Harris’ team kept secret list of Republican judges to call up in the event Biden died in office

A communications director for former Vice President Kamala Harris created a so-called “death-pool roster” of federal judges appointed by a Republican that could swear in Harris as president – in the event that President Joe Biden suddenly died, according to a new book.

The book, “Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House,” published Tuesday by William Morrow and Company, claims that Harris’ White House communications director Jamal Simmons crafted an entire communications strategy to employ in the event of Biden’s death. 

The book, authored by political journalists Jonathan Allen of NBC News and Amie Parnes of the Hill, said Simmons imagined that losing Biden unexpectedly would be akin to when Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in on Air Force One following John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. 

But he worried people would question her legitimacy as president, and was specifically concerned that “Trump people” would go “apes—” if Harris became president, the book claims. 

TENSIONS ALLEGEDLY RISE BETWEEN BIDEN WHITE HOUSE AND HARRIS CAMPAIGN: ‘TOO MUCH IN THEIR FEELINGS’

“Simmons believed Harris would be strengthened by an institutional stamp of approval if she were sworn in hurriedly because Biden had died unexpectedly,” Allen and Parnes wrote. “Her legitimacy might be questioned, he worried, recalling the January 6 effort to stop Biden from being certified as president.”

As a result, Simmons created a spreadsheet of various judges nominated by a Republican who might be equipped to help bolster her legitimacy. 

“The strongest validator, he believed, would be a federal judge who had been appointed by a Republican other than Trump,” Allen and Parnes wrote. “He compiled a spreadsheet of those jurists across the country, down to a city-by-city breakdown, and carried it with him when he traveled with Harris.” 

Simmons said he never told Harris about the so-called “death-pool roster” before his departure with her communications team in January 2023, however he instructed colleagues to notify him immediately if something did happen to Biden so he could implement the communications strategy. Ultimately, Simmons left the spreadsheet with another Harris staffer, according to the book. 

The book did not specify which judges were included on the list. 

Harris, who previously served as a senator from California, is now a speaker with CAA Speakers, which represents high-profile celebrities. CAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

KAMALA HARRIS WAS ‘VERY ANNOYED’ WITH OBAMA AS SHE SOUGHT HIS ENDORSEMENT, BOOK REVEALS

The book also includes details revealing how former President Barack Obama remained hesitant to back Harris in the 2024 election to replace Biden, amid concerns about his mental fitness, while also doubting Biden and Harris’ political abilities. 

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According to the book, Obama didn’t believe Harris could beat now-President Donald Trump in the November 2024 race – an issue that frustrated Harris.

“Fight” chronicles how Trump secured the White House for a second term and the ramifications of his victory on the Democratic Party. Allen and Parnes conducted interviews with more than 150 political insiders for the book, according to the book’s description.

Accused killer of teen track athlete issued chilling warning before attack, docs claim

The 17-year-old accused of fatally stabbing a fellow teen at a Texas track meet warned him, “touch me and see what happens,” according to a police report that has provided new details about the tent-side dispute.

Authorities have charged Karmelo Anthony, a student-athlete from Frisco Centennial High School, with murder after he allegedly stabbed 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, a junior at Memorial High School in Frisco, to death on Wednesday morning over a seating dispute.

An arrest report obtained by Fox News sheds new light on the pre-stabbing clash after Metcalf reportedly told Anthony that he needed to move out of the Memorial team’s tent, a witness told Frisco police. The report noted that Anthony “grabbed his bag, opened it and reached inside it” and said, “Touch me and see what happens.”

“Austin stood up and pushed the male to get him out of the tent,” the arrest report said.

GRIEVING TEXAS FATHER SPEAKS OUT AFTER SON WAS STABBED TO DEATH AT HIGH SCHOOL TRACK MEET

In the next moment, the witness told police that Anthony “reached into his bag and the male took a knife out of the bag and stabbed Austin.”

