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FIRST ON FOX: Two Medal of Honor recipients revealed their feelings about receiving the nation’s highest military honor  Fox News Digital spoke with two recipients of the Medal of Honor — retired Army Staff Sergeants Sal Giunta and Clint Romesha — ahead of the day commemorating those who went above and beyond the call of duty in defending America. Giunta, who enlisted with the Army in November 2003, said that receiving the Medal of Honor from former President Obama was “crazy.” GOP REP. NEHLS, DEM REP. CHRIS PAPPAS LOOK TO FINALLY GIVE MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS A BIG PENSION RAISE “It’s wildly bittersweet, because it’s such a tremendous honor,” Giunta said. “It was never a goal or an aspiration.” “I mean, I can’t imagine what it’s like to win an Olympic gold, because you try for your whole life, and for the Medal of Honor, you don’t try for it at all,” he continued. “You just try to do the best you can in the situation you’re presented.” “And to be on that elevated stage of the White House was with the President of the United States is huge. That said, the light weight of that ribbon is incredibly heavy and [the] responsibility and, you know, the individuals knowing what it cost. And in my 27 months deployed, I lost 28 buddies. That night I lost two young men that would never get to grow old and have wives and kids and families. And I think that weighs on it.” Giunta said that neither he nor Romesha “gave everything for the Medal of Honor,” that they “gave as much as” they could, and it “was decided that it wasn’t going to need to be everything, but others did.” “And so to stand on that stage and receive the accolades that so many deserve and so many didn’t receive is fairly painful,” Giunta said. “I mean, today you won’t really see me wear the medal, it weighs that heavy on me. I can talk about it, I will be a Medal of Honor recipient, but it’s not something that is going to define me because that was never me. It was always us.” Romesha, who enlisted in the Army in September 1999, agreed with Giunta that there is a “moment of bittersweetness” while on stage and that “you can’t help but think in the back of your mind of all those other great teammates around you were there that day that were doing everything they needed to be done, and you were doing everything you needed to get done.” “You’ve got that spotlight on, and it is bittersweet, because you’re sitting there getting acknowledgment in the face of the nation, yet you can’t help but sit there and think of the guys that didn’t come back with you,” Romesha said. “The men that, like Sal said, will never grow old, never have another Christmas with their family, another birthday with their kids,” Romesha continued. “And you just kind of reflect on that.” “And I know for me, it was one of those. I had a moment on stage; I was just trying to zone everything out, just trying to be removed from the situation, but looking out in the audience and seeing my family sitting there and right behind them, the family of the eight guys we lost, the Gold Star families and just to the left, the guys I was with that day. And just thinking to myself, you know, really kind of suck it up here. But I couldn’t think of a better group of people to be with than my family, our Gold Star families and my military family sharing this one moment together.” “Without them, we’d be nothing,” Romesha also said. “And when you wear that battle it represents not just you but all of those men and all of those servicemen and women that continue to serve and will continue to do this in the future.” Both Romesha and Giunta both do work for America’s Warrior Partnership, which aims to prevent veteran suicide by partnering with communities to help former service members in their areas. Giunta said there is a “disconnect” as to what at-risk veterans “need,” and he thinks “American Warrior Partnership does a tremendous job not only on identifying those needs through studies, tracking those needs and what trying to find a way to analyze it, to make actionable decisions off of the data, not just collect data and then to pursue the approach to integrate back into society.” Romesha said that American Warrior Partnership’s “mindset of empowering” blew him away as well as the different initiatives by the organization, including Mission Roll Call to help veterans find civilian employment and reintegrate into society after serving. Fox News Digital also asked the pair for their thoughts on the bipartisan bill from Reps. