Stand-up comedian and podcast host Marc Maron told The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday why he decided to turn down an interview with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2017.Maron, a podcasting pioneer and host of the popular "WTF with Marc Maron" podcast, interviewed former President Barack Obama in 2015, which helped open the door to high-level politicians willing to appear on his show, such as Hillary Clinton.When Maron's longtime producer Brendan McDonald pitched Clinton, fresh off her loss to President Donald Trump in the 2016 election, the comedian decided against interviewing the former Secretary of State."'You're the guy to do this,'" McDonald recalled telling Maron. "He adamantly disagreed."LIBERAL COMIC DETAILS WHY HES RETIRING POPULAR PODCAST, SAYS FORMAT HAS ACQUIRED CULTURAL MALIGNANCYMaron told The Hollywood Reporter that "the success rate of getting to a candid place with politicians is very small," and that his successful interview with Obama was an exception."And this is somebody whos divisive and controversial and has a history thats somewhat sordid, not by any fault of her own, but I just didnt see where I could go with that," he said of the prospect of interviewing Clinton.Although his "WTF" podcast continues to maintain cultural relevance, Maron announced in June that he will be ending the long-running show. He told CNN on Thursday that hes just over the medium and noted that the podcast space has become oversaturated."I dont want to chase the cultural conversation through clickbait and garbage. You know, I dont want to be tethered," Maron said."And now youre getting out just when everyones 100% convinced that podcasts are deciding American elections and the future of mankind. Right? So why get out just when everyone catches up to you?" CNN anchor John Berman asked the comedian.CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTUREMaron told the anchor that he never intended for the show to be about politics, and felt that it had run its course."And we really chose not to do politics and just do kind of profiles and sort of candid conversation," he said, describing how he originally set up the show. "And we were audio, and we remained audio because we believe that's the most intimate, you know, form."He continued, noting that hes satisfied with how much content the show has produced and that he wants to get out with so many other podcasters competing on the scene."And also, if we stop and at this point, you know, we have a body of work that stands on its own. And in terms of, yeah, podcasts being the new medium, that means there's 10,000 podcasts. Everyone's doing one, and its just, the environment is a little cluttered and oversaturated."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPFox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.

Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner warned President Donald Trump to steer clear of America's birthplace after the White House seized control of Washington, D.C.'s law enforcement apparatus in response to a crime wave."He better not try it in Philly," Krasner told CNN, calling Trump a "convicted criminal" who allegedly opposes public safety."[Trump] may think hes going to try it in other places. But the fact is, legally, he has much less of a right to do any of this in other cities," said Krasner, who has been backed by left-wing Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros."Donald Trump is the emergency, folks If you want your democracy, you better stand up now."AS TRUMP INTERVENES IN DC'S CRIME CRISIS, ANOTHER VIOLENT CITY'S DA GETS A CHALLENGER FROM INSIDE THE TENTThe warning came days after a Democratic former jurist announced he would run on the Republican line in November in hopes of defeating Krasner and ending the city's own crime troubles which led Philadelphia Democratic Party boss Bob Brady to boot Judge Patrick Dugan because "we don't want liars in our party."Krasner went on to underscore Trumps convictions in New York City and claimed he "pardons people who are criminals and do pretty dastardly things" going on to blame the president for the deaths of five law enforcement officers who responded to the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot."There is no indication that this man is in favor of law-abiding behavior of public safety. But he is in favor of power. He is in favor of fascism. He is in favor of ending democracy."DC ATTORNEY GENERAL BRIAN SCHWALB SLAMS TRUMP'S FEDERAL TAKEOVER, BREAKING WITH POLICE UNIONWhen asked what he would do if Trump tried to incur into the sixth-largest city in the U.S. which, notably, has one of the largest so-called "open-air drug markets" in the Kensington neighborhood Krasner said he hopes there will be judges in Pennsylvania who "still believe in the law, even if some of his hacks on the Supreme Court do not."Krasner said Philadelphia is the "cradle of democracy" and "thats why our name has been in [Trumps] mouth in malicious ways for a very, very long time."DNC VICE CHAIR COMPARES PRESIDENT TRUMP TO NOTORIOUS SEGREGATIONISTS DURING HEATED TOWN HALL EVENTThe prosecutor dismissed claims about rampant crime in Philadelphia, claiming homicides are the lowest in 50 years and that there are also low incarceration rates.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"This is a profoundly unAmerican attempt to exercise power in ways that are illegal, to scare big cities, and to go after Democratic cities that are diverse, to serve his racist, fascist agenda [W]e all have to stand up to it," Krasner said.Pennsylvania Republicans in the state legislature with a GOP-controlled Senate and narrowly Democratic-controlled House attempted to impeach Krasner in 2022. The effort was halted by Judge Ellen Ceisler, who ruled the legal standard of "misbehavior in office" was not met by the seven articles filed by the House.

