Only days after a gunman shot and killed Minnesota state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, the familys rescue dog Gilbert had to be euthanized.Vance Boelter allegedly shot Gilbert, the familys golden retriever, during the attack at the Brooklyn Park home.Fellow Minnesota House Rep. Erin Koegel commented on social media platform X that he was put down following the murder.MINNESOTA SHOOTING SUSPECT VANCE BOELTER TO FACE FEDERAL CHARGES IN LAWMAKER ATTACKS"Her children had to put down him after learning their parents had been murdered. Gilbert wasn't going to survive. Melissa loved that dog. She trained him as a service dog. He flunked out of school and she was so happy he failed so he could stay! She needed him in heaven with her," Koegel said.Helping Paws, a local non-profit in Eden Prairie, Minn, took to Facebook after hearing of Rep. Hortmans death to share some kind words and a photo of Gilbert and Hortman together.The group said they remembered Hortman for her kindness and compassion. They said she always strived to make the world a better place.SUSPECTED MINNESOTA LAWMAKER ASSASSIN VANCE BOELTER CAPTURED"This morning, we learned of the tragic and senseless death of former Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark," the post began."Melissa served her community in more ways than one. She was a Helping Paws Foster Home Trainer, a neighbor, and a friend. The Hortman family raised and trained Minnie, who is now a working service dog partnered with a Veteran. They also helped raise and train Gilbert, a service dog in training who was eventually career changed and became a cherished member of their family. At this time, we do not have confirmed information about Gilberts condition," the nonprofit wrote Saturday, after Hortman's death.Koegel told the Minnesota Star Tribune that the House sergeant-at-arms informed members that Gilbert had to be put down. Hortman's adult children released a statement Monday night, saying that one way to keep their parent's memory alive would be to: "Pet a dog. A golden retriever is ideal, but any will do."Vance Boelter, 57, was hit withmultiple federal charges after officials captured him Sunday in what police described as the "largest manhunt" in the state's history.Police found him after the massive two-day manhunt in the woods near his home.He is charged with two counts of stalking, two counts of murder and two counts of firearm-related crimes in federal court.In addition to the federal charges, Boelter is facing second-degree murder charges filed in Hennepin County, where he is accused of killing former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, early Saturday morning at their Brooklyn Park home in Minneapolis, and of shooting State Sen. John Hoffman, also a Democrat, and his wife, Yvette, in their nearby Champlin home in a related attack.

After one juror in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal trial was dismissed Monday, questions arose surrounding potential problems with another member of the jury.The U.S. Attorney's Office noted in a letter filed Monday that while it does not oppose additional fact-finding measures for a second juror due to possible communications with a former colleague regarding jury service, the government does not agree with Diddy's legal team, who argued in support of excusing the juror. Attorney David S. Seltzerexclusively told Fox News Digital that this jury problem could have been completely avoided had Judge Arun Subramanian asked to sequester the jury from the beginning of the rapper's sex crimes trial.DIDDY TRIAL JURY IN DISARRAY AS DEFENSE SEEKS TO BOOT ANOTHER JURORSeltzer said that issues within the jury create a number of problems because "now you have a juror who's tainted," he opined."He or she is discussing the facts of this case outside the presence of the jury, as instructed by the court, which, again, circles back to day one of this trial," Seltzer surmised. "Why wasn't the jury sequestered?"It's unclear what the possible communications are at this point, and the prosecution and defense are expected to address the issue on Tuesday.DIDDY JUROR SPARKS CREDIBILITY CONCERNS, MAY HAVE LIED TO GET ON THE CASE: EXPERT"To avoid these issues, the jury is not supposed to look at social media. The jury is not supposed to read the news. The jury was instructed not to discuss it on the train, not to talk to your husband or wife or partner, to basically live in a bubble for all this time," Seltzer added.Seltzer added, "It's impossible. It's an impossible task that the judge has asked these people to do, and the fact that no juror has been dismissed at this point for cause based on their violation of these rules to me is the most shocking."Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani agreed that jurors are supposed to follow rules of the court, or face the consequences."Talking about the case is strictly forbidden," Rahmani told Fox News Digital. "The juror can say they are seated on a panel and give the anticipated length of the trial, but thats about it. If a juror is speaking about the case in violation of their oath, that is grounds to have them removed and replaced with an alternate."Before testimony began Monday, juror No. 6 was dismissed from the case and replaced by the first alternate juror. Discussion about dismissing juror No. 6 began last week after the prosecution pointed out inconsistencies in statements regarding his residency.On Friday, the prosecution said juror No. 6 in Combs' trial disclosed that he recently moved to New Jersey with his girlfriend and has been staying there for most of the trial. When he was questioned behind closed doors, the juror said he was staying in New York four to five nights. He also said his daughter was born in New Jersey and lives there, but he lives in New York City.LIKE WHAT YOURE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS"There is nothing the juror can say at this point that can put the genie back in the bottle and repair his credibility " the judge said in court ahead of trial testimony.As to the concerns about diversity, Judge Subramanian said this jury does not raise those concerns. Combs' legal team had asked to keep the juror due to his ethnicity and requested a mistrial should the juror be dismissed.Judge Subramanian also noted there was no evidence of prosecutorial misconduct.Despite issues within the jury pool, Seltzer noted that Diddy's legal team has, thus far, done a "great job" with his defense."I don't believe they want a mistrial at this point," Seltzer said. "They're going to make their motions for mistrial pursuant to the law. The judge is going to deny them, and what they're doing is preserving their remedies for appeal. But ultimately again, I don't see the government meeting their burden beyond a reasonable doubt."CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTERIn addition to a former Bad Boy Entertainment employee, Diddy's alleged drug mule, Brendan Paul, is expected to testify Tuesday. Paul was granted immunity for his testimony, and the prosecution is expected to wrap before the end of the week.Seltzer doesn't believe Diddy will take the stand and testify, as the defense will likely "limit their case to very minimal experts and witnesses.""The government hasn't met their burden. They're trying to convict Mr. Combs for being a bad actor," Seltzer said. "That doesn't mean he violated the law in federal court."He added, "As much as you might think he is a monster, or a woman batterer, he didn't commit racketeering and he didn't commit sex trafficking because all these witnesses brought in before the jury here have all talked about how they consented."In a federal indictment unsealed on Sept. 17, Combs was charged with racketeering conspiracy (RICO); sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution. If found guilty, he faces a minimum of 15 years behind bars or a maximum sentence of life in prison.He has maintained his innocence throughout the trial, in which witnesses have testified to alleged rape, sexual assault, severe physical abuse, forced labor and drug trafficking. The trial is expected to wrap by July 4.

Israel's Ambassadorto the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said there will be some surprises amid the Jewish State's conflict with Iran that will make Israel's explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies used by members of Hezbollahin Lebanonand Syria last year look "simple.""We've pulled off a number of surprises," Leiter said during a Tuesday appearance on the TV network Merit Street."When the dust settles, you're going to see some surprises on Thursday night and Friday that will make the beeper operation almost seem simple," he continued.Leiter was referring to near-simultaneous detonations of pagers used by members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group that killed at least 12 people, including two children, and wounded nearly 3,000 on Sept. 17 in Lebanonand Syria. The following day, at least 25 people were killed and more than 600 were wounded when walkie-talkies were detonated in the region.TRUMP, RUBIO CUTTING G7 TRIP SHORT, RETURNING TO DC AS CHATTER INDICATES IRANIANS FLEEING TEHRANIsrael was subsequently found to be behind the attacks, in which small amounts of explosives hidden in the devices were detonated. A U.S. official told The Associated Press at the time that Israel briefed the U.S. government after the attacks.But then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. "did not know about, nor was it involved in, these