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, and Chris Pappas, D-N.H., looking to give Medal of Honor recipients a pension raise to $100,000. Romesha said his feelings were “conflicting” and asked, “If you’re not taking care of your nation’s highest-honored veterans, you’re not doing everything in your power, what are you doing for the rest of them?” “If we’re not continuing to try and improve what our veterans have given us every step of the way, then what are we showing the next generation, right? It’s always kind of bittersweet. What is the amount, right? That’s what we’re always going to argue. My thought is always we can always do more for our veterans, for our men and women. We can always do a little more. So let’s not get too fixated on a number. Let’s just make sure that every veteran, regardless of their award status, we go above and beyond to take care of any issues they might have.” Giunta, the first living recipient of the honor since the Vietnam War, quipped that his fellow Medal of Honor recipient’s response was “diplomatic” and said that he thinks an increase to recipients’ pensions is “awesome.” “I think it’s super great for a guy like me, right? I was in eight years,” Giunta said. “I don’t have a retirement from the military. [I] did eight years, and I quit and I pursued the next adventure in life.” “I didn’t create new opportunities as far as being a Medal of Honor recipient, but I definitely think some of the requests or demands kind of hinder a little bit of life. And it’s not that I don’t love talking to you, but I got a screen behind my phone right now and I got a screen over here, and in my world, it’s 9:30 in the morning on a Friday on a work day in Texas. And so to find the time to balance what I care about and what’s meaningful with what actually will support my family and pay the bills can be difficult sometimes because I think we are so drawn towards service.” “And so if it happens, it’d be awesome. If it doesn’t happen, my world doesn’t change,” Giunta also said. “I still work, you know, 40, 45 hours a week and I still end up giving my time on top of that. And I’ll be the same person. I don’t know if all recipients will be as lucky.” Romesha’s Medal of Honor citation reads that he “distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Section Leader with Bravo Troop, 3d Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, during combat operations against an armed enemy at Combat Outpost Keating, Kamdesh District, Nuristan Province, Afghanistan on October 3, 2009.” “On that morning, Staff Sergeant Romesha and his comrades awakened to an attack by an estimated 300 enemy fighters occupying the high ground on all four sides of the complex, employing concentrated fire from recoilless rifles, rocket propelled grenades, anti-aircraft machine guns, mortars and small arms fire. Staff Sergeant Romesha moved uncovered under intense enemy fire to conduct a reconnaissance of the battlefield and seek reinforcements from the barracks before returning to action with the support of an assistant gunner.” “Staff Sergeant Romesha took out an enemy machine gun team and while engaging a second, the generator he was using for cover was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, inflicting him with shrapnel wounds. Undeterred by his injuries, Staff Sergeant Romesha continued to fight and upon the arrival of another soldier to aid him and the assistant gunner, he again rushed through the exposed avenue to assemble additional soldiers. Staff Sergeant Romesha then mobilized a five-man team and returned to the fight equipped with a sniper rifle.” “With complete disregard for his own safety, Staff Sergeant Romesha continually exposed himself to heavy enemy fire, as he moved confidently about the battlefield engaging and destroying multiple enemy targets, including three Taliban fighters who had breached the combat outpost’s perimeter. While orchestrating a successful plan to secure and reinforce key points of the battlefield, Staff Sergeant Romesha maintained radio communication with the tactical operations center. As the enemy forces attacked with even greater ferocity, unleashing a barrage of rocket-propelled grenades and recoilless rifle rounds, Staff Sergeant Romesha identified the point of attack and directed air support to destroy over 30 enemy fighters. After receiving reports that seriously injured Soldiers were at a distant battle position, Staff Sergeant Romesha and his team provided covering fire to allow the injured Soldiers to safely reach the aid station. Upon receipt of orders to proceed to the next objective, his team pushed forward 100 meters under overwhelming enemy fire to recover and prevent the enemy fighters from taking the bodies of their fallen comrades.” “Then-Specialist Salvatore A. Giunta distinguished himself by acts of gallantry at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifle team leader with Company B, 2d Battalion (Airborne), 503d Infantry Regiment during combat operations against an armed enemy in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan on October 25, 2007,” Giunta’s Medal of Honor citation reads. “When an insurgent force split Specialist Giunta’s squad into two groups, he exposed himself to enemy fire to pull a comrade back to cover. Later, while engaging the enemy and attempting to link up with the rest of his squad, Specialist Giunta noticed two insurgents carrying away a fellow soldier. He immediately engaged the enemy, killing one and wounding the other, and provided medical aid to his wounded comrade while the rest of his squad caught up and provided security. His courage and leadership while under extreme enemy fire were integral to his platoon’s ability [to] defeat an enemy ambush and recover a fellow paratrooper from enemy hands.” Medal of Honor Day was recognized on Saturday, March 25.