Former MSNBC host Chris Matthews said Wednesday that the Democratic Party was "falling into a trap of defending what's indefensible" in reacting to President Donald Trump's plan to address crime in Washington D.C.MSNBC "Morning Joe" host Mika Brzezinski asked Matthews about the politics of Trump's announcement, describing it as a political win for Trump before adding, "I think that the Democrats need to go beyond saying, No, look at the data, crime is going down. I feel that is exactly the wrong response politically, even if its true."Trump announced on Monday that he was activating approximately 800 National Guard troops and taking control of the Metropolitan Police Department to tackle crime in DC.Matthews criticized Trump for the Jan. 6 riots but said the move was about the president showing strength, before explaining that he lives in D.C. and added that homelessness and graffiti were evident despite it being a beautiful city.MSNBC HOST REVEALS DC JOURNALIST PRIVATELY SHARED CONCERNS ABOUT CRIME WHILE PUBLICLY DENOUNCING TRUMP'S PLAN"Trump looks at the city visually like a real estate agent. He wants to beautify the city like hes doing at the White House with that ridiculous ballroom hes putting in and getting rid of the Rose Garden. Thats Trump work," Matthews said. "But I think it shows strength I think this is a strength move against the big cities who are in a difficult situation on crime. And the murder rate, you cant keep saying violent crime is down with the murder rates up. To the average person, the murders are about life and death. You dont brag about a rising murder rate. And the Democrats are, I agree with you, Mika, theyre falling into the trap of defending whats indefensible."Brzezinksi agreed and said it was a "trap.""Yes, its a trap. If its not a winner politically to say, 'Oh, youre wrong, look at the data, because you know if one violent crime happens in a very heavily populated part of the city, people hear about it and its visceral. They dont want it. And theyll gravitate to the person who appears to be doing something about it," Brzezinski said.DC ATTORNEY GENERAL BRIAN SCHWALB SLAMS TRUMP'S FEDERAL TAKEOVER, BREAKING WITH POLICE UNIONMatthews recently praised Trump for his political skill during an interview on Charlie Rose's podcast."Hes very good at knowing your condition, your worries, your insecurities. I mean, hed be a great bully in a grade school, a Catholic high school or grade school. I mean, hed be the scariest bully because hed know everybodys weakness. But hes really good at the moment. I mean, hes out there watching television and keeping up, and, Is this the right thing to do, what were doing right now?" Matthews told Rose. "Biden couldnt do that in a million years, not a million years."CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

EXCLUSIVE: Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper allegedly directed officials to "compromise" "normal" procedures to rush a politicized 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment despite concerns from then-Director of the National Security Agency Mike Rogers, who allegedly said his team did not have "enough time" to review the intelligence to be "absolutely confident" that Russia was involved in the 2016 election.Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declassified emails Wednesday. Fox News Digital obtained the declassified records.OBAMA ADMIN 'MANUFACTURED' INTELLIGENCE TO CREATE 2016 RUSSIAN ELECTION INTERFERENCE NARRATIVE, DOCUMENTS SHOW"The leading figures in the Russia Hoax have spent years deceiving the American public by presenting their manufactured and politicized assessments as credible intelligence," Gabbard told Fox News Digital. "The email released today reinforces what we already exposed: the decision to compromise standards and violate protocols in the creation of the 2017 manufactured intelligence assessment was deliberate and came from the very top.""Clappers own words confirm that complying with the order to manufacture intelligence was a team sport," Gabbard claimed.In July, Fox News Digital exclusively reported that Gabbard and intelligence officials said that the Obama administration allegedly "manufactured and politicized intelligence" to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election, despite information from the intelligence community stating otherwise.The email, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital Wednesday, from Rogers was sent to then-Director of National Intelligence Clapper, then-CIA Director John Brennan, and then-FBI Director James Comey Dec. 22, 2016, at 7:00 a.m."Ive just returned from a TDY overseas and been updated on the current status of our efforts to produce a joint product related to Russian attribution and intent for the DNC/DCCC hacks," Rogers allegedly wrote in the email. "I know that this activity is on a fast-track and that folks have been working very hard to put together a product that can be provided to the president.""However, I wanted to reach out to you directly to let you know of some concerns I have with what I am hearing from my folks," the email continued. "Specifically, I asked my team if theyd had sufficient access to the underlying intelligence and sufficient time to review that intelligence."SOROS' ALLEGED TIES TO RUSSIAGATE EXPOSED IN DECLASSIFIED ANNEX OF DURHAM REPORT"On both points my team raised concerns," Rogers reportedly wrote. "They were clear