incidents."Leiter on Tuesday also posted a video message on X that was recorded outside the Situation Room in the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., where he explained that Israel was "not in the business of regime change."MIKE JOHNSON CALLS OFF ISRAEL TRIP AMID IRAN CONFLICT"Today we continue to peel back the surface-to-surface missile systems that are spread throughout Iran. We've reached the point where between a third and a half have been demolished," he said. "We hit today the broadcast center in the middle of Tehran after we informed the people living in the vicinity to leave. Hundreds of thousands of Tehranis have escaped Tehran to be out of the line of danger. And we took out the broadcast system. This is very important because this serves the mullahs and their information campaign, the propaganda campaign throughout.""Iran, to incite the public and to warn the public against any kind of demonstrations against the government," the ambassador continued. "A lot of questions have been asked today about regime change. In many of the interviews that I gave, that was the key question. We're not in the business of regime change. We're interested in neutralizing the threat to our existence through a nuclear weaponization program in Iran and a ballistic missile program."Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful, and U.S. intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency have said Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon."If the Iranian people rise up and change their regime, that's their choice," Leiter said. "And if we play a role in facilitating that eventuality, then history will judge us favorably, I believe. It's important also to emphasize that our economy remains strong and resilient despite the war, and the stock market in Israel once again, for the second day in a row, continued to rise.""We are working very hard to assist those stranded both in Israel wanting to leave and those wanting to get back to Israel, to their families, to their positions in society and the army," he added. "And we're hoping to find solutions through our neighbors in the next couple of days. We continue to press on. We continue to press forward. And we thank you for your support and prayers."Fox News' Greg Norman and Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.

Protesters outside Saturday's military parade in the nation's capital did not explicitly condemn the violent tactics used at anti-Trump protests across the country in recent days, with at least one saying he "fully support[s]" the recent tactics used by protesters in Los Angeles, such as throwing rocks."Im following my constitutional rights, Im out here just simply saying what I want to feel. No one here is being violent. As you can see, theres been no conflict," said a college-aged protester who declined to identify himself but spoke to Fox News Digital."But youre not worried about being conflated with those who are doing violence?" the activist was asked.PHOTOS: SEE THE ANTI-TRUMP VIOLENCE THAT HAS UNFOLDED ON LA'S STREETS ACROSS THE LAST WEEK"I mean if they want to violate the Constitution, thats on them. I cant worry about that," the protester responded. "I mean, maybe I should [be worried], but I believe in this Constitution, Im going to live by it, Im going to support my First Amendment."A separate protester in attendance outside Saturday's parade said he "fully supported" those activists who "want to throw rocks" as long as they don't hurt anyone in the process."Honestly they have a right to be angry. They have a right to do what they feel like they need to do to stop this issue, to stop fascism," he said. "And, honestly, I fully support that. I fully support if theyre angry and they want to go out and they want to throw rocks. As long as they dont hurt anyone, you know, I can understand, I can honestly do."'THE VIEW' CO-HOST ATTENDS 'NO KINGS' PROTEST, CLAIMED 'INSTIGATORS' WERE PLANTED IN THE CROWDThe anti-Trump protests that coincided with the military parade in D.C. on Saturday saw a few isolated incidents of violence but appeared mostly peaceful. However, the weekend was preceded by violent riots in Los Angeles that spread to other cities like New York and Chicago reminiscent of the anti-police protests following the death of Minneapolis man George Floyd in the summer of 2020.Protesters in Los Angeles threw rocks at law enforcement and several fires across the city erupted amid the chaos. There were reports of damage to federal buildings, including both immigration and non-immigration-related offices, that included graffiti threatening the lives of federal officials. At least one community care office for veterans, run by the Department of Veterans Affairs, was forced to shut down and cancel hundreds of