6 populist leaders facing lawfare around world

Vice President JD Vance condemned European countries last month for a lack of commitment to democracy as many of them lash out with lawfare attacks against populist leaders.

Vance's critique applies to more than just Europe, however, as populist leaders across the globe are facing legal troubles from outright election bans to criminal convictions.

Here are the top populist leaders facing the most pressure.

Right-wing French politician Marine Le Pen and several members of her ascendant National Rally party were convicted of embezzlement on Monday, and she herself has been banned from running in the 2027 presidential election.

Populist leaders from across Europe condemned the verdict, pointing to her significant lead in the polls.

"Those who fear the judgment of voters often seek reassurance from the courts. In Paris, they have condemned Marine Le Pen and would like to remove her from political life," Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said following Le Pen's verdict.

"We are not intimidated," he added. "Full speed ahead, my friend!"

ROMANIA ANNULS FIRST ROUND OF PRESIDENTIAL VOTE WON BY RIGHT-WING CANDIDATE

Brazil’s Supreme Court accepted charges against former President Jair Bolsonaro last week over an alleged attempt to remain in office after his 2022 election defeat, ordering the former leader to stand trial.

All five justices ruled in favor of accepting the charges leveled by Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet, who accused Bolsonaro and 33 others of attempting a coup that included a plan to poison his successor, current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and kill a Supreme Court judge.

The former president has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and says he’s being politically persecuted.

Under Brazilian law, a coup conviction carries a sentence of up to 12 years. When combined with the other charges, it could result in a sentence of decades behind bars.

Calin Georgescu won the first round of Romania's presidential elections earlier this year, only for the election to be canceled due to allegations of Russian collusion in Georgescu's favor.

Georgescu was then taken into custody and has since been banned from running in the election, despite leading in polls.

ROMANIAN FAR-RIGHT PRESIDENTIAL FRONTRUNNER TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER JD VANCE'S REBUKE OF EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

Italian Vice Premier Matteo Salvini faced years of legal trouble due to accusations that he had illegally detained roughly 100 migrants during his term as interior minister in 2019.

GERMANY BRACES UNDER COLLAPSING GOVERNMENT AND LOOMING TRUMP TRADE WAR

The 2019 incident saw migrants held offshore on a humanitarian rescue ship. Italian courts dropped the charges against Slavini in December.

"Protecting our country’s borders from smugglers is not a crime," Salvini said shortly after the verdict. "This is a victory for the League and for Italy."

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan was jailed last month on corruption charges, though many of his supporters have compared his situation to that of President Donald Trump and the charges he has faced.

A Pakistani court sentenced Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 14 and seven years in jail after finding them guilty of corruption. They were convicted for allegedly accepting land as a bribe through the Al-Qadir Trust, which they had set up while Khan was in office. Khan, however, maintains his innocence, describing the events as a "witch hunt" in exclusive comments to Fox News Digital. It is just one of the more than 100 cases he is facing.

Khan’s plight has also been highlighted by longtime Trump ally and adviser Richard Grenell, who took to social media late last year when he tweeted, "Free Imran Khan!"

President Donald Trump has faced waves of legal trouble from his political opponents stretching back nearly a decade to his first administration.

First he faced down the now-discredited Russia collusion claims before once again facing impeachment for negotiating aid for Ukraine. Once out of office, federal and state governments targeted his business dealings with investigations, eventually resulting in his conviction for falsifying business records, a verdict his allies say was bogus.

Trump has acknowledged that populist leaders like him are facing challenges across the globe. He remarked on Le Pen's "very important" situation in a statement Tuesday.

"She was banned for five years and she was the leading candidate," Trump said. "That sounds like this country, that sounds very much like this country."

Fox News' Avi Kumar, Benjamin Weinthal and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

El Salvador’s Bukele weighs in after Trump’s call to impeach judge: ‘The U.S. is facing a judicial coup’

After U.S. President Donald Trump called for the impeachment of a judge, President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele asserted in a post on X that "The U.S. is facing a judicial coup."

Elon Musk agreed with the foreign leader, sharing the tweet and commenting, "1000%."