that, at the staff level, folks have been forward-leaning and trying to ensure that we have an opportunity to review and weigh in, but Im concerned that, given the expedited nature of this activity, my folks arent fully comfortable saying that they have had enough time to review all of the intelligence to be absolutely confident in their assessments."Rogers clarified, with the email stating he is "not saying that we disagree substantively, but I do want to make sure that, when we are asked in the future whether we can absolutely stand behind the paper, that we dont have any reason to hesitate because of the process.""I know that you agree that this is something we need to be 100% comfortable with before we present it to the Presidentwe have one chance to get this right, and it is critical that we do so," Rogers allegedly wrote. "If the intent is to create an integrated product that is CIA/FBI/NSA jointly-authored that we can all defend, we need a process that allows us all to be comfortable, and Im concerned we are not there yet."The email continued: "In addition, if NSA is intended to be a co-author of this product, I personally expect to see even the most sensitive evidence related to the conclusion."The email said, though, if the "intent is to create a CIA-only or CIA/FBI-authored product, then I will stand down on these concerns.""I would welcome your thoughts on these points and any adjustments we might make to the process to ensure that we all have the necessary level of confidence in the final assessment," it continued.Hours later, at 7:43 p.m. that same day, Clapper allegedly replied to Rogers email, copying Brennan and Comey."Understand your concern," Clapper allegedly wrote. "It is essential that we (CIA/NSA/FBI/ODNI) be on the same page, and are all supportive of the reportin the highest tradition of thats OUR story, and were sticking to it."FBI LAUNCHES CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OF JOHN BRENNAN, JAMES COMEY: DOJ SOURCES"This evening, CIA has provided to the NIC the complete draft generated by the ad hoc fusion cell," the email continued.The "ad hoc fusion cell" was the small team Brennan put together to draft the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment, intelligence community officials told Fox News Digital."We will facilitate as much mutual transparency as possible as we complete the report, but, more time is not negotiable," Clapper wrote. "We may have to compromise on our normal modalities, since we must do this on such a compressed schedule."The email contiuned: "This is one project that has to be a team sport."The 2017 ICA ultimately assessed that "Russia was responsible for leaking data from the DNC and DCCC," but an official flagged to Fox News Digital that the ICA "failed to mention that FBI and NSA previously expressed low confidence in this attribution."Documents revealed that in the months leading up to the November 2016 election, the intelligence community consistently assessed that Russia was "probably not tryingto influence the election by using cyber means."PATEL FOUND THOUSANDS OF SENSITIVE TRUMPRUSSIA PROBE DOCS INSIDE 'BURN BAGS' IN SECRET ROOM AT FBIWeeks before the emails were sent, on Dec. 7, 2016, Clappers talking points stated: "Foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the U.S. presidential election outcome."In July, Fox News Digital obtained a declassified copy of the Presidential Daily Brief, which was prepared by the Department of Homeland Security, with reporting from the CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency, FBI, National Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, State Department and open sources, for then-President Barack Obama, dated Dec. 8, 2016."We assess that Russian and criminal actors did not impact recent US election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure," the Presidential Daily Brief stated. "Russian Government-affiliated actors most likely compromised an Illinois voter registration database and unsuccessfully attempted the same in other states."But the brief stated that it was "highly unlikely" the effort "would have resulted in altering any states official vote result.""Criminal activity also failed to reach the scale and sophistication necessary to change election outcomes," it stated.The brief noted that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence assessed that any Russian activities "probably were intended to cause psychological effects, such as undermining the credibility of the election process and candidates."The FBI even had concerns with the inclusion of that information in the Presidential Daily Brief.By Dec. 9, 2016, a meeting convened in the White House Situation Room, with the subject line starting: "Summary of Conclusions for PC Meeting on a Sensitive Topic (REDACTED.)"The meeting included top officials in the National Security Council, Clapper, then-CIA Director John Brennan, then-National Security Advisor Susan Rice, then-Secretary of State John Kerry, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch, then-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, among others, to discuss Russia.The declassified meeting record, obtained by Fox News Digital, said that the principals "agreed to recommend sanctioning of certain members of the Russian military intelligence and foreign intelligence chains of command responsible for cyber operations as a response to cyber activity that attempted