appointments amid the violence. Many were arrested for clashing with police and the reverberations of the rioting have resulted in other tense clashes between police and activists across the country.While no deaths have been directly attributed to political violence at recent protests across the country, including Los Angeles, fatalities have occurred at some protests around the country. In Utah, an innocent bystander was shot by a man who had been a part of the protest's peacekeeping team, according to reports, while in Los Angeles a man was found dead outside a looted T-Mobile store amid the anti-ICE chaos, according to reports. The peaceful protesters in D.C. suggested they were not in favor of any violence, but they did signal that they understood why protests in recent days across the country have been so intense that they lead to violence against police officers, property and sometimes more."I mean, I personally wont do that, but I can understand after all of this, like, people are fed up. People are fed up with how the government has been treating people," a protester told Fox News Digital Saturday. "The Republicans, the people in Congress, they do not care about people here, and so I can understand why people are that angry to do something like that, so, yeah, I fully understand."DAVID MARCUS: IF YOU'RE MARCHING WITH ANTIFA, YOU ARE NOT A 'PEACEFUL' PROTESTER"I think its wrong to create violence, but, like, he said, I mean I think people have been angry for a long time," a second protester added, noting he thinks Trump is the reason to blame for all the aggressive tactics, like throwing rocks, setting fires and vandalism."What Trump is doing, he knows the polarization and the anger hes causing, so this is all part of his game plan. The National Guard in L.A., he caused that. He said go out there without Newsom saying anything. I mean, he knows what hes doing, he wants to cause a rise out of people."Another protester present Saturday, who spoke to Fox News Digital, said she believed "being abrasive" is against the interests of those seeking to make change but that "history has proven that sometimes aggression is needed.""All respect to them, I think that they are doing what they think is right, but I think being very abrasive is against our interests, actually. I think it drives away a lot of people, it doesnt really foster the conversations that we need," a protester who identified herself as Sophie said. "I dont think being aggressive is the way to go, but I think history has proven that sometimes aggression is needed, so, but I dont want to be abrasive."

Nearly nine months have passed since Hurricane Helene made its way through Western North Carolina, washing out homes and businesses.In the small mountain town of Marshall, just 30 minutes north of Asheville, business owners are eager for visitors. The main town sits along the French Broad River, which rose nearly 25 feet during Helene's storms, calculated by the U.S. Geological Survey.The town reopened to visitors in May and each week more businesses are opening their doors.Some business owners still remember the layer of mud caked on the floor, covering their belongings like a blanket."I had no words, I mean I was crying," says Connie Molland, co-founder of Flow Gallery. "To walk into this space and see what we had left was all toppled all over and covered in mud."POPULAR NORTH CAROLINA DESTINATIONS STILL RECOVERING FROM HELENEMolland says before the storm she tried to gather as much of the handcrafted art as she could. The gallery lost about 30% of its artwork from Helene.The gallery was not the only business crushed under Helene's wrath.Zuma's Coffee owner, Joel Friedman, says he had to climb through his windows just to get inside his coffee shop."All these windows busted out, all the contents went out with it. All the tables, chairs, the equipment. It was total destruction," he tells FOX.Friedman and Molland say volunteers from all over the country showed up on their doorstep. Wearing protective gear, carrying tools, and ready to work.NORTH CAROLINA TOWN DESTROYED BY HURRICANE HELENE HOPING TO WELCOME TOURISTS BACK BY MIDSUMMER"That's what was keeping us going during that time," says Molland, "people just showing up and feeling good about how they were helping us."Friedman has the same story, "soon as everybody could come downtown, they were here with shovels and wheelbarrows and they went to work."Flow Gallery opened at the end of March and it has been six weeks since Zuma's Coffee invited locals back in."It felt like victory, theres just small victories every day leading up to the final, ahhh, weve made it,'" says Friedman."It is back to where it was, or maybe even a little better."Several businesses are still rebuilding and getting ready to reopen their doors.

