FIRST ON FOX: Army veteran and business executive Kendall Qualls has officially launched his campaign to challenge former Democrat vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz to be the next governor of Minnesota.While Walz has not yet formally announced a third consecutive gubernatorial bid, Qualls, who also ran for governor in 2022, framed the race for Minnesota's highest office as an opportunity to fix the problems Walz created."I'm running because, after a 16-year reign of failed leadership, the citizens of Minnesota are looking for a different direction. They're looking for new leadership, and I'm here to make sure they get it," Qualls told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview ahead of his campaign launch on Tuesday night.In a statement shared first with Fox News Digital, Qualls said he is the only candidate who can help Minnesota reach its potential.WALZ SAYS HARRIS PICKED HIM FOR VP TO 'CODE TALK TO WHITE GUYS'"I dont need to tell you that Minnesota is at a crossroads," Qualls said in a statement. "Tim Walz took us further down the road of lost jobs, fleeing companies, rising crime and cratering education. Now, hes spending more time outside the state on a vanity tour than he is trying to move Minnesota forward. Thats not leadership."WHITE HOUSE TORCHES TIM WALZ'S SPEECH ABOUT TRUMP'S 'GULAGS,' 'CHAOS': 'HIS LARGEST CITY BURNED TO THE GROUND'Qualls explained that Minnesotans want to build the economy, feel safe in their communities and improve education, but "we're not going to get any of those changes from Tim Walz.""Im the only candidate who can help Minnesota live up to its potential. If we are going to fix the budget Tim Walz broke, we need a proven leader with real-world business experience. If we are going to take back our streets and our classrooms, we need a candidate with a conservative backbone and law and order credentials," Qualls said.Qualls said the only way to create the change that Minnesotans are asking for is to bring in a political outsider like himself."Much like President Trump with his experience in business and leadership, my background has been in business. And before that, I was an officer in the United States Army. And even before that, I grew up in dire poverty. I know that there's a formula for success in this country, even if we don't come from a background of privilege," Qualls said.The gubernatorial candidate said he wants Americans to know there is a pathway forward in the United States for anyone to succeed, regardless of their background or where they went to school. But Qualls said the government has a responsibility to get out of the way of those pathways to success."There are pathways out. And unfortunately, what I'm finding with the Democrats is that they have been closing those doors of prosperity. When I turned 18 years old, I registered as a Republican, and I never looked back. I didn't know any Republicans. I didn't have a country club membership, but what I did know was what the Democrats were doing in the Black community was something I didn't want to be a part of. They weren't helping. They were making things worse," Qualls said, who grew up in poverty in Harlem in New York and in a trailer park in Oklahoma.While Qualls is presenting his campaign as the only alternative to what he describes as the destruction of Minnesota's current Democrat rule, it's not his first time running for the state's highest office."In this last election, I finished number two out of seven candidates in the Republican endorsement process. I agreed to abide by the endorsement. I actually endorsed. The candidate that won. But unfortunately, in that election in 2022, we lost everything, the governorship, Senate, House, attorney general, everything. And a lot of people felt that maybe we had the wrong candidate at the top of the ticket," Qualls said.But Qualls said this time is different."I worked around the state for four years helping candidates raise money, just rallying the troops," Qualls said. "There's a sense of true leadership that people haven't seen before."Leaning on his increased name recognition this time around, Qualls said he is focused on building a grassroots coalition of Minnesota Republicans who are ready for change.Walz did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.

