at the 95% confidence level."

TRUMP SAYS AMERICA WOULD WELCOME GREENLAND DURING JOINT ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who was removed from the event for being disruptive, did not fare well in the court of public opinion.

A whopping 80% found Green's behavior to be inappropriate, while just 20% felt it was appropriate, according to the poll.

CONSERVATIVES ERUPT WITH PRAISE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER TRUMP'S SPEECH TO CONGRESS: ‘RUN THROUGH A WALL’

Trump's address on Tuesday came less than two months into his second term in office. 

However, while he is still chipping away at the early days of his new term, the president is a well-known figure who has been on the political scene for years. 

TRUMP DECLARES ‘AMERICA IS BACK' IN SPEECH BEFORE CONGRESS

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He is now the second U.S. president to serve non-consecutive terms — the first was Grover Cleveland in the 19th century.