The Minnesota man accused of murdering a lawmaker and her husband, and leaving another lawmaker and his wife injured while dressed as a police officer possessed an extensive security background, raising questions about his access to weapons and law enforcement uniforms in what authorities are calling a "targeted" attack.Vance Luther Boelter, 57, is accused of killing former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, in separate incidents early Saturday morning.Boelter allegedly arrived at both lawmakers homes dressed in a law enforcement-like uniform and driving a black SUV with flashing emergency lights and a license plate that read "police."MINNESOTA SHOOTING SUSPECT VANCE BOELTER TO FACE FEDERAL CHARGES IN LAWMAKER ATTACKS"Boelter wore a black tactical vest and body armor. He carried a flashlight and a Beretta 9 mm handgun," acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said. "He also wore a hyper-realistic silicon mask. Senator Hoffman had a security camera. I've seen the footage from that camera, and it is chilling. Boelter knocked on Senator Hoffman's front door, and repeatedly shouted, This is police. Open the door.'"When Hoffman and his wife approached, Boelter allegedly shined a flashlight into their faces before shooting them and fleeing the scene. The couples daughter then called 911, according to Thompson."Let's say I'm an active cop," Bill Stanton, a former NYPD officer and author of "Prepared Not Scared," told Fox News Digital. "And many of these states have different uniforms county to county. So if I roll up and I see a car with flashing lights, it may be a county I didn't know. My initial knee-jerk reaction, as a cop responding, is this law enforcement agency that I'm not aware of."MINNESOTA LAWMAKER SHOOTING SUSPECT HAD CACHE OF WEAPONS, HIT LIST IN VEHICLE, COURT DOCUMENTS SHOWAfter leaving Hoffmans home, Boelter then allegedly drove to Hortmans residence and knocked on the lawmakers door wearing a silicone mask and law enforcement uniform. At the same time, local police were en route to Hoffmans home to conduct a wellness check."The New Hope police officer pulled up next to Boelter, rolled down her window and attempted to speak with him," Thompson said. "Boelter did not respond. The New Hope police officer proceeded to the state senator's home, and she waited for law enforcement to arrive. By the time they did, Boelter had left the scene."Boelter allegedly fled on foot, prompting a two-day-long manhunt that ended with him being taken into custody without incident.Fox News Digital was unable to immediately identify an attorney for Boelter.SUSPECTED MINNESOTA LAWMAKER ASSASSIN VANCE BOELTER CAPTURED"My first instinct wouldn't be [that] this is a fake cop looking to kill someone," Stanton said. "The reason being is it's so rare, because it's such a heavy charge impersonating a police officer. That's a major felony in many, many states."Boelter has an extensive history of private security training and was working as director of Praetorian Guard Security Services, a company created by his wife, and CEO of Red Lion Group, according to his LinkedIn page."I have been doing projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa for the last three years with the Red Lion Group," Boelter wrote on his LinkedIn page last month, noting that he is currently open to work.MINNESOTA OFFICIALS FIND CAR, HAT BELONGING TO ASSASSIN SUSPECT VANCE BOELTER ON HIGHWAY IN 'FLUID' SEARCHBoelter's ties to private security and prior law enforcement training may have provided him with the tools needed to carry out the alleged crimes, Stanton said."It was a long decline into insanity with this guy," Stanton told Fox News Digital. "An obsession he started targeting; My guess is he's been doing this for years. And then finally, there was some trigger event that made him activate."In addition to his experience in security, Boelter has reportedly received training by members of the U.S. military and private firms, with the Praetorian Guard Securitys website depicting photos of tactical gear and other police-style uniforms.WHO IS VANCE LUTHER BOELTER? SUSPECT IN MINNESOTA LAWMAKER KILLINGS IDENTIFIEDHowever, Stanton pointed to the improbability of an individual going to the lengths of impersonating a police officer to commit a crime, suggesting Boelter allegedly did so because of his high-profile targets."The odds of someone perpetuating themselves as a false cop are so rare [that] the odds are much greater that you're going to get straight up mugged, robbed or burglarized," Stanton said, adding, "The fact that this was politically motivated and someone went to such obsessive means to achieve their end, that's why this isn't an everyday occurrence."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPWhile the odds of being approached by a fake officer are lower than being victimized by other crimes, Stanton stresses that there are ways to stay safe if an individual appears suspicious, such as calling the police to confirm an officers identity before engaging or driving to a police station while being pulled over."We see videos of thugs trying to kick in the door with a mask or a hoodie on," Stanton said. "That's what's going to happen a lot sooner than someone identifying themselves as a cop. So be prepared, not scared, and have your situational awareness of security."Boelter is charged with two counts of stalking, two counts of murder and two counts of firearm-related crimes in federal court. He is also facing second-degree murder charges on the state level.