The case on the Supreme Court's docket this week ostensibly deals with a challenge to the Trump administration's efforts to narrow the definition of birthright citizenship.But overriding that important constitutional debate is a more immediate and potentially far-reaching test of judicial power: the ability of individual federal judges to issue universal or nationwide injunctions, preventing temporary enforcement of President Donald Trump's sweeping executive actions.That will be the focus when the nine justices hear oral arguments Thursday morning about how President Trump's restrictions on who can be called an American citizen can proceed in the lower federal courts.Trump signed the executive order on his first day back in office that would end automatic citizenship for children of people in the U.S. illegally.SUPREME COURT POISED TO MAKE MAJOR DECISION THAT COULD SET LIMITS ON THE POWER OF DISTRICT JUDGESSeparate coalitions of about two dozen states, along with immigrant rights groups, and private individuals including several pregnant women in Maryland have sued.Three separate federal judges subsequently issued orders temporarily blocking enforcement across the country while the issues are fully litigated in court. Appeals courts have declined to disturb those rulings.Now the three consolidated cases come to the high court in an unusual scenario, a rare May oral argument that has been fast-tracked for an expected ruling in coming days or weeks.The executive order remains on hold nationwide until the justices decide.But the cases will likely not be decided on the merits at this stage, only on whether to narrow the scope of those injunctions. That would allow the policy to take effect in limited parts of the country or only to those plaintiffs actually suing over the president's authority.SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS IN BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASEA high court decision could be sweeping, setting a precedent that would affect the more than 310 and counting federal lawsuits against White House actions filed since Jan. 20, according to a Fox News data analysis.Of those, more than 200 judicial orders have halted large parts of the president's agenda from being enacted, almost 40 of them nationwide injunctions. Dozens of other cases have seen no legal action so far on gateway issues like temporary enforcement.While the Supreme Court has never ruled directly on the use of universal injunctions, several conservative justices have expressed concerns over power.Justice Clarence Thomas in 2018 labeled them "legally and historically dubious," adding, "These injunctions are beginning to take a toll on the federal court system preventing legal questions from percolating through the federal courts, encouraging forum shopping, and making every case a national emergency for the courts and for the Executive Branch."And it comes to the Supreme Court as part of the so-called emergency or "shadow" docket, time-sensitive appeals known officially as "applications" that usually arrive in the early stages.They seek to temporarily block or delay a lower court or government action that, despite its procedurally narrow posture, can have immediate and far-reaching implications.Things like requests for stays of execution, voting restrictions, COVID vaccine mandates or access to a federally approved abortion medication and, since January, Trump's sweeping executive reform plans.Some members of the court have expressed concern that these kinds of appeals are arriving with greater frequency in recent years, high-profile issues leading to rushed decisions without the benefit of full briefing or deliberation.'ACTIVIST' JUDGES KEEP TRYING TO CURB TRUMPS AGENDA HERES HOW HE COULD PUSH BACKJustice Elena Kagan last year said the shadow docket's caseload has been "relentless," adding, "Weve gotten into a pattern where we're doing too many of them."The pace this term has only increased with the new administration frustrated at dozens of lower court setbacks."We've seen a lot of justices critical of the fact that the court is taking an increasing number of cases and deciding them using the shadow docket," said Thomas Dupree, a former top Justice Department lawyer and a top appellate advocate."These justices say, 'Look, we don't have to decide this on an emergency basis. We can wait.'"Many progressive lawyers complain the Trump administration has been too eager to bypass the normal district and intermediate appellate court process, seeking quick, end-around Supreme Court review on consequential questions of law only when it loses.The debate over birthright citizenship and injunctions is expected to expose further ideological divides on the court's 6-3 conservative majority.That is especially true when it comes to the 13 challenges over Trump policies that have reached the justices so far, with six of them awaiting a ruling.The court's three more liberal justices have pushed back at several preliminary victories for the administration, including its ban on transgender individuals serving in the military and the use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport scores of