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Lawmakers in New York are gearing up to enact legislation that would prohibit gas stoves from being used in new buildings, including new single-family homes and new commercial properties. Should the proposal – included in the state budget that’s due March 31 – receive a nod from Empire State lawmakers, it would be the first piece of legislation in the nation to target gas and fossil fuel appliances. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and many of her fellow Democrats in the state legislature have signaled support for proposals that would prevent the use of water heaters, fossil fuel furnaces, and gas stoves in a bulk majority of new construction. Despite pushback from some Republicans over the state’s proposal, as well as Energy Sec. Jennifer Granholm’s declaring Thursday that “there’s no ban on gas stoves” at a federal level, New York lawmakers are poised to pass the legislation barring the use of certain gas-related utilities in new homes. ENERGY SECRETARY GRANHOLM INSISTS GAS STOVE STANDARDS WILL ONLY IMPACT HIGH-END MODELS: ‘THERE’S NO BAN’ While other states like California and Washington have taken similar action through building codes, New York would become the first state to do so with a legislative measure. Hochul offered support for a ban of fossil fuel based heating equipment during her State of the State address in January. The governor proposed abolishing the sale of gas-powered appliances and banning their installation in new buildings by 2025. Should it pass, the proposal would not impact existing homes that use gas stoves or other gas-powered appliances, however, the state’s climate plan could take such steps in the future. As reported by Politico, the three proposals being considered by the Assembly, Senate and governor “have some exemptions, including for emergency back-up generators, hospitals, laundromats and commercial kitchens.” AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION FIRES BACK ON POTENTIAL GAS STOVE BAN: ‘NOT SUBSTANTIATED BY SOUND SCIENCE’ “The earliest date backed by the state Senate is the beginning of 2025 for residential and buildings below seven stories. Hochul and the Assembly backed banning gas in new homes starting in 2026,” the outlet stated. The backlash from Republicans over a potential ban on gas stoves came earlier this year after it was reported the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission planned to act on the appliances because the pollutants can cause respiratory and health issues. “Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned,” agency commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. told Bloomberg at the time. In December 2022, a group of federal lawmakers, including Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, wrote a letter to the CPSC expressing their concerns “regarding the risks posed to consumers from indoor air pollution generated by gas stoves.” The group pointed out that more than 40 million homes in the U.S. rely on gas stoves for cooking, and “methane leaks from gas stoves inside U.S. homes were recently found to contribute the equivalent climate impacts as about 500,000 gasoline-powered cars.”  They added that the cumulative effect of such emissions has a disproportionate impact on Black, Latino, and low-income households. Fox News’ Kristine Parks and Sarah Rumpf contributed to this article.
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The deaths of two migrants in a train car in a small Texas town in Uvalde County marks the latest tragedy to hit the southern border amid a historic migrant crisis – a crisis being facilitated by human smugglers, who will often put migrants in deadly situations. The Uvalde Police Department received a 911 call Friday afternoon saying there were “numerous” migrants “suffocating” in a train car. Border Patrol had been informed and stopped the car two to three miles east of Knippa, Texas. The incident is suspected to be related to human smuggling, sources said.  Officials for Union Pacific Railroad later said that 15 people were found in the rail car, two people died while four were air-lifted to San Antonio, and six were taken to nearby hospitals. “Union Pacific is deeply saddened by this incident and the tragedies occurring at the border. We take the safety of all individuals seriously and work tirelessly with law enforcement partners to detect illegal items and people riding inside or on our rail cars. This incident is under investigation,” it said. TEXAS AUTHORITIES SAY AT LEAST 2 MIGRANTS DEAD, OVER A DOZEN INJURED AFTER SUFFOCATING IN TRAIN CAR Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement that the agency is “heartbroken to learn of yet another tragic incident of migrants taking the dangerous journey.” “I thank the Border Patrol Agents who responded to the scene and the HSI Agents who are supporting the investigation in Uvalde. We will work with the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office to hold those responsible. Smugglers are callous and only care about making a profit,” he said. It marks the latest deadly incident at the border as authorities face a historic surge of migrants that saw over 2.4 million encounters last fiscal year and the second such tragedy within a month. Earlier this month eight migrants died after two smuggling vessels capsized off the coast of Southern California. At least 15 migrants were on one of the boats, and eight on another. It was unclear how many made it to shore. SEVEN MEXICAN NATIONALS AMONG THE EIGHT MIGRANTS WHO DIED AFTER SMUGGLING BOATS CAPSIZED NEAR SAN DIEGO Seven of the deceased migrants were identified as Mexican nationals based on the identification documents they were carrying. Officials said that such boats are often overloaded and poorly maintained. Those deaths came after a FY 2022 in which there were 856 migrant deaths at the southern border – the highest and deadliest on record. That has coincided with a record number of migrant encounters at the border. The 2.4 million seen that year exceeded the 1.7 million encountered a year before, which itself was a record. The most deadly incident of the year came in June when 53 migrants died after being locked in a tractor-trailer in San Antonio, Texas. The dead included a 13-year-old and 14-year-old from Guatemala and two 16-year-olds from Mexico. The truck had