In a post on Truth Social, Trump, apparently referring to Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, called the judge a "Radical Left Lunatic of a Judge, a troublemaker and agitator," noting that he had been nominated by President Barack Obama.

TRUMP CALLS FOR JUDGE IN DEPORTATION LEGAL BATTLE TO BE IMPEACHED

"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," Trump declared in the post.

Trump recently issued a proclamation that pointed to the Alien Enemies Act as providing the authority to remove Venezuelan citizens 14 and older who belong to Tren de Aragua if they are not naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the U.S.

In response to a legal challenge regarding Trump's move, Judge Boasberg sought to temporarily block the removal of such individuals pursuant to the proclamation.

SCOOP: IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES HIT JUDGE WHO ORDERED TRUMP TO STOP TREN DE ARAGUA DEPORTATION FLIGHTS

But flights that had reportedly departed prior to the judge's order did not reverse course.

The administration recently transported 261 illegal aliens to El Salvador, of whom 137 were deported under the Alien Enemies Act, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt noted on Monday.

Bukele announced on Sunday that "the first 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization, Tren de Aragua, arrived in our country," adding that "the U.S. has also sent us 23 MS-13 members wanted by Salvadoran justice, including two ringleaders."

US PAID EL SALVADOR TO TAKE VENEZUELAN TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBERS: ‘PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR,’ WHITE HOUSE SAYS

Trump raised the issue again in a post shortly after midnight. "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!" he declared in the post shared just minutes into Wednesday.

China pushing US fentanyl crisis, House panel report reveals

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has subsidized the manufacturing and export of materials used to make fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, according to a new House report.

The bipartisan report found that under the leadership of the CCP, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) gives tax rebates and grants to companies that make certain fentanyl and synthetic drug precursors used by drug traffickers as long as they are sold outside of China.

"Through its actions, as our report has revealed, the Chinese Communist Party is telling us that it wants more fentanyl entering our country," said Rep. Mike Gallagher, the Republican chairman of the special House committee. "It wants the chaos and devastation that has resulted from the epidemic."

The report found that the Chinese government holds ownership interest in several companies tied to drug trafficking, and even thwarted investigations into illicit manufacturers by warning the targets of an investigation when U.S. law enforcement sent a formal request for assistance. 

GRIEVING MOTHER OF FENTANYL VICTIM CALLS FOR MAYORKAS' IMPEACHMENT: ‘MY DAUGHTER WAS MURDERED’

The committee also said the PRC has failed to prosecute fentanyl and precursor manufacturers, and found no evidence of new criminal enforcement actions by Beijing.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., the top Democrat on the committee, said Chinese companies are also currently selling synthetic opioids on their websites, and pointed to a screenshot of one such solicitation that committee staff found just Monday night in advance of the hearing.

MEXICO FACES DIRE MEDICAL FENTANYL SHORTAGE DESPITE BEING WORLD' TOP ILLEGAL PRODUCER

"There are hundreds of these website posts — hundreds," Krishnamoorthi said. "This is completely unacceptable."

Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi called for forming a task force to combat the global illicit fentanyl supply chain and advised for more sanctions against those involved in drug trafficking.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

House tees up 17 bills related to Iran/Israel for this week

FOX is told to expect a "robust foreign policy week" after this weekend’s events between Iran and Israel. 

The House is ditching its original plan for "appliance week" and putting 17 bills on the floor "to hammer" Iran or show support for Israel.

GOP GOV CLASHES WITH ABC'S STEPHANOPOULOS OVER TRUMP IN HEATED INTERVIEW

Eleven bills will be on the suspension calendar, meaning they require a 2/3 vote to pass. One of those bills would ratchet up sanctions on Iran

Six bills would head to the Rules Committee. Included in that batch is a bill to condemn Iran for the attack

What about aid for Israel?

WHITE HOUSE CASTS BLAME ON TRUMP AS BIDEN HIT OVER 'DON'T' FOREIGN POLICY

"That’s still being negotiated between the speaker and the White House," said a senior House Republican source. 

FOX is told it’s still possible aid to Israel is tied to assistance to Ukraine. 