illegal immigrants suspected of criminal gang activity in the U.S.TRUMP'S REMARKS COULD COME BACK TO BITE HIM IN ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION BATTLEDissenting in one such emergency appeal over the deportations to El Salvador, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote, "The Governments conduct in this litigation poses an extraordinary threat to the rule of law.""Our job is to stand up for people who can't do it themselves. And our job is to be the champion of lost causes," Sotomayor separately told an American Bar Association audience last week. "But, right now, we can't lose the battles we are facing. And we need trained and passionate and committed lawyers to fight this fight."Trump has made no secret of his disdain for judges who have ruled against his policies or at least blocked them from being immediately implemented.He called for the formal removal of one federal judge after an adverse decision over deporting illegal immigrants. That prompted Chief Justice John Roberts to issue a rare public statement, saying, "Impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision."And in separate remarks last week, the chief justice underscored the judiciary's duty to "check the excesses of Congress or the executive."The first section of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside."Trump said last month he was "so happy" the Supreme Court will hear arguments, adding, "I think the case has been so misunderstood."The president said the 14th Amendment, granting automatic citizenship to people born in the U.S., was ratified right after the Civil War, which he interpreted as "all about slavery.""If you look at it that way, we would win that case," the president said in Oval Office remarks.Executive Order 14160, "Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship," would deny it to those born after Feb. 19 whose parents are illegal immigrants. And it bans federal agencies from issuing or accepting documents recognizing citizenship for those children.An estimated 4.4 million American-born children under 18 are living with an unauthorized immigrant parent, according to the Pew Research Center. There are approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the country, 3.3% of the population. Although some census experts suggest those numbers may be higher.But in its legal brief filed with the high court, the Justice Department argues the issue now is really about judges blocking enforcement of the president's policies while the cases weave their way through the courts, a process that could last months or even years. The government initially framed its high court appeal as a "modest request."CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS ADDRESSES DIVISIONS BETWEEN JUSTICES AFTER SEVERAL RECENT SCOTUS SKIRMISHES"These injunctions exceed the district courts authority under Article III [of the Constitution] and gravely encroach on the Presidents executive power under Article II," said Solicitor General John Sauer, who will argue the administration's case Thursday. "Until this Court decides whether nationwide injunctions are permissible, a carefully selected subset of district courts will persist in granting them as a matter of course, relying on malleable eye-of-the-beholder criteria."The plaintiffs counter the government is misguided in what it calls "citizenship stripping" and the use of nationwide injunctions."Being directed to follow the law as it has been universally understood for over 125 years is not an emergency warranting the extraordinary remedy of a stay," said Nicholas Brown, the attorney general of Washington state. "If this Court steps in when the applicant [government] is so plainly wrong on the law, there will be no end to stay applications and claims of emergency, undermining the proper role and stature of this Court. This Court should deny the applications."The consolidated cases are Trump v. CASA (24a884);Trump v. State of Washington (24a885);Trump v. New Jersey (24a886).

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Tuesday fired back at Democrat Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell's public accusation that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents "do not share [the state's] values of safety" after a Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) operation in coordination with ICE resulted in nearly 200 illegal immigrant arrests.ICE and THP announced 196 arrests of illegal immigrants during the Nashville effort, 95 of whom had prior criminal convictions and pending criminal charges.More than 30 were previously removed individuals who reentered the U.S. illegally, a felony offense under federal law.ICE TOUTS RECORD-BREAKING IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT DURING TRUMP'S FIRST 100 DAYSDespite the operation's success in protecting Americans from illegal immigrants, DHS officials wrote in a news release that OConnell "stands by pro-illegal policies, claiming that these operations were done by people who do not share our values of safety."DHS noted "attacks and demonization of ICE" have resulted in officers facing a 413% increase in assaults."You