been carrying 73 people when it was found on June 27. In September, nine migrants were killed in the Rio Grande as they tried to cross into the United States from Mexico, while Border Patrol agents rescued 37 others. The same month, agents narrowly averted tragedy when they rescued a four-month-old and an 18-month-old who had been abandoned in the sweltering heat of the Arizona desert. Meanwhile, the debate over solutions to the crisis rages on in Washington. Republicans have blamed the Biden administration for its policies that they say have encouraged migrants to surge to the southern border – specifically its moves to reduce interior enforcement and release more migrants into the interior. The administration has faulted Republicans for failing to agree to border funding requests. It has also launched anti-smuggling operations and sought to expand legal pathways – including a recent humanitarian parole program – so migrants can travel into the U.S. without entering illegally. The latest deaths come just weeks before Title 42, which allows for the rapid expulsion of illegal migrants at the southern border due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to expire on May 11 along with the public health emergency. Officials have previously warned that a dramatic increase in migrant crossings can be expected when the order drops. Fox News’ Bill Melugin, Brie Stimson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Former President Donald Trump awarded Dr. Anthony Fauci for his work on the COVID vaccine just one day before leaving office, potentially adding fuel to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ nascent line of attack about the 45th president’s handling of the pandemic. DeSantis, who has not announced a White House bid but is still widely considered Trump’s chief competition in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, slammed Trump for his handling of COVID in a new interview with journalist Piers Morgan that aired this week. During the interview, DeSantis drew a clear contrast with Trump when it came to the pandemic, saying he would’ve “fired” Fauci if he were president at the time. “Well, I think there’s a few things,” DeSantis said when asked about his differences with Trump. “The approach to COVID was different. I would have fired somebody like Fauci. I think he got way too big for his britches, and I think he did a lot of damage.” DESANTIS HIGHLIGHTS DIFFERENCES WITH TRUMP: ‘I WOULD HAVE FIRED’ FAUCI Trump in January 2021 awarded “presidential commendations” to Fauci, then the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, along with dozens of other individuals, “in recognition of their exceptional efforts on Operation Warp Speed.” Operation Warp Speed was the Trump administration’s initiative to coordinate with federal and private entities to quickly develop a COVID vaccine. A record of Trump recognizing Fauci’s work during the pandemic could prove problematic as he kicks his 2024 presidential campaign into high gear. DeSantis recently called out Fauci, who was a lead member of Trump’s COVID task force before serving as President Biden’s chief medical adviser, for the now-retired public health official’s conduct during the pandemic, demanding he is “held accountable.” 4 MAJOR MISTAKES THE EXPERTS MADE ABOUT COVID DESPITE SAYING THEY WOULD ‘FOLLOW THE SCIENCE’ Fauci infamously changed his position on wearing masks as a protective measure and supported school closures and other lockdown measures. Last August, Fauci said it’s “inexplicable” that some Americans view mandatory mask-wearing as a violation of their liberty. Trump has also been a vocal critic of Fauci and often contradicted his advice while in the White House. Fauci, seen in a new PBS documentary wiping a tear away as he watches Biden’s inauguration ceremony, has been critical of both Trump and DeSantis’ handling of the pandemic. Fox News Digital has reached out to both the Trump campaign and DeSantis’ office for comment. 
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis explained on Thursday that he is “more of an executive guy” in response to a question about whether or not he would join a potential ticket as former President Trump’s running mate come 2024.  “I think I’m probably more of an executive guy,” the governor told Newsmax. “I think that you want to be able to do things. That’s part of the reason I got into this job is because we have action.”  “We’re able to make things happen, and I think that’s probably what I am best suited for,” said DeSantis.  The leader was also asked if he would want Trump as a vice president should he be the GOP nominee.  TRUMP REVEALS IF AN ALLIANCE WITH DESANTIS FOR 2024 IS POSSIBLE DeSantis called it “interesting speculation.”  “The whole party, regardless of any personalities or individuals, you have got to be looking at 2024 and saying, if the Biden regime continues, and they’re able to pick up 10-15 seats in the House and a Senate seat or two, this country is going to be in really, really bad shape,” he said. DeSantis’s comments come amid speculation regarding whether he is considering a run. The governor recently visited Iowa, throwing shade at both Trump and President Biden.  The former president, as well as his son, has stepped up his shots at “Ron DeSanctimonious” in recent weeks, with DeSantis lobbing hits back.  2024 WATCH: THE WEEK THAT RON DESANTIS STARTED PUNCHING BACK AT DONALD TRUMP “Well, I would say if you look at some of the change from that … the major thing that’s happened that’s changed his tune was my re-election victory,” DeSantis told Fox Nation’s “Piers Morgan Uncensored” last week.  Trump had previously endorsed DeSantis for his first run for governor in 2018, but the former president said earlier this month at he “probably” regrets endorsing DeSantis. He told Newsmax on Friday that any alliance with his potential primary challenger is “very unlikely.” CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Regardless of if DeSantis currently intends to take up the presidential mantle, his possible candidacy has the support of Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy.  “I believe it’s time for a new generation of leadership. It’s time for younger, but proven, leadership to offer America eight solid years of transformational change. It’s time for Ron DeSantis to be President of the United States,” Roy said in a statement.