to influence or interfere with U.S. elections, if such activity meets the requirements" from an executive order that demanded the blocking of property belonging to people engaged in cyber activities.After the meeting, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Clappers executive assistant emailed intelligence community leaders tasking them to create a new intelligence community assessment "per the presidents request," that detailed the "tools Moscow used and actions it took to influence the 2016 election.""ODNI will lead this effort with participation from CIA, FBI, NSA, and DHS," the record states.Later, Obama officials allegedly "leaked false statements to media outlets" claiming that "Russia has attempted through cyber means to interfere in, if not actively influence, the outcome of an election."By Jan. 6, 2017, a new Intelligence Community Assessment was released that, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, "directly contradicted the IC assessments that were made throughout the previous six months."Current intelligence officials told Fox News Digital that the ICA was "politicized" because it "suppressed intelligence from before and after the election showing Russia lacked intent and capability to hack the 2016 election."Officials also said it deceived the American public "by claiming the IC made no assessment on the impact of Russian activities," when the intelligence community "did, in fact, assess for impact."In July, Fox News Digital exclusively reported that Comey and Brennan are under criminal investigation.In early August, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed her staff to act on the criminal referral from Gabbard. The Justice Department is now planning to open a grand jury investigation into the alleged conspiracy to tie Trump to Russia in the 2016 election.Fox News Digital reached out to Clapper for comment and has not received a reply.

Travis Hunter is aiming to add his name to the incredibly short list of two-way NFL athletes. While the 22-year-old's on-field prowess is undeniable, Hunter is also making headlines for his talent in the classroom.Hunter finished his NFL preseason debut with two receptions. He also took some snaps on the defensive side of the ball. But after the Pittsburgh Steelers' 31-25 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, much of the attention turned to Hunter's college grade point average.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM"I think it's a 3.7 or 3.9," Hunter told reporters in April.Hunter was then asked about the mental difficulties that would come with being a two-way player. The rookie remained steadfast in his belief he was up for the task. "That's all I have to do is play football and go out there and study and make sure I understand what I'm doing."Two-way NFL players have been a rarity. Chuck Bednarik was the league's last full-time two-way athlete. Bednarik was a linebacker and offensive lineman for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1949-62.Sammy Baugh and Don Hutson are also notable former two-way stars. Baugh was a quarterback, defensive back and punter. Huston spent his entire NFL career with the Green Bay Packers, playing receiver and safety. He later had a stint as a Packers assistant coach.JAGUARS' CAM LITTLE NAILS 70-YARD FIELD GOAL IN INCREDIBLE PRESEASON FEATFirst-year Jaguars head coach Liam Coen liked what he saw from Hunter when he lined up on the offensive side of the ball. The coach also hinted there was room for improvement on the defensive side."He made a couple good catches on some option routes and missed the one tackle defensively that I noticed," Coen said."I'll have to watch the tape on how he operated defensively a little bit more, but I thought offensively, he made the right decisions on those option routes. Made a good catch, almost broke out of that one where Trevor put it behind him on that third down we talked about, but I'll have to go watch the tape a little bit more to know more."Hunter, who was once a highly-sought-after high school recruit, started his career at Jackson State. He then followed Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders to Colorado.Hunter won the Heisman Trophy last December. He delivered a heartfelt acceptance speech at the Lincoln Center in New York City, thanking his friends, teammates, and his father."I want to say something to my father. He's not here. But I know you're watching on TV," the two-way star said. "Dad, I love you. All the stuff you went through, man. Now, look at your oldest son. I did it for you, man. All the times that you ain't get to see me, and the times that you came to see my games. From probably two games in high school to seeing me on TV every weekend and coming to see me, man, that means so much to me."In April, the Jaguars used the second overall draft selection to bring Hunter's talents to Jacksonville. The New Orleans Saints host the Jaguars on Aug. 18 in the second week of preseason action.The Jaguars welcome the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 7 to open the regular season.Follow Fox News Digitals sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Texas Democrats who fled the state to break quorum and disrupt redistricting efforts could face felony bribery charges, Republican Governor Greg Abbott suggested in an interview with Fox News Digital.As some AWOL Democrats are reportedly planning to return in time for a second