would think all public officials would unite around DHS bringing violent criminal illegal aliens to justice and removing them from American communities," DHS Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said in a news release. "However, pro-open borders politicians like Mayor OConnell would rather protect illegal aliens than American citizens."TRUMP NABS 30K ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, 1,100 GANG MEMBERS IN 100 DAYS: 'CRIME WILL GO DOWN,' EX-FBI AGENT SAYS"This operation resulted in getting gang members, sex offenders, and other violent criminals off Nashvilles streets," McLaughlin added. "President [Donald] Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem will continue to stand with victims and the brave ICE agents who are on the front lines, making America safe again."Though OConnell launched the "Belonging Fund" to provide taxpayer dollars for illegal immigrants in Nashville, DHS officials stood firm, saying, "BOTTOM LINE: DHS is [a] law enforcement agency, and it will continue to enforce the law and work with all state and local partners so that Americans do not continue to be victimized by criminal aliens."Below are detainees who ICE officials said were nabbed during the Nashville operation.Jassim Jafaf Al-Raash, a 60-year-old illegal immigrant from Iraq, was previously convicted of rape, for which he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to DHS officials.He was also convicted of larceny and false imprisonment, for which he was sentenced to nearly a year in prison, and charged with failure to register as a sex offender.Al-Raash had a final order of removal dated Sept. 1, 2021, according to DHS.Franklin Oswaldo Velasquez, a 33-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador, is allegedly affiliated with the MS-13 gang, according to DHS.He has an active Red Notice in El Salvador for aggravated murder, which is a worldwide wanted alert.Velasquez was convicted of possession of methamphetamines, possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to appear and criminal impersonation, according to DHS.NEARLY 800 ILLEGAL ALIENS ARRESTED IN MASSIVE FLORIDA ICE OPERATION: TIDAL WAVEInmar Antonio Penado-Membreno, a 34-year-old illegal immigrant from El Salvador, was previously convicted of possession with intent to manufacture, deliver, or sell cocaine, for which he was sentenced to eight years in prison, according to DHS.Penado-Membreno was also convicted of aggravated assault, for which he was sentenced to four years in prison, officials said.Richard St. Baptiste, a 36-year-old illegal immigrant from Haiti, was previously convicted of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, for which he was sentenced to eight years of probation, according to DHS.He was also convicted of marijuana possession, for which he was sentenced to 30 days imprisonment, according to officials.Carlos Reinaldo Alvarado-Rodriguez, a 39-year-old illegal immigrant from Guatemala, was previously convicted of aggravated assault, for which he was sentenced to four years in prison, according to DHS.DHS and O'Connell's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digitals request for comment.

A federal grand jury indicted a Wisconsin circuit court judge on Tuesday, who was arrested last month for allegedly shielding an illegal immigrant from federal agents.Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested and charged with obstruction of an official proceeding on April 25, after evidence became known that she had shielded an illegal immigrant from federal agents, according to a criminal complaint. She was also charged with concealing an individual to prevent discovery and arrest.Dugan was indicted by a federal grand jury after listening to testimony regarding charges that she allegedly tried to help an illegal alien escape arrest in her courtroom.On Tuesday, a federal grand jury convened to consider the indictment, hearing testimony that included statements from Eduardo Flores-Ruiz's attorney, who has since withdrawn from his case, and Dugan's court clerk.MILWAUKEE JUDGE HANNAH DUGAN 'TEMPORARILY RELIEVED OF HER OFFICIAL DUTIES' BY WISCONSIN SUPREME COURTAlso giving testimony was Milwaukee County Judge Kristela Cervera, a misdemeanor judge whose courtroom is next to Dugan's. The panel was expected to decide whether to indict Dugan ahead of her previously scheduled preliminary court hearing.Dugan's attorneys told Fox News, "As she said after her unnecessary arrest, JudgeDugan asserts her innocence and looks forward to being vindicated in court."Dugan is expected back in federal court on May 15, to face federal charges of felony obstruction of a federal agency and concealing a person to help them avoid arrest, which is a misdemeanor. She is expected to enter a plea on the charges during the hearing.MILWAUKEE JUDGE HANNAH DUGAN ADDS FORMER BUSH SOLICITOR GENERAL TO DEFENSE TEAMThe FBI arrested Dugan for allegedly hiding a previously deported illegal immigrant in her jury room to stop him from being arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.Federal agents from ICE, FBI, CBP and DEA attempted to arrest Flores-Ruiz after his scheduled criminal court appearance before Dugan on April 18, to face three misdemeanor battery charges for allegedly beating up two people.Dugan demanded that the officers proceed to the chief judges office and, after his hearing ended, escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney out a restricted jury door, bypassing the public area where agents were waiting in order to help him avoid arrest, per the complaint.WISCONSIN JUDGE THREATENS COURTROOM BOYCOTT OVER HANNAH DUGAN ARRESTHer attorney, Craig Mastantuono, told the court last month, "Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety."Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem told Jesse Watters on Tuesday that she was "grateful" Dugan was indicted by a federal grand jury."She will be held accountable for that," Noem said. "That was a great decision, coming forward, to recognize that nobody can facilitate breaking the law. We shouldnt be able to allow that in this country, and we need to make sure that even judges are held accountable for their actions."Attorney General Pam Bondi previously blasted Dugan's actions on Fox's "America Reports.""We could not believe that a judge really did that," Bondi said. "You cannot obstruct a criminal case. And really, shame on her. It was a domestic violence case of all cases, and she's protecting a criminal defendant over victims of crime."Bondi said Flores-Ruiz beat up two people, "a guy and a girl.""[He] beat the guy, hit the guy 30 times, knocked him to the ground, choked him, beat up a woman so badly; they both had to go to the hospital," she said.Fox News' Patrick McGovern, Michael Dorgan, Jake Gibson and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

The NFL is playing seven international games during the 2025 season, and there is some history involved on multiple levels.Almost all the games and teams involved were announced on Tuesday, and each destination has been set.London, which has been the sight of NFL regular-season games since 2007, will have three contests. The NFL is also heading back to Brazil and Germany, while two countries will have its first taste of regular season football this year.CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COMDublin, Ireland and Madrid, Spain will also host teams vying for the Vince Lombardi Trophy next season. Heres the full rundown of who will be playing in each game:FOX ANNOUNCES SATURDAY NFL DIVISION RIVAL DOUBLEHEADER WHEN PLAYOFF RACES GET SPICYIt was reported the Kansas City Chiefs were going to travel to Brazil to face their AFC West-rival Chargers, though the announcement with exact opponents should come Wednesday.Also, its worth noting that the Vikings will become the first team in NFL history to play in two separate countries on back-to-back weeks. Their dynamic offense, which is expected to be led by J.J. McCarthy next season, will be on full display in Ireland and the United Kingdom early in the schedule.Continuing the global initiative is what the NFL has made a point in doing, and that includes increasing the number of international games on the regular season schedule.London was the main hub for building NFL fandom, but in 2022, the league also started to make its presence known in Germany. The Falcons-Colts matchup will be the fifth game played in the country since that year.The Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers made history this past season with a game in So Paulo, which was the start of Saquon Barkleys Offensive Player of the Year season with his new squad.And while the league is excited to see games in two different countries this season, there is already a plan in place to get one down under in Melbourne, Australia in 2026.The season schedule for every team in the league will drop on Wednesday.Follow Fox News Digitalssports coverage on X, and subscribe tothe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

The Boeing 747 offered to the United States by Qatar will be given to the Department of Defense, President Donald Trump said Tuesday, responding to questions about the legality of accepting a gift from a foreign power.Qatar's royal family offered to donate a $400 million jumbo jet that could serve as Air Force One.The White House has pushed back against criticism of Trump, saying any gift from a foreign power is always accepted in full compliance with all laws.TRUMP TEASES 'VERY, VERY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT' AHEAD OF MIDDLE EAST TRIP, CARNEY SAYS HE'S 'ON EDGE OF MY SEAT'"The Boeing 747 is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform in the middle of his visit to Saudi Arabia. "It is a gift from a Nation, Qatar, that we have successfully defended for many years. It will be used by our Government as a temporary Air Force One, until such time as our new Boeings, which are very late on delivery, arrive."Some Democrats have called for an ethics investigation over the gift.On Sunday, Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., wrote to the Government Accountability Office, deriding the deal as a "flying grift," arguing it violates the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, which "explicitly prohibits any person