Finally, FOX is told that the plan is to send the impeachment articles for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday. But FOX is told that could change based on events in Israel. 

House tees up 17 bills related to Iran/Israel for this week

FOX is told to expect a "robust foreign policy week" after this weekend’s events between Iran and Israel. 

The House is ditching its original plan for "appliance week" and putting 17 bills on the floor "to hammer" Iran or show support for Israel.

GOP GOV CLASHES WITH ABC'S STEPHANOPOULOS OVER TRUMP IN HEATED INTERVIEW

Eleven bills will be on the suspension calendar, meaning they require a 2/3 vote to pass. One of those bills would ratchet up sanctions on Iran

Six bills would head to the Rules Committee. Included in that batch is a bill to condemn Iran for the attack

What about aid for Israel?

WHITE HOUSE CASTS BLAME ON TRUMP AS BIDEN HIT OVER 'DON'T' FOREIGN POLICY

"That’s still being negotiated between the speaker and the White House," said a senior House Republican source. 

FOX is told it’s still possible aid to Israel is tied to assistance to Ukraine. 

Finally, FOX is told that the plan is to send the impeachment articles for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday. But FOX is told that could change based on events in Israel. 

Media deem Trump the nominee, despite Haley tying him to Putin

Nikki Haley is campaigning hard, making the television rounds and ramping up her rhetoric against Donald Trump.

She is fighting on her home turf – South Carolina, the state that knows her best – and yet the media are acting in many ways as if the campaign is over.

That’s largely because the state’s former governor trails Trump by 22 to 36 percentage points, according to the last several South Carolina polls.

RON DESANTIS ACCUSES NIKKI HALEY OF APPEALING TO 'LIBERAL' T-SHIRT WEARERS: 'SHE'S POISONED THE WELL'

Haley is not only way behind Trump, she’s not closing the gap in a way that makes it a competitive contest on Saturday.

And if she loses by more than 20, the pundits will view that as the final nail in her political coffin.

Beyond that, I can’t think of a single state that Haley can win outright. She says she’ll continue at least through Super Tuesday, but the former president may have mathematically clinched the nomination by then, or shortly afterward.

This is not a knock on Haley (though contemporaries say she burned some bridges in South Carolina). The former U.N. ambassador managed to be the last woman standing, well after Pence, DeSantis, Scott, Christie and the others dropped out. But it’s instructive to look at how she’s campaigning, and why Trump – despite his four indictments and $355 million civil fraud penalty – seems unstoppable.

In a Sunday interview on ABC’s "This Week," Haley increasingly tried to tie Trump to Vladimir Putin’s murderous tactics in the wake of the Arctic prison killing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny:

"When you hear Donald Trump say in South Carolina a week ago that he would encourage Putin to invade our allies if they weren’t pulling their weight, that’s bone-chilling, because all he did in that one moment was empower Putin. And all he did in that moment was, he sided with a guy that kills his political opponents, he sided with a thug that arrests American journalists and holds them hostage, and he sided with a guy who wanted to make a point to the Russian people, don’t challenge me in the next election or this will happen to you too."

TRUMP’S NATO COMMENTS TRIGGER FIERCE MEDIA AND EUROPEAN OPPOSITION: HOW SERIOUS IS HE?

What’s more, Haley told Jonathan Karl, "it’s actually pretty amazing that he – not only after making those comments that he would encourage Putin to invade NATO, but the fact that he won’t acknowledge anything with Navalny. Either he sides with Putin and thinks it’s cool that Putin killed one of his political opponents, or he just doesn’t think it’s that big of a deal." 

Trump had said he wouldn’t protect any NATO country that didn’t spend 2% of its funds on defense, and in that case he would encourage Putin and Russia to "do whatever they hell they wanted." He has made no mention of Navalny’s death, which President Biden quickly blamed on Putin.

Haley reminded viewers that if Ukraine falls, Poland or the Baltics could be next.

Now think about this. If a candidate not named Trump had made comments interpreted as potentially blowing up the Atlantic alliance – drawing condemnation from top European leaders – and stayed silent when Russia’s dictator had the opposition leader killed, after a previous poisoning attempt, wouldn’t there be a political uproar?