Even his worst critics will eventually have to admit that President Donald Trump has dominated international and national events since he returned to office five months ago.His "masterful ambiguity" in the third round of the Iran-Israel War is simply brilliant. History will record it as such.You may have attended or watched either the Armys birthday parade or a "No Kings" rally or perhaps just watched the U.S. Open on Fathers Day, but what will history note of the weekends events?That President Trump has controlled the events unfolding in the Middle East and has done so with extraordinary skill.ISRAELS ACTIONS AGAINST IRAN CREATE STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITY FOR US IN NUCLEAR TALKS, EXPERTS SAYThe most serious analysts in Israel agree. For example, Amit Segal of Israels Channel 12 a sort of rare but highly respected combination of anchor, reporter and analyst along the lines in the U.S. of Bret Baier Segal and others believe President Trump gave a green light to Prime Minister Netanyahu to strike Iran in this third round of direct Iran-Israel combat in the past 14 months.Iran entered Israels 10/7 Long War directly on April 13, 2024, and again on October 1 of that year by firing hundreds of missiles and bombs of all types via many attempted delivery mechanisms at the civilian population of Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces ("IDF"), with the assistance of the United States and other allies of the Jewish State, intercepted those two waves of attacks, and Israel absorbed some damage and loss of life and others injured. Israel responded with small but very precise counter-attacks that damaged Irans air defenses and which sent a message about Israels capabilities. President Biden and his team worked to restrain Israel from additional escalation on both occasions.After 10/7, as Israel reeled, Iran began a rush to weaponize its enriched uranium into a nuclear weapon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the order to advance to active planning of this past weekends strikes, shortly after President Trumps sweeping victory in November and days before the capitulation of Hezbollah to Israel in the Lebanon theater of the 10/7 Long War in the same week of Trumps triumph.But Netanyahu still needed at least tacit approval from President Trump, which he received after the expiration of the 60-day window which Trump had given the Iranian theocracy to engage in serious negotiations over the dismantling of its nuclear weapons program.Iran tried to play the president and that was a mistake of historic proportions. Now stories are flying about Irans desperate attempt to get the U.S. to stop Israels pummeling of the theocratic dictatorship which has ruled Iran since 1979 under first Ayatollah Khomeini and now Ayatollah Khamenei. Those two dictators are responsible for all the ruin Iran is experiencing now and for the past 46 years. Now the aging and obviously incompetent fanatic Khamenei has been allowed to survive to see the destruction of his madness. He may not live to see the overthrow of the regime, but he might. Because Donald Trump told him what he had to do and he not only rejected it, he repeatedly mocked Trump and threatened the U.S.Khamenei spent decades and billions building "proxy forces" in Hezbollah, Hamas, Syrias Assad regime, the Houthis in Yemen and some militias in Iraq in a vain attempt to intimidate Israel and thus prevent its striking Irans nuclear facilities openly.Khameini is also suspected of trying to assassinate Trump and other American officials after Trump ordered the elimination of General Qasem Soleimani when this mastermind of Irans international terror network landed in Iraq on January 3, 2020 on a mission to kill more Americans. (The Islamic Republic of Iran is directly responsible for the killing, wounding and hostage-taking of thousands of Americans since Khomeini overthrew the Shah of Iran in 1979.)In five months Trump has moved the United States from telling Israel "dont attack Rafah" in Gaza, to "go ahead, strike Iran. They refuse to negotiate in good faith." Netanyahu didnt or need or ask a second time. And, for the first time in the many times Netanyahu has asked for the support of Israels military leadership for the strikes, the IDF agreed: Rise up and strike.All this time Trump has maintained a "masterful ambiguity" about his role. It is remarkable and unprecedented.A name from long ago, Sir John Lawrence, should be mentioned here. Lawrence was the British governor general and Viceroy of India from 1864-1869, and used the term "masterful inactivity" to summarize his policy towards Afghanistan, a policy that became associated with the very long and successful tenure of Lord Salisbury as Prime Minister of the Great Britain, who served as the top official in the United Kjngdom three times at the height of its Empire, retiring finally in 1902.Salisbury adopted and used the