holding public office from accepting any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.'"HOUSE DEMOCRAT CALLS FOR 'IMMEDIATE' ETHICS PROBE OF QATARI PLANE GIFT TO TRUMP"I am writing to express alarm over reports that President Donald Trump is poised to accept a luxury aircraft a Boeing 747-8 from the government of Qatar. The plane, so opulent it has been described as a palace in the sky, is set to be made available to President Trump for official use as Air Force One and then for private use once he leaves office," Torres wrote.Trump questioned why taxpayers should foot the bill for the aircraft when the U.S. can get one at no cost."This big savings will be spent, instead, to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump wrote. "Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"Trump reportedly toured the plane in February when it was on the tarmac of the West Palm Beach Airport in Florida, ABC News reported over the weekend.The gift has reportedly been tied up with legal reviews as the White House counsel's office and the Department of Justice review the legality of the president accepting such a pricey gift from a foreign nation.The current Air Force One fleet includes two planes, and Trump awarded Boeing a $3.9 billion contract in 2018, during his first term, to manufacture two new jets. The construction of the jets, however, is not expected to be completed until 2029.Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., dodged questions about his role in covering up former President Joe Bidens mental decline on CNN Tuesday.Excerpts from CNNs Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompsons upcoming book "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again" detail several insider concerns over whether Biden could last a second term as president.In light of some of the book's claims about him, Schumer was asked whether he knew about Biden's condition on CNNs "The Arena With Kasie Hunt."BIDEN AIDES ALLEGEDLY FRETTED THEN-PRESIDENT WOULD NEED WHEELCHAIR IF RE-ELECTED, NEW BOOK REVEALS"Im interested to know whether the man that you saw sitting there on that couch on that day you were in there, you saw him up close and personal did you really not have any idea that he was not fit to serve a second term?" Hunt asked, referencing a February 2024 Oval Office meeting."Kasie, were looking forward," Schumer responded. "We have the largest Medicaid cut in front of us. We have the whole federal government at risk ""But youre facing all of this because you lost a presidential election. And is that not Joe Bidens responsibility for deciding to run again?" Hunt interrupted."Were looking forward," Schumer repeated."Thats it?" Hunt responded."Thats it," Schumer replied.Schumer gave the same response during a press conference earlier that day when a reporter asked if he was being straight with the American public in posting on X in June that the president was "in command and impressive" in meetings.This reporter juxtaposed Schumer's post with an insider describing to Tapper and Thompson a "terrifying" moment that same month when Biden failed to recognize award-winning actor George Clooney at his infamous fundraiser.Schumer dismissed the question, saying, "We're just looking forward."Fox News Digital reached out to Schumers office for comment.CHUCK SCHUMER CONFRONTED WITH OLD CLIP OF HIMSELF DECLARING BIDEN'S DECLINE 'RIGHT-WING PROPAGANDA'In February 2024, Schumer defended Biden and insisted that attacks on his abilities were "right-wing propaganda.""His mental acuity is great. Its fine. Its as good as its been over the years. Ive been speaking to him for 30 years, since we worked on the Brady Bill and the assault weapons ban when I was a young congressman. And hes hes fine. All this right-wing propaganda that his mental acuity has declined is wrong," Schumer said at the time.It was later reported by the New York Times that Schumer was one of multiple Democratic leaders who privately convinced Biden to drop out of the race.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Boeing 747 offered to the United States by Qatar will be given to the Department of Defense, President Donald Trump said Tuesday, responding to questions about the legality of accepting a gift from a foreign power.Qatar's royal family offered to donate a $400 million jumbo jet that could serve as Air Force One.The White House has pushed back against criticism of Trump, saying any gift from a foreign power is always accepted in full compliance with all laws.TRUMP TEASES 'VERY, VERY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT' AHEAD OF MIDDLE EAST TRIP, CARNEY SAYS HE'S 'ON EDGE OF MY SEAT'"The Boeing 747 is being given to the United States Air Force/Department of Defense, NOT TO ME!