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A new bill in California is aiming to ensure free condoms are available for high school students.  State Sen. Caroline Menjivar introduced Senate Bill 541 to the legislature last month with the aim of increasing youth access to contraceptives.  The bill will be brought before the Senate Education Committee next week. CALIFORNIA CITIES RATTLED BY PROSTITUTION, HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN BROAD DAYLIGHT AS COPS PIN BLAME ON NEW LAW Senate Bill 541 would require schools to offer condoms in at least two different locations and provide information on proper use without necessitating students to request them from an adult. “What we’re asking the schools to do is to provide condoms in two different locations throughout their campus, and not where a student will have to go to a teacher, an administrator to ask for them,” said Menjivar.  Menjivar said she is “trying to remove the shame” of asking for contraceptives, saying the pressure of the situation often drives students to forgo condoms entirely. SUSPECTED PROSTITUTION RING MOVES INTO CA NEIGHBORHOOD OUTSIDE CATHOLIC SCHOOL: ‘PIMP IS BLOCKING MY DRIVEWAY’ “We want to make sure they have all the facts and all the resources available at their fingertips to make a safe decision,” Menjivar added. Conservative advocacy group California Family Council condemned the proposition, saying, “California public schools have been pushing condoms as part of ‘comprehensive sex education’ for more than a decade in the name of improving student health. But it’s been a complete failure if you look at the rates of sexually transmitted infections.” The council pointed to the California Department of Public Health’s findings that sexually transmitted infections have reached “epidemic levels” in the state and asserted that students need to be taught to “treat sex as a special and intimate act to be shared in a monogamous committed relationship with someone of the opposite sex.” The bill aims to put the program into effect by the 2024-2025 school year.  The bill would also provide free access to the HPV vaccine at state-funded Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment.
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Former President Donald Trump said Friday that an alliance with his likely primary challenger Gov. Ron DeSantis is “very unlikely.”  Trump, who has launched a barrage of attacks on the Florida governor before he has even entered the 2024 Republican presidential primary, said in an interview he has never considered asking DeSantis to be his 2024 running mate. “No, I think that would be a very unlikely alliance,” Trump told Newsmax.  “We have a lot of great people in the Republican Party. I’ve never thought of it; but you know some people every once in a while mention it, but that’s about it,” he said.  2024 WATCH: THE WEEK THAT RON DESANTIS STARTED PUNCHING BACK AT DONALD TRUMP DeSantis’ popularity with Republicans has skyrocketed since he became Florida’s governor in 2018, thanks to his rejection of coronavirus pandemic restrictions, proactive opposition to critical race theory and sex and gender ideology in schools, and combative stance towards corporations and media figures who have criticized his agenda. Hypothetical 2024 matchups name Trump and DeSantis as the top two choices among GOP primary voters, and Trump views DeSantis as his most serious threat to re-nomination.  Trump also believes that his endorsement in 2018 made DeSantis’ political career, and he feels betrayed by DeSantis, who is not supporting Trump’s third campaign for the presidency and appears to have his own White House ambitions.  In his interview with Newsmax, Trump took credit for propelling DeSantis from relative obscurity as a member of Congress to the Republican nominee for governor in Florida and ultimately for getting DeSantis elected over Democratic Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum. “I appointed him,” Trump said. “He was failing badly in the polls. He was out of politics. He was going to be out of politics, and I endorsed him, and he went from a very small number to a very high number. I had rallies for Ron, and we got him in. Then a couple of years later, they said, ‘Would you run against the president for president?’ He said, ‘I have no comment.’ I said, ‘That’s not supposed to happen.'” TRUMP BROADENS LEAD OVER DESANTIS IN LATEST 2024 GOP NOMINATION POLL DeSantis had mostly ignored Trump’s attacks until this week, when he commented on the possible indictment Trump faces from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for alleged hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 — meant to keep her quiet about a purported sexual encounter they had years ago. Trump has denied the affair and any wrongdoing in connection with payments to Daniels. Asked about the looming Trump indictment, DeSantis ripped Bragg as a politically-motivated prosecutor, but also said, “I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair. I can’t speak to that.” This answer sent Trump into a rage. In a flurry of posts on Truth Social, Trump slammed DeSantis as ungrateful, disloyal and an “average governor.”  