special legislative session to begin next week, Abbott told Fox News Digital that the state is looking into whether they violated laws against bribery by taking money to break quorum."There had been some identification of some people paying for it," Abbott explained. "I've got to tell you, it raises a serious legal question for these officeholders, and that is, they were promised money if they did break quorum. That would be a bribe that could lead to a felony charge."According to Abbott, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, also a Republican, is investigating whether the Democratic lawmakers could be hit with felony bribery charges."That also is something that the Texas attorney general is investigating and actually even got a temporary injunction from a court stopping any more money being given to these House members because of the potential bribe consequences," the governor explained.GOV. ABBOT STILL BEAT NEWSOM IN DISASTER RELIEF DESPITE TEXAS DEMOCRATS STALLING, HIDING OUTThis comes after Tarrant County District Judge Megan Fahey handed down a temporary restraining order last Friday against Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke and his group, Powered by People, over alleged "unlawful fundraising practices" tied to efforts tosupport Texas Democrats who fled the state including funding air travel, lodging, logistics and daily fines.Fahey's order bars O'Rourke or his group from continuing to fundraise or provide financial support to the fleeing Texas Democrats.In the order, Fahey wrote that "defendants have and will continue to engage in unlawful fundraising practices and utilization of political funds in a manner that either directly violates or causes Texas Democratic Legislators to violate [the law]" and that contributors to the group "have and continue to suffer irreparable harm through these unlawful acts because they are making political contributions that are being used to fund personal expenses and violate state law."In light of this, Abbott warned that "these House numbers are going to be facing not just the challenges of having to come back in deal with the consequences of their failure to be here but also deal with potential bribery charges against them."TEXAS GOP SEEKS TO DOMESTICATE ROGUE DEMS FOR BREAKING QUORUM THROUGH NATIONWIDE CIVIL ARREST WARRANTSThe redistricting bill that has Democrats in an uproar was passed by the Texas Senate on Tuesday. If eventually passed by both chambers of the Texas legislature and signed into law by Abbott, Texas new districting map will give Republicans an estimated five additional seats in Congress. Now, all that stands in the way are the rogue House Democrats.Abbott said he has Texas law enforcement "scouring the streets of Texas right now to identify whether or not there are any Democrats remaining in the state of Texas.""If they are, they will be arrested and taken to the Texas Capitol to try to make quorum," he said."There are 88 Republicans who are ready and able to work. We need 12 Democrats to show up. So, we're looking for 12 Democrats in the state of Texas, or if they're all out of state, we're looking to identify them and as you point out, using federal officials and others to assist us in that effort," he said.Abbott has faced heavy criticism from Democratic leaders and other governors from across the political aisle for not backing down on Texas redistricting plans.O'ROURKE, SOROS-LINKED GROUPS FACE CALL FOR DOJ PROBE OVER ALLEGED FUNDING OF TEXAS DEM WALKOUTOn Monday, California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom called on President Donald Trump to "call Greg Abbott and tell him to stand down."You are not entitled to 5 congressional seats. If you do not call your lapdogs off, CA will act quickly and swiftly. We will go to the ballot. We will neutralize whatever gains you make. We will not stand by while you light Democracy on fire," said Newsom.In another X post by Newsoms official press office page, the governor appeared to mimic Trumps idiosyncratic style of using all-caps and superlatives for many of his posts, writing, "CALIFORNIA WILL NOW DRAW NEW, MORE BEAUTIFUL MAPS, THEY WILL BE HISTORIC AS THEY WILL END THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY (DEMS TAKE BACK THE HOUSE!)."The post said Newsom would be holding a press conference this week on the matter and that it "WILL BE DEVASTATING FOR MAGA."DEMS FACE SCRUTINY OVER CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATION GAPS IN BLUE STATES: 'DON'T HAVE CLEAN HANDS'Abbott, however, said he remains unfazed by such attacks from Democrats."Listen, these Democrats in other states are just completely out of control," he told Fox News Digital. "They've been engaged in gerrymandering for decades in California, Illinois, New York, and elsewhere, and what they have lost touch with is the people."He pointed out that Texas redistricting plans are within legal parameters, explaining, "What's happened here is that the law changed in the state of Texas last year that authorized the state to be able to redraw these lines because of a legal change that doesn't require coalition districts.""So, we're able to draw these districts in way in which representatives are going to be lining up with the values of voters of the state of Texas," he said, adding, "What we're doing in our state is to make sure that we are going to have the districts represented by people who actually represent these voters."