But since it is Trump, who as president had a friendly relationship with Putin, there has been scant criticism from Republicans. If Trump believes it, most of the party falls into line.

It harkens back to his old 2016 line about shooting someone on Fifth Avenue. Just as the Senate seemed on the verge of passing a bipartisan border bill that included aid to Ukraine and Israel, Trump torpedoed the measure by coming out against it.

DEMOCRATS WIN SEAT, REPUBLICANS WIN IMPEACHMENT, TWO PRESIDENTS CLASH OVER NATO

And in a FOX town hall Sunday night, Haley, who often says her ex-boss was a good president at the time, offered a more negative assessment:

"There were things that he did wrong," Haley told John Roberts. "His press conference in Helsinki, when he went and was trying to buddy up with Putin, I called him out for that. I explained that deeply in my book…how he was completely wrong. Because every time he was in the same room with him, he got weak in the knees. We can't have a president that gets weak in the knees with Putin."

About 20 minutes after Haley used the "weak in the knees" line yesterday on "Fox & Friends," saying Trump has "yet to say anything about Navalny’s death," the ex-president responded on Truth Social: 

"The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our Country. It is a slow, steady progression, with CROOKED, Radical Left Politicians, Prosecutors, and Judges leading us down a path to destruction." You might have noticed the pivot, and the failure to mention Putin at all. 

All this, in a nutshell, is why the press are far more interested in the veepstakes chatter surrounding Trump than in Haley’s dogged campaigning.

What most of the media and other critics fail to understand is that Trump represents the majority of his party. He has remade the GOP in his own image. Most leaders, with the notable exception of the strongly pro-Ukraine Mitch McConnell, follow their leader, as do rank-and-file members afraid of a Donald-backed primary challenger.

Speaker Mike Johnson admitted he consulted with Trump before declaring the border compromise DOA. Marco Rubio, who two months ago helped pass a law barring any president from withdrawing from NATO, said he had no problem with Trump’s remarks about the alliance.

There are even lines that Haley won’t cross. Asked repeatedly on ABC whether she still plans to endorse Trump if he wins, as she said at the campaign’s outset, Haley kept deflecting the question.

A decade ago, Haley’s pro-military and anti-Russia views would have been a comfortable fit for the Republican Party, but that party no longer exists.

Speaker Johnson gives Biden an ultimatum on Ukraine funding, immigration

There will be no additional funding for Ukraine without first making extensive reforms to the U.S. immigration system, House Speaker Mike Johnson told President Biden on Tuesday.

Johnson issued the ultimatum in a letter to the White House, according to Punchbowl News. Biden and Democrats had pushed for months to provide additional funding for Ukraine's war effort amid dwindling Republican support for the issue. With immigration being an even more divisive issue for Congress, Johnson's declaration is a major blow to the prospect of further aid to Kyiv.

Johnson's letter says Ukraine aid is "dependent upon enactment of transformative change to our nation's border security laws," according to Punchbowl.

The message came in response to a Monday letter from the White House. Penned by Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, it warned that the U.S. would run out of Ukraine aid funding by the end of 2023.

ZELENSKYY TO ADDRESS US SENATORS DURING CLASSIFIED BRIEFING ON STALLED MILITARY AID TO UKRAINE, ISRAEL

"There is no magical pot of funding available to meet this moment. We are out of money—and nearly out of time," Young wrote. "Cutting off the flow of U.S. weapons and equipment will kneecap Ukraine on the battlefield, not only putting at risk the gains Ukraine has made, but increasing the likelihood of Russian military victories."

"Already, our packages of security assistance have become smaller and the deliveries of aid have become more limited. If our assistance stops, it will cause significant issues for Ukraine," she added.

UKRAINE TO RECEIVE NATO SUPPORT FOR 'AS LONG AS IT TAKES,' GAIN ALLIANCE MEMBERSHIP AFTER CONFLICT

The U.S. has already contributed well over $100 billion to Ukraine's war effort since Russia invaded the country in February 2022. Republicans have increasingly questioned why that money isn't being spent at home, however.