However, DeSantis stood by his comments in an interview with British media host Piers Morgan. Clips and quotes from the interview, which ran in its entirety Thursday on Fox Nation, made headlines all week. TRUMP HAULS IN $1.5 MILLION SINCE WARNING OF LOOMING INDICTMENT He spotlighted his overwhelming 19-point re-election victory last year — in contrast to Trump’s defeat in the 2020 presidential election — and highlighted his “no nonsense” governing style in comparison to the tumult that characterized the Trump White House years. DeSantis criticized the former president for not firing federal health official Dr. Anthony Fauci, and mocked the derogatory nicknames Trump has repeatedly called the governor. Trump maintains that even if DeSantis decides to run for president, he can’t win. He likens the governor’s record to establishment Republican figures like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush or former House Speaker Paul Ryan, pointing out that DeSantis’ voting record in Congress includes voting to raise the retirement age to 70 in 2013.  “If you look at his record, he can’t win because he voted against Social Security; he voted against everything,” Trump told Newsmax. “He voted against things that are so important. Medicare. He voted against Medicare. He wanted to raise the age substantially of people getting Social Security.” “The things he’s voted against are devastating, because people don’t know this about Ron: Ron was a disciple of Paul Ryan. And Paul Ryan was a loser. You know that. He was a loser in many ways,” Trump added. WHO’S IN AND WHO’S ON THE SIDELINES — YOUR GUIDE TO THE 2024 GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION RACE It’s an accusation that doesn’t match the record. DeSantis was a founding member of the House Freedom Caucus, which was a thorn in Speaker Ryan’s side, as well as House Speaker John Boehner before him. In fact, Trump sided with Ryan against the Freedom Caucus in 2017, as hard line conservatives pushed for a full repeal of the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare, and GOP leaders wanted a more partial repeal.  But what Trump’s attacks may lack in accuracy they make up for in ferocity. His barrage has hit DeSantis from the left and right on education, COVID, and more.  Any decision DeSantis makes about running for president won’t come until after the Florida legislature wraps up its current session in May. Even so, Trump indicated the attacks will keep coming. “I just assume he’s running; and, therefore, I attack,” Trump said. “But I am not looking to attack Republicans.” Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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An investigation into former President Donald Trump attracted national attention over the past week after the Republican claimed he could be arrested on charges from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. While Trump was campaigning for president in 2016, his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, reportedly paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about an alleged 2006 affair. Trump allegedly reimbursed Cohen for the entirety of the payment, leading the Manhattan District Attorney to open a years-long probe into the former president’s past. There have been some surprising twists in the case since news of the possible indictment broke. TRUMP SAYS ‘ILLEGAL LEAKS’ INDICATE HE’LL BE ARRESTED TUESDAY Trump made a claim in a TRUTH Social post last Saturday alleging he learned via leaks from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office that he would be arrested last week. An indictment hasn’t been handed down – at least not yet. He posted to his social media platform, alerting that he would face indictment and possible arrest on Tuesday of the following week. He encouraged his supporters to “protest” the arrest asking them “take our nation back!”  “NOW ILLEGAL LEAKS FROM A CORRUPT & HIGHLY POLITICAL MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE, WHICH HAS ALLOWED NEW RECORDS TO BE SET IN VIOLENT CRIME & WHOSE LEADER IS FUNDED BY GEORGE SOROS, INDICATE THAT, WITH NO CRIME BEING ABLE TO BE PROVEN, & BASED ON AN OLD & FULLY DEBUNKED (BY NUMEROUS OTHER PROSECUTORS!) FAIRYTALE, THE FAR & AWAY LEADING REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE & FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK. PROTEST, TAKE OUR NATION BACK!” Trump wrote on his page. Robert Costello, Cohen’s former legal advisor, testified for over two hours on Monday in front of the Manhattan grand jury convened for the case. Trump’s company allegedly reimbursed Cohen for sending Daniels $130,000, in 2016, to keep quiet about her alleged affair with the former president back in 2006.  Costello told the grand jury that Trump was not aware of the payments that were made out to Daniels. Costello then blasted Cohen, claiming that he has “difficulty telling the truth” and labeling him as a “convicted perjurer” and a “serial liar.” “As might be expected, Mr. Cohen’s lies were always uttered in a way that was beneficial to himself,” Costello explained. “When it was in Mr. Cohen’s personal self-interest, he was capable of telling the truth, but those occasions were few and far between.”  WOULD TRUMP INDICTMENT HELP OR HURT FORMER PRESIDENT’S 2024 BID TO WIN BACK WHITE HOUSE? Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., who has become a target of Trump amid rumors the two may go head-to-head for the GOP nomination in 2024, said he doesn’t have much to say about “paying hush money to a porn star,” when asked about the possible indictment. “And so you’re talking about this situation with, and like, I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair — I just I can’t speak to that,” DeSantis said in an apparent dig at Trump. HOUSE DEMOCRATS EXPLODE AT GOP ATTEMPT TO ‘INTERFERE’ WITH MANHATTAN DA’S TRUMP INDICTMENT: ‘ABUSE OF POWER’ The governor also took a swipe at Bragg, calling him a “Soros-funded prosecutor” during a press conference Monday following the news of a possible Trump indictment. “But what I can speak to is that if you have a prosecutor who is ignoring crimes happening every single day in his jurisdiction, and he chooses to go back many, many years ago to try to use something about porn star hush-money payments, you know, that’s an example of pursuing a political agenda and weaponizing the office,” DeSantis said. “And I think that that’s fundamentally wrong.” In an expected turn of events, Bragg’s office canceled the grand jury’s scheduled Wednesday proceedings. At least one additional witness was to be heard from during the meeting before it was abruptly canceled. Sources told Fox the cancelation was due to “major dissension” within the DA’s office and a possible “weakness” in the case. After House Republicans requested information regarding the ongoing investigation into Trump, Bragg assured that he would eventually release the conclusion publicly, but that “Trump created a false expectation” of the probe. Bragg’s office called the House request an “unprecedented inquiry into a pending local prosecution” in a five-page response letter that questioned the legitimacy of any congressional probe into the matter. “The Letter only came after Donald Trump created a false expectation that he would be arrested the next day and his lawyers reportedly urged you to intervene,” the letter accused. Bragg’s office also called the lawmakers’ requests “an unlawful incursion into New York’s sovereignty” and argued that “federal funding is an insufficient basis to justify these unconstitutional requests.” After Trump announced he might be arrested, the former president raised nearly $1.5 million within four days for his 2024 presidential campaign. Trump had campaign events planned for the weekend. Fox News’ Brooke Singman, Houston Keene and Emma Colton contributed to this report.
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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is celebrating “a victory for free speech” after a Stanford University dean, who publicly told a Trump-appointed judge in front of a group of students that he had “done harm,” was placed on leave by the school. In March, Judge Kyle Duncan was invited to Stanford University to speak to a group of law students, but he [was met with heckling and interruption from the young adults. Rather than control the situation, Tirien Steinbach, the Stanford University Law School associate dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, ridiculed Duncan’s work on the U.S Court of Appeals in front of the class. Following the incident, Cruz sent a letter to the high profile university, demanding the students be punished and Steinbach be held accountable for her treatment of the judge.  “This disgraceful behavior is antithetical to the principles of free speech and open discourse that are essential to the mission of any credible academic institution, let alone a top-tier law school,” Cruz wrote in a March 14 press release.  TED CRUZ ASKS STANFORD TO PUNISH STUDENTS WHO HECKLED TRUMP-APPOINTED JUDGE Just weeks after the Texas Senator called on school officials to take action against the “disgraceful behavior,” Cruz received a response that included news of Steinbach’s leave and that all law students would be required to attend a session on free speech. STANFORD DEI DEAN ON LEAVE AFTER INTERRUPTING AND CONTRONTING FEDERAL JUDGE DURING CAMPUS EVENT  “This is a victory for sanity in this country and a step in the right direction, and frankly every law school should take note. While woke culture reigns supreme on college campuses today, we just witnessed a law school like Stanford stand up to it and place their ‘high priestess of diversity’ on leave,” Cruz said. “Stanford should be commended for holding its deans to a higher standard. As for the students – let me just say, this ought to be the first and only time you get to scream and curse at a federal judge because in a court of law you’d find yourself in jail.” “Associate Dean Tirien Steinbach is currently on leave. Generally speaking, the university does not comment publicly on pending personnel matters, and so I will not do so at this time,” Jenny S. Martinez, the dean of Stanford Law School, wrote in a Wednesday memo to the school community. “Stanford’s event disruption policy gives attendees a right to hold signs and to demonstrate disagreement in other ways as long as the methods used do not ‘prevent or disrupt the effective carrying out of a University function or approved activity, such as lectures, meetings, interviews, ceremonies . . . and public events.'” Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Joe Silverstein contributed to this report.