An MSNBC contributor admitted Wednesdaythat "many people" in Washington, D.C., are "frustrated with crime.""And I live in Washington," said the network's justice and legal affairs analyst Anthony Coley on Wednesday's "Morning Joe," adding, "This is personal for me.""Many people arefrustrated with crime that we see, particularly committed by juveniles in the in the city of Washington. People are frustrated, Willie, that they, when they go to CVS to buy deodorant, that they have to from behind locked plexiglass, right?" he told co-host Willie Geist, referring to having to call an attendant to unlock products from cases in stores due to rampant shoplifting."But the response here and you know, let me say this, right, these are not just random anecdotes," Coley said. "What we see in Washington Post polling, among others, is that roughly half of D.C. residents, mostly half of D.C. residents, view this as a serious problem or an extremely serious problem."DC ATTORNEY GENERAL BRIAN SCHWALB SLAMS TRUMP'S FEDERAL TAKEOVER, BREAKING WITH POLICE UNIONMany in the press have criticizedPresident Donald Trumps Monday announcement that he would betaking control of D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department and would deploy 800 National Guard troops to the nation's capital.On Tuesday, however, "Morning Joe" co-host Joe Scarborough said that some in the liberal media were not being completely honest about their concerns regarding crime in D.C.Scarborough called out one reporter for publicly disparaging Trumps takeover while privately expressing fears about their own safety in the city."This is interesting," Scarborough said. "I actually heard from a reporter when this happened, going, Well, you know, if he doesnt overreach, this could actually be a good thing for quality of life, etc., because in D.C. right now, I had this happen to my family and I had that, and they go down the list. And then I saw him tweet something completely different."WASHINGTON POST SOURCE SAYS DC IS SAFE BUT STAYS ANONYMOUS OVER 'PERSONAL SAFETY' CONCERNSSinceAug. 7, law enforcement officials in Washington, D.C., havearrested over 100 people.Later in the segment, however, Coley said that Trump's response was excessive."Now, having said all of that, I want to be clear that this does not justify the disproportionate response that we are seeing from Donald Trump," Coley said. "It is a political stunt. He is exploiting peoples fears. But to be frank, Democrats on the D.C. Council have created this political opening that allows him to do that."CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTUREColey added, "Now, Im not naive, Willie. I suspect that even if juvenile crime wasnt a problem, Donald Trump would have taken the actions that we have seen in recent days. But from a raw political perspective, you never want to give your political opponent an opening to address the needs that many of your constituents have. And thats what were seeing playing out right now.

For decades, Washington, D.C. has been synonymous with crime, murder, and more recently vagrancy, but this week, President Donald Trump is taking a page from an ancient political playbook and looking to finally clean up our nations capital."Salus Populi Suprema Lex Est," wrote Marcus Tullius Cicero over 2,000 years ago. It roughly means, "the safety of the people should be the supreme law," and the safety of the ancient Roman citizen, at least for a while, was almost unquestioned.Trump wants Americans to feel just as safe as they live in or visit the seat of our great democracy.RADICAL DC OFFICIALS TREATED OFFICERS LIKE CRAP, POLICE LEADER SAYS 7 ATTACKS THAT LED TO TRUMP TAKEOVERDemocrats immediate reaction to Trumps common-sense plan to fight crime in D.C. by surging federal resources and approaches was to play deaf, dumb and blind to the plight of residents, citing statistics that show a recent drop in an already sky-high crime rate.Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., perhaps from his Whites only beach club, took to X to claim that this use of the Home Rule act was only triggered by an assault on a DOGE team member. He conveniently left out the two Israeli embassy staff workers recently murdered in cold blood, the congressional aide killed by mistake in a drive-by, and the rise of 15-year-old carjackers.Meanwhile, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., taking time off from his TikTok movie productions, posted several examples of crime in D.C. this week with the insane comment, "Trump owns it." One of these crimes, a murder, took place on Monday, just hours after Trumps anti-crime announcement.Setting aside the congressmans heartless glee in snarking at the president over the murder of an innocent, his ridiculous attack on Trump at least admits that, yes, crime is a big problem in Washington, D.C., one that will finally be tackled.This is yet another example of Trumpsincendiary common sense, by which he does something outlandish, like taking over the D.C. police department, to outrage from opponents who a day later have to admit, OK, yeah, crime is bad.TOP DEMOCRATS RIPPED ON SOCIAL MEDIA OVER 'BONKERS' REACTIONS TO TRUMP'S DC CRIME PLAN: 'MASSIVE LIAR'Public safety is a gut issue, and it is also the foundation of all other blessings of good government. This is why Cicero called it supreme. Everyone in D.C. either knows, or has been, a victim or witness of a crime. You cant show them statistics and pretend everything is fine.Opponents of crime prevention display graphs that say the crime rate is down 30 percent this year, but from an already staggeringly high level that has been ignored for years.This is like a guy who loses his entire years salary playing blackjack. He can likely circle a few weekends when he won big, but he still needs to call Gamblers Anonymous.The obvious model for Trumps anti-crime action in D.C. is the success of Rudy Giuliani in the 1990s in New York City, who slashed violent crime with almost impossible speed.TRUMP CLAIMS DC CRIMES TROUNCE STATS FROM NOTORIOUSLY VIOLENT CITIES WORLDWIDEHe accomplished this by embracing new police tactics like Compstat crime computing, stop and frisk, and broken windows policing that focuses on smaller quality of life crimes.And the benefits of this miraculous turnaround were not limited to Gotham. Indeed, other cities across America used these innovations to lower crime nationwide.Trump and his administration have the chance to do the same thing with their D.C. efforts, by actually punishing juvenile crime, by seeking to end cashless bail, and by clearing out drug users and vagrants from D.C. parks, national trends could be set.One Democrat who has taken the high road, more or less, amid this takeover by Trump is D.C.s Mayor Muriel Bowser, who knows exactly how bad crime in D.C. is, having put in place a juvenile curfew just this week, and she has shown an open mind to the endeavor.