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform in the middle of his visit to Saudi Arabia. "It is a gift from a Nation, Qatar, that we have successfully defended for many years. It will be used by our Government as a temporary Air Force One, until such time as our new Boeings, which are very late on delivery, arrive."Some Democrats have called for an ethics investigation over the gift.On Sunday, Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., wrote to the Government Accountability Office, deriding the deal as a "flying grift," arguing it violates the emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution, which "explicitly prohibits any person holding public office from accepting any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.'"HOUSE DEMOCRAT CALLS FOR 'IMMEDIATE' ETHICS PROBE OF QATARI PLANE GIFT TO TRUMP"I am writing to express alarm over reports that President Donald Trump is poised to accept a luxury aircraft a Boeing 747-8 from the government of Qatar. The plane, so opulent it has been described as a palace in the sky, is set to be made available to President Trump for official use as Air Force One and then for private use once he leaves office," Torres wrote.Trump questioned why taxpayers should foot the bill for the aircraft when the U.S. can get one at no cost."This big savings will be spent, instead, to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump wrote. "Only a FOOL would not accept this gift on behalf of our Country. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"Trump reportedly toured the plane in February when it was on the tarmac of the West Palm Beach Airport in Florida, ABC News reported over the weekend.The gift has reportedly been tied up with legal reviews as the White House counsel's office and the Department of Justice review the legality of the president accepting such a pricey gift from a foreign nation.The current Air Force One fleet includes two planes, and Trump awarded Boeing a $3.9 billion contract in 2018, during his first term, to manufacture two new jets. The construction of the jets, however, is not expected to be completed until 2029.Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., dodged questions about his role in covering up former President Joe Bidens mental decline on CNN Tuesday.Excerpts from CNNs Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompsons upcoming book "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again" detail several insider concerns over whether Biden could last a second term as president.In light of some of the book's claims about him, Schumer was asked whether he knew about Biden's condition on CNNs "The Arena With Kasie Hunt."BIDEN AIDES ALLEGEDLY FRETTED THEN-PRESIDENT WOULD NEED WHEELCHAIR IF RE-ELECTED, NEW BOOK REVEALS"Im interested to know whether the man that you saw sitting there on that couch on that day you were in there, you saw him up close and personal did you really not have any idea that he was not fit to serve a second term?" Hunt asked, referencing a February 2024 Oval Office meeting."Kasie, were looking forward," Schumer responded. "We have the largest Medicaid cut in front of us. We have the whole federal government at risk ""But youre facing all of this because you lost a presidential election. And is that not Joe Bidens responsibility for deciding to run again?" Hunt interrupted."Were looking forward," Schumer repeated."Thats it?" Hunt responded."Thats it," Schumer replied.Schumer gave the same response during a press conference earlier that day when a reporter asked if he was being straight with the American public in posting on X in June that the president was "in command and impressive" in meetings.This reporter juxtaposed Schumer's post with an insider describing to Tapper and Thompson a "terrifying" moment that same month when Biden failed to recognize award-winning actor George Clooney at his infamous fundraiser.Schumer dismissed the question, saying, "We're just looking forward."Fox News Digital reached out to Schumers office for comment.CHUCK SCHUMER CONFRONTED WITH OLD CLIP OF HIMSELF DECLARING BIDEN'S DECLINE 'RIGHT-WING PROPAGANDA'In February 2024, Schumer defended Biden and insisted that attacks on his abilities were "right-wing propaganda.""His mental acuity is great. Its fine. Its as good as its been over the years. Ive been speaking to him for 30 years, since we worked on the Brady Bill and the assault weapons ban when I was a young congressman. And hes hes fine. All this right-wing propaganda that his mental acuity has declined is wrong," Schumer said at the time.It was later reported by the New York Times that Schumer was one of multiple Democratic leaders who privately convinced Biden to drop out of the race.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA - Pete Buttigieg pushed back against criticism from President Donald Trump on the job he did as transportation secretary in former President Biden's administration and declined to say if Biden experienced cognitive decline during his final years in the White House, as he took questions from reporters on Tuesday night.Buttigieg, speaking with reporters after headlining a town hall with veterans in this eastern Iowa city that sparked more speculation that the 2020 Democratic presidential contender is mulling another White House run in 2028, told Fox News that 'right now Im not running for anything."Buttigieg won the 2020 Iowa presidential caucuses and came in a close second in the New Hampshire presidential primary before Biden surged to claim the party's nomination and later the White House.While