Johnson first announced plans to pair Ukraine funding and immigration funding into the same bill in early November.

"The American people feel very strongly about this, and I do as well. We have things that we can and should do around the world, but we have to take care of our own house first," Johnson said at the time. "As long as the border is wide open, we're opening ourselves up for great threats. And again, it's just a matter of principle that if we're going to take care of a border in Ukraine, we need to take care of America's as well. And I think there's bipartisan support for that idea."

Ukrainian forces have found little success in their months-long counteroffensive against Russia as well. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg warned that the world should "be prepared for bad news" in the conflict this week.

Democrat lawmakers demand Biden address ‘extreme right-wing Israeli government’ after West Bank violence

Democratic lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to respond to the "extreme right-wing Israeli government" and recent "shocking violence" that has taken place between Israeli forces and residents of the West Bank.

Reps. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Jamaal Bowman of New York, and "Squad" Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Cori Bush of Missouri, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, all signed a letter last week addressed to President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying they were "deeply concerned" and demanding action.

In the letter, 14 Democrats urged Biden to "ensure U.S. taxpayer funds do not support projects in illegal settlements" and to determine whether aid sent to Israel is being used to "commit or support gross violations of human rights by the Israeli government."

"Furthermore, we call on your administration to ensure that all future foreign assistance to Israel, including weapons and equipment, is not used in support of gross violations of human rights."

ISRAEL LAUNCHES RARE AIRSTRIKES IN LEBANON FOLLOWING VIOLENCE AT JERUSALEM HOLY SITE

Bowman shared the letter on social media, where he said he wanted to draw attention to the "alarming actions of the new extreme right-wing Israeli government." He also suggested the U.S. should stop funding Israel as taxpayer dollars should be "used to violate human rights."

Rep. Betty McCollum shared the letter, which she also signed, and voiced her criticism of "Israel’s extremist government."

"My colleagues & I are concerned about Israel’s extremist government & its escalation of attacks on Palestinian families. Not $1 of U.S. military aid should be used to violate Palestinians’ human rights & freedoms or annex their land," McCollum wrote on social media Saturday.

AOC DOUBLES DOWN ON 'IGNORING' ABORTION RULE, CLARENCE THOMAS IMPEACHMENT: 'ABUSE OF JUDICIAL OVERREACH'

In the letter, the Democratic lawmakers said the administration of newly elected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "includes far-right, anti-Palestinian individuals and parties."

"We urge immediate action to prevent the further loss of Israeli and Palestinian lives," they wrote. "At this inflection point, we ask your administration to undertake a shift in U.S. policy in recognition of the worsening violence, further annexation of land, and denial of Palestinian rights.

ISRAEL’S NETANYAHU AGREES TO HALT JUDICIAL REFORM FOR NOW AS MASS PROTESTS CONTINUE

The lawmakers added: "Only by protecting democracy, human rights, and self-determination for all Palestinians and Israelis can we achieve a lasting peace."

The Democrats highlighted a series of violence carried out by both Palestinians and Israeli forces in February, which included the death of Israeli-American citizen Elan Ganeles, who was shot dead by a Palestinian gunman in the West Bank.

"This Israeli government’s anti-democratic mission to dismantle the rule of law is a threat to Israelis and Palestinians alike," the lawmakers wrote. "We are deeply concerned by [the] Israeli government moves that demonstrate that illegal de facto and de jure annexation of the occupied West Bank is well underway."

And, "The Israeli government’s actions are in clear violation of international law and commitments made to the U.S.; its agenda will further devastate Palestinian communities and heighten tension with violent consequences for both Palestinians and Israelis. Only clear steps to change political conditions will pave the way for peace."

The letter was also signed by Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, Raúl Grijalva of Arizona, Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey, Jesús García of Illinois, Delia Ramirez of Illinois and André Carson of Indiana.

What Kevin McCarthy can learn from Liz Truss

A substantial number of GOP members and the Republican base expect an impeachment of Mr. Biden; if McCarthy doesn’t perform, he could go the way of Liz Truss.