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONTraditionally, the Latin word "salus," in the famous quote from Cicero above, means safety, but the word, derived from the Goddess Salus, can also mean health, well-being and prosperity, because, as the ancients knew, all of these are of a piece.Donald Trump envisages a gleaming capital city where even at 2 am one can walk freely, admiring the moon atop the Washington monument in the big skies of D.C., and not just in D.C., but in all American cities.So, let the Democrats hoot and holler a little more if they must. Most Americans are hopeful about this move by the president. Nobody likes crime, and nobody likes being told they are just imagining it.Salus Populi Suprema Lex Est, the primacy of safety is as true today as when it was coined in the days before Christ, and whether he succeeds or fails, Donald Trump is going to try to provide that safety.It should be an effort we can all get behind and support.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM DAVID MARCUS

A Northern Virginia school district voted to keep its transgender bathroom policy in defiance of a U.S. Department of Education directive to rescind the policy or risk punishment.At a closed-session meeting on Tuesday, the Loudoun County school board voted 6-3 to keep its gender identity policy, which allows students to use the locker rooms and restrooms that correspond with their gender identity.The district was one of five Northern Virginia school districts urged in July to drop its transgender bathroom policy, after an investigation by the Education Department's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) found the schools to be in violation of Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education.The OCR issued a proposed resolution agreement to resolve the Title IX violations. The districts were asked to rescind these policies voluntarily or "risk imminent enforcement action, including referral to the U.S. Department of Justice."U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon warned in an interview with WJLA that schools could lose federal funding if they did not comply with the changes.TRANS BATHROOM POLICIES HAVE 10 DAYS TO GO, TRUMP EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WARNS 5 VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICTSLoudoun County was the first district to formally respond, according to WUSA9, saying it was open to discussing the matter but wouldn't agree to the Trump administration's terms "at this time."A Loudoun County Public Schools' spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the district remained committed to ensuring every student feels "safe, supported, and able to thrive" while it complies with applicable law.The board claimed its policy was in line with legal precedent from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit protecting transgender students.The district said that the Education Department's determination that such policies conflict with its interpretation of Title IX creates "a direct tension between federal agency guidance and binding judicial authority.""As a result, they asked LCPS (and four other school divisions in Northern Virginia) to sign a proposed resolution agreement. After consultation with legal counsel, the Board voted 6-3 not to comply with this request due to the tension between the OCR position and current law. We will continue to monitor developments closely to ensure continued legal compliance and the protection of all students.""Our priority remains the same: doing what is right for Loudoun Countys young people; focusing on educating our students and ensuring our schools are places where every child feels they belong," the statement concluded.VIRGINIA SCHOOL DISTRICT ACCUSED OF RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION IN TRANSGENDER LOCKER ROOM CASEThe district's gender identity policy, called Policy 8040, has been embroiled in controversy since it was adopted in 2021.A Loudoun County father made national headlines that year after he accused the school board of covering up the sexual assault of his daughter by a male student wearing a skirt in the girls' bathroom.Earlier this year, three LCPS high school students were investigated after they complained about sharing a locker room with a biological female student, who identified as male. The school's handling of the incident spurred a probe by Virginias Republican Attorney General Jason Mirayes into the district's gender policies and launched a Title IX investigation by the Justice Department.TheBiden administrationfinalized Title IX regulations in 2024 to expand protections for LGBTQ+ students, interpreting the laws prohibition on sex discrimination to include gender identity and sexual orientation.SCANDAL-PLAGUED SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERRED TO DOJ AFTER ANOTHER TRANSGENDER LOCKER ROOM CONTROVERSYShortly after taking office, Trump's Department of Education notified K-12 schools that it would bereversing Biden's re-writeof Title IX and enforcing these protections on the basis of biological sex in schools and on campuses.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe Department of Education did not immediately return a request for comment.