Iowa's caucuses for half a century kicked off both major political parties' presidential nominating calendars, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) demoted the Hawkeye State on their 2024 schedule, and it's unclear if Iowa will regain its early state status in the 2028 calendar.LESS THAN FOUR WEEKS INTO TRUMP'S SECOND TERM, DEMOCRATS ALREADY EYEING 2028 PRESIDENTIAL RACEBut Buttigieg's visit, along with his announcement in March that he would pass on a 2026 run for a Democrat-controlled open Senate seat in battleground Michigan, his adopted home state, are seen as signals of his interest in a potential 2028 national run.Buttigieg told a Substack author in a live interview hours before the town hall that when it comes to 2028, he would consider "what I bring to the table."But asked by Fox News if the trip to Iowa - where he also gathered with staffers from his 2020 campaign and was followed around by a videographer from his political group Win the Era - was the beginning of an assessment period, Buttigieg said "right now, Im not running for anything and part of whats exciting and compelling about an opportunity like this is to be campaigning for values and for ideas rather than a specific electoral campaign. So that's what I'm about."Told that audience members who said they voted for him in 2020 and would be interested in backing him again if he runs in 2028, Buttigieg said "of course it means a lot to hear that people who supported me then continue to believe in what I have to say."The Cedar Rapids event was hosted by VoteVets, a progressive group that represents veterans and military families in the political process. The group told Fox News that 1,800 people attended the event.WATCH: TRUMP TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY LAYS OUT NEW PLAN TO UPGRADE AGING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMThe trip by Buttigieg came as he's faced incoming fire in recent days from Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over a surge in flight delays and cancellations at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport, which is one of the three major airports that services the New York City metropolitan area.Duffy blames his predecessor at the Department of Transportation and the Biden administration for what he claims was a failure to upgrade the busy airport's air traffic control system.And Trump, last week, also chimed in, claiming that during his tenure as transportation secretary Buttigieg "didnt have a clue. And this guy is actually a contender for president?" Trump added. "I don't think he's going to do too well."The president's jabs came a few days after Buttigieg, pointing to Trump's underwater approval ratings in national polling, said in a social media post that "Donald Trump is the most unpopular 100-day-mark president in modern American history."WATCH: TRUMP TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY LAYS OUT NEW PLAN TO UPGRADE AGING AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMThe Trump administration argues that Buttigieg oversaw a rocky transition of the Newark airport's airspace to the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control (Tracon) last July.And Duffy, who earlier this week unveiled a major plan to overhaul the nation's aging air traffic control system, claims the Biden administration is to blame for the recent problems, including air traffic control equipment outages."Maybe when you work from home, or maybe when you work from Michigan as a secretary, maybe youre not focused on the real issues that are taking place throughout the airspace," Duffy said, as he took aim at Buttigieg, who lives in Michigan.Buttigieg, responding, told reporters on Tuesday night that "when youre the secretary of transportation, you have a tough job and your responsibility is to fix tough problems. You dont have time to indulge in trying to point fingers or blame other people.""What I can tell you is we inherited a shrinking air traffic control workforce. We turned it into a growing air traffic control workforce," he added. "My successor is, of course, not asking for my advice, but my advice would be to making sure that it grows and actually delivering the technological change thats needed."Buttigieg's Iowa trip also came on the same day that excerpts from a new book offered details on Biden's supposed mental and physical decline during his last two years in the White House.Asked whether Biden experienced cognitive decline, Buttigieg would only say that "every time I needed something from him from the West Wing, I got it."But he said "maybe" when asked whether the Democratic Party would have been better off if Biden had not run for re-election in 2024. "Right now with the benefit of hindsight, I think most people would agree that that's the case."Biden dropped out of the race last July, one month after a disastrous debate performance with Trump sparked a chorus of calls from fellow Democrats for the then-81-year-old president to end his re-election bid. He was replaced at the top of the ticket by then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who ended up losing in November to Trump.