Lawrence approach again and again. Trump may not be up on the details of the Great Powers maneuverings from the late 19th century, but he certainly knows how to play the new "Great Game" in the 21st century.Trump offers to mediate peace everywhere and always. He also always tells our enemies to not kill or wound Americans or they will feel the full force of the American military. And he knows, as only very experienced real estate developers do, when to make offers, when to withdraw them or condition them and when to walk away.The past 60 days of "negotiations" between Iranian representatives and Special Envoy Witkoff were a genuine window for Iran to avoid the punishment it is now absorbing from Israel. Trump has offered to again dispatch Witkoff and now the U.S. has much greater leverage for those talks if they resume. President Trump is allowing Israel weeks to degrade Irans nuclear and ballistic missile programs and possibly destroy its energy export lifeline if Tehran continues to target Israeli civilians. He has not said so publicly, but he warned Khamenei it could come to blows.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONTrump is a master messenger.He basically messaged the "border is closed" and spoke that into closure. He is now messaging the criminal element among the millions of migrants that crossed the open border in the Biden years to get out or get arrested. Hes messaged the Congressional GOP to get the "One, Big Beautiful Bill," H.R. 1, done and done.And hes messaged American pride in its military with the Armys birthday parade, which is best understood as part of our countrys 250th birthday celebration which culminates on July 4, 2026.Trump lives inside the heads of his opponents. The absurdity of the "No Kings" theater is just the latest example of how the left wing of the Democratic Party not only dominates it but also lacks even a basic grasp of where the majority of the country is politically. That majority elected Trump overwhelmingly and overwhelmingly both supports law enforcement at every level of government and condemns political violence, whether from the left or the far right. (Trump's condemnation of the Minnesota killer was quick and complete. As someone who has himself at least twice been the target of assassins, I expected nothing less.)Trump has 43 months left as president. I hope they are as successful as his first five months back.Hugh Hewitt is a Fox News contributor, and host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show," heard weekday mornings 6am to 9am ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh wakes up America on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channels news roundtable hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman Universitys Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990. Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcast, and this column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM HUGH HEWITT

Would you let absolutely anyone in your house, with no conditions? Of course not. If even an invited guest got rowdy, trashed your kitchen, took over your bathroom, insulted your religion, or invited their friends to set up tents on your lawn, youd send them packing.By the same token, no nation should be forced to admit people who hate that country and its values. Visas are a privilege, not a right.Furthermore, foreigners visiting, studying, or working here have fewer rights and more limited "due process" than citizens as they should. The rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizenship should be held to a much higher standard, not watered down and "given" to those with lesser immigration status or skin in the game.GOP BILL SEEKS TO BAN AND DEPORT VISA HOLDERS WHO SUPPORT HAMAS AMID WAVE OF ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE IN AMERICAI was a U.S. Foreign Service officer from 1999-2022, and my first tour was to our Embassy in New Delhi, India. We officers on the "visa line" did around 150 interviews a day to determine whether Indian applicants were qualified to come to the U.S. We used a two-page paper form that had little information, which we checked against a criminal and terrorist records database that was not as comprehensive as todays. If the communications systems went down, we had to rely on CDs that were weeks old to check the names.All the September 11, 2001, hijackers were in the United States on non-immigrant visas; mostly tourist/visitor visas, although there was at least one holding a student visa. The world became a lot riskier, and the U.S. needed to adapt the way we admitted foreigners.The massive 9/11 Commission Report detailed inefficiencies and loopholes in the way U.S. intelligence and national security agencies worked with the Department of State to check the names, dates of birth and other personal information of applicants before issuing them visas.CHINESE STUDENT ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY SMUGGLING UNDECLARED BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS SEEN IN NEW MUGSHOTIn response, the State Department added forms and took more information from each applicant, so we knew as much as possible about who wanted to come to our country and why. State also improved the way that information was shared and vetted by the rest of the U.S. government so that everything we collectively knew about any John Q. Foreigner was considered before we let him into the country.The change in process slowed things at first, but then we adapted and increased efficiency. The entire application process is now done online, where entered data is combined with a photo and fingerprints for each person.Today, everyone is online, particularly younger people. Every student applicant has a smartphone and most likely multiple social media accounts. What we post online reflects who we are. Anonymity is an illusion one should not post things one is ashamed of or wants to hide.As any consular officer will tell you, some people lie in visa interviews. We have something they want: a visa to get into the United States. They might not lie to their mother or priest, but lying to a foreign official is a far lesser sin.CHINESE NATIONALS WHO INFILTRATED US UNIVERSITIESGiven that reality, and the wealth of information available online that truly reflects a person, consular officers would ideally be vetting all applicants social media already. Until now, the constraints of staffing having an individual human access and look through each applicants many accounts and possibly thousands of posts made that prohibitive except in cases deemed worthy of increased scrutiny. Consular units in U.S. embassies have fraud prevention units, but they are not staffed to handle every single case. Nor can every case be elevated for scrutiny by other U.S. agencies.The growing capacity of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will make social media screening, and broader vetting, possible for more applicants.It makes sense to start with students, as they are in our country much longer than someone visiting Disneyland or attending a business meeting. Most students come to do a four-year bachelors degree at least, and many remain to get jobs and become legal residents and, perhaps later, citizens.TRUMP STATE DEPT ANNOUNCES NEW STUDENT-VISA VETTING WILL BE ONGOING PROCESS, NOT ONE-TIME CHECKIf done right, social media vetting will not slow down the visa process. It wont keep out most applicants who plan to come here for a specific, valid purpose, tell us the truth, and stick to their word.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONBut people who post incendiary, criminal, violent, anti-American, antisemitic, or anti-capitalist content wont make good visitors, students or future Americans. When I see some of the posts by people here on student visas, or trying to become Americans, I wish a few of them had never received visas.Like Momodou Taal, who seemed to spend most of his time at Cornell University protesting, occupying buildings without permission, and going "hard for Gaza." At a protest in 2024, hesaid"we dont take our cue from some bullsh*t student assembly at Cornell. We take our cue from the armed resistance in Palestine." Cornell refused to suspend him because they didnt want him deported. Given that our colleges are willing to champion those who hate the West, capitalism, and our allies, defending the national interest is up to those who issue visas. Its quite possible that a review of Taals social media before they issued his visa would have revealed ineligibilities and saved us having to find a job for one more "Africana studies" PhD.STATE DEPARTMENT NOW SCRUTINIZING ALL VISA HOLDERS ASSOCIATED WITH HARVARDThen theresKishan Kumar Singh,Mahammadilham Vahora and Hajiali Vahora, andVedantkumar Bhupenbhai Patel, all of whom were here on visas ostensibly to study when they were arrested in separate cases across the country for allegedly trying to scam elderly Americans out of their money. What might their social media have shown? Looking at Chinese students more carefully, in particular, might stop a futureShenghua Wen the Chinese student who overstayed his 2012 student visa, dropped out of school, and apparently went into business shipping arms to North Korea. Chinese students being caught smuggling insuspicious itemsand engaged inresearchthat could benefit the PRC and undermine the U.S. are happening with alarming frequency.The U.S. has over a million foreign students here already and issues almost half a million more such visas every year. Weeding out a few who are more intent on rioting, protesting, or doing nefarious research than getting a degree will encourage the rest to respect our country and our rules.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM SIMON HANKINSON

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