The Democratic National Committee slammed Vice President JD Vance for fishing on a private lake with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during Vance's official trip to the United Kingdom.Republicans were quick to respond to what appears to be the latest in a series of attacks by Democrats against the vice president over outdoor activities and family outings Vance mixes in during his rigorous official travel schedule.The DNC War Room issued a press release Wednesday titled "VACATION VANCE AT IT AGAIN: Vance Fished Illegally With UK Foreign Secretary While Americans Drown in Sky-High Costs."Vance and Lammy met at the foreign secretary's official country residence, known as Chevening House, located south of London, on Friday for talks centered on the Israel-Hamas conflict and Russia's war in Ukraine.VANCE TO VISIT US TROOPS DURING HIGH-STAKES UK TRIP AHEAD OF TRUMP'S PUTIN MEETINGThey went fishing on the estate grounds before their scheduled meeting. Vance briefly joked to reporters that the "one strain on the special relationship" he has with Lammy "is that all of my kids caught a fish, but the foreign secretary did not." The vice president soon delved into more serious topics, including telling reporters that, unlike the U.K., the United States has "no plans to recognize a Palestinian state" given the "lack of a functional government" in Gaza.Their meeting came a week before President Donald Trump's upcoming high-stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.In its release on Wednesday, the DNC charged, "Vance is living it up on his summer holiday on the taxpayers dime all while working families face sky-high inflation and the largest cuts to health care and food assistance in American history."Kiersten Pels, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said in a statement to Fox News Digital, "The DNC's donors are OK with funding press releases on a fishing rod license? They might want to pull their money out now before the last of it vanishes down the drain."U.K. outlets reported that Lammy did not buy a valid fishing license before the outing with Vance. In a statement to Sky News, the British Foreign Office said the secretary "has written to the Environment Agency over an administrative oversight that meant the appropriate licences had not been acquired for fishing on a private lake as part of a diplomatic engagement at Chevening House last week."The agency reportedly requires rod licenses for fishing of freshwater species in England and Wales for people 13 or above.During his visit to the U.K. last week, Vance also gave a brief address to U.S. troops stationed at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.BLUESKY LIBERALS CELEBRATE JD VANCE BEING BOOED WITH HIS KIDS AT DISNEYLANDThe DNC claimed Vance spoke to troops "for only six minutes before returning to his $10,000 per week luxury Cotswolds manor."The release also took issue with Vance allegedly "using public resources" earlier this month "so he could do boating on his birthday.""Vance fished 'illegally' in the United Kingdom, potentially costing the foreign secretary a 2,000 fine. Vance even had former Chancellor George Osborne plan his vacations social agenda, including relaxing in the Hamptons of the UK," the release said.The DNC further charged that Trump and Vance "ripped away health care from 17 million Americans, slashed food assistance for over 22 million families, and unleashed economic chaos on the American people all to give their billionaire friends and donors another round of massive tax handouts.""While working families struggle to get by, its clear where Vances loyalties lie and its not with them," the DNC wrote.The latest attack comes after Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 presidential contender, bemoaned Vance's recent visit to Disneyland with his children."Hope you enjoy your family time," Newsom wrote on social media. "The families youre tearing apart certainly wont."In response, Vance wrote, "Had a great time, thanks."Critics also attempted to paint Vance as entitled after the vice president's security detail had an Ohio river's water levels raised to accommodate a kayaking trip he and his family took to celebrate his 41st birthday. The U.S. Secret Service made the request to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers so that motorized watercraft and emergency personnel could operate safely.Before his political career, Vance notably penned an autobiography, "Hillbilly Elegy," which describes how he was raised by an opioid-addicted mother in Appalachia, joined the Marines and found success at Yale Law School.In a recent interview on "The Katie Miller Podcast," Vance revealed that reserving "sacred time" with family allows him to balance his official duties with the duties of being a husband and father. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP"Its possible to do it even in my job," he said. "Yes, if like a war breaks out, then sometimes you have to cancel even the sacred time. But weve been pretty good about making sure that I have at least a couple of hours with my family every single day."