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Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the lone dissenter in a closely watched abortion case this week, but has so far shown in her nine months on the bench that she is open and able to find agreement with her conservative colleagues. Jackson was praised by the left when she filled the bench vacancy after Justice Stephen Breyer retired last year. On Monday, she was the only justice to dissent in a case that wiped out a lower court’s decision to uphold a minor’s right to go to court for permission to obtain an abortion. Everyone but Jackson on the court voted to overturn a lower court ruling that said a state court clerk could be sued for denying a pregnant teenager’s request for permission to get an abortion without her parents’ consent. The Supreme Court told the lower court the case should be moot in light of the recent Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade. KETANJI BROWN JACKSON’S RACIAL ‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’ ANALOGY CONFUSES CRITICS: CRT ‘WRECKS EVERYTHING’ But in her first majority opinion issued last month, Jackson earned support from her conservative colleagues in a case dealing with a dispute between multiple states over unclaimed money – in this case, $250 million of unused money orders issued by MoneyGram, which is based in Texas but headquartered in Delaware. The ruling was unanimous, and the eight other justices supported different parts of the opinion. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE JACKSON GETS SUPPORT FROM CONSERVATIVES IN FIRST MAJORITY RULING Jackson was confirmed last year after a contentious nomination process in which Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans challenged Jackson’s judicial history of lenient sentencing for violent criminals. Conservatives considered her one of President Biden’s more ideological liberal options to fill Breyer’s role, and were alarmed when Jackson couldn’t define what a “woman” is, and instead told senators she is “not a biologist.” Jackson has shown equal willingness to go against her more conservative colleagues. In one of the court’s high-profile cases this term dealing with a graphic designer who is refusing to create websites for gay weddings, Jackson sparked criticsm from conservatives by her questioning in the December oral argument. The justices were debating whether Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws violates the First Amendment by compelling the designer to work on a same-sex wedding website against her will. Jackson suggested that the graphic designer’s argument in the case could be used to endorse racial discrimination against people of color in a hypothetical “It’s a Wonderful Life”-themed photo shoot or a vintage Santa-themed shoot with only White customers. Conservatives were outraged, saying that her comments were based in Critical Race Theory (CRT). REPUBLICANS BAFFLED THAT KETANJI BROWN JACKSON CAN’T SAY WHAT A WOMAN IS: ‘IT IS A SIMPLE QUESTION In January, Justice Brett Kavanaugh – who typically sides with the more conservative members of the bench – had nothing but praise for his new colleague, telling an audience at the University of Notre Dame Law School that she has “hit the ground running,” and described her as someone who is “fully prepared, thoroughly prepared” and “off to a great start.” “We miss Justice Ginsburg, of course, and Justice Breyer, but there’s turnover, and it’s wonderful to have two new colleagues who have fit in, in my judgment, fit in well with the group,” he said, speaking also of Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett who was nominated by President Donald Trump in 2020. He told the law students in the audience that the justices spend “an enormous amount of time” together, eating lunch after every oral argument and conference and becoming friends. “You can’t talk about work at lunch. So, you talk about the things that you would talk about with your friends. You talk about your kids, you talk about movies, you talk about books, you talk about war stories … again and again,” Kavanaugh said cheerfully. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS EXPLAINS WHY IT HOSTED JACKSON INVESTITURE BUT NOT FOR GORSUCH, KAVANAUGH, BARRETT Justice Jackson stepped into an extraordinary era for the Supreme Court, with the unprecedented leak of the draft Dobbs opinion last May that ultimately overturned Roe v. Wade and sent the issue of abortion rights back to the states. Some accused the 6-3 majority of Republican-appointed Supreme Court justices of undermining the court’s legitimacy. But according to Kavanaugh, the justices are still on friendly terms despite spirited disagreements. “There are great relations among all nine justices both personally and professionally. We only get tough cases, and we disagree on some of those. I think that’s more nuanced than it is sometimes portrayed,” Kavanaugh said. Fox New Digital’s Timothy H.J Nerozzi, Ronn Blitzer, Tyler Olsen and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
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