The witness told the officer that Anthony deserted the scene following the stabbing. Metcalf, 17, died in his twin brother’s arms.

Officers noted that his twin brother, Hunter, was “hysterical” at the scene as authorities talked to witnesses about the tent confrontation, the arrest report noted.

READ THE ARREST REPORT – APP USERS CLICK HERE

A school resource officer was the first to arrive at the scene and confront Anthony, the police report said. 

“I was protecting myself,” Anthony said. “He put his hands on me.”

Anthony was placed in handcuffs at the scene, police said. An officer noted in the arrest report that there was “blood on his [Anthony’s] left middle finger.” 

TEXAS TRACK MEET STABBING SUSPECT TOLD RESPONDING OFFICERS HE ‘DID IT’: DOCS

One officer at the scene referred to Anthony as the alleged suspect, and Anthony made a “spontanteous statement,” according to the report: “I’m not alleged, I did it.”

Anthony also asked the officers if Metcalf was “going to be OK” and asked if what happened could be considered “self-defense,” the report said.

Hunter Metcalf, who spoke on “The Will Cain Show” Wednesday alongside his grieving mother, Meghan, recalled the moment he saw his brother with a wound to his chest after the altercation.

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“I whipped my head around, and then all of a sudden I see him running down the bleachers just grabbing his chest… I put my hand on there, tried to make [the bleeding] stop, and I grabbed his head and I looked in his eyes. I just saw his soul leave, and it took my soul, too,” Hunter said.

An online fundraiser for Anthony has collected about $150,000 in donations.

“The narrative being spread is false, unjust, and harmful,” the Anthony family said in a statement on the crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo. “As a family of faith, we are deeply grateful for all of your support during this trying period. Your prayers and assistance mean more to us now more than ever.”

The fund, called the Help Karmelo Official Fund, was set up to support “Karmelo and his family during this challenging and difficult time.”

Anthony is being held in a Collin County jail on $1 million bail. Fox News Digital has reached out to his attorney and the Frisco Police Department for comment.

Treasury secretary lays out what’s on the table as dozens of nations look to negotiate tariffs

Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent weighed in on America’s tariff negotiations with other countries during a late Monday afternoon appearance on “Kudlow.”

President Donald Trump unveiled new tariffs on goods imported from foreign countries last week, including a baseline levy of 10% and “individualized reciprocal higher” tariffs on certain nations.

Bessent told host Larry Kudlow that Trump is “better than anyone at giving himself maximum leverage, so what he has done is we outlined the tariffs on April 2 and then gave countries several days to think about it.” 

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ‘LIBERATION DAY’ TARIFFS

“As I advised on many shows on April 2, I suggested that the foreign officials keep your cool, that you do not escalate and come to us with your offers on how you’re going to drop tariffs, how you’re going to drop non-tariff barriers, how you’re going to stop your currency manipulation, how you’re going to stop the subsidized financing, and at a point, President Trump will be ready to negotiate,” he explained.

Trump reported earlier today that he had talked with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jameson Greer have since been tapped to head up tariff negotiations with the country.

Bessent said Trump was “going to be directly involved in those negotiations” too.

The Treasury secretary said he hadn’t seen any specific offer from Japan but told Kudlow that “50, 60, maybe almost 70 countries” have gotten in contact with the Trump administration looking to negotiate.

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“So it’s going to be a busy April, May, maybe into June,” Bessent said.

He told Kudlow that he expected Japan would get “priority” with negotiations “just because they came forward very quickly.” He also noted the important military and economic ties between America and Japan. 

During his appearance, Bessent defended the Trump administration using trade deficits in its calculus for determining reciprocal tariffs on imports from some foreign countries. He also noted that “academic studies have shown that it’s the non-tariff trade barriers that are the real problem in the U.S. having free and fair access to these markets.” 

Kudlow also asked the Treasury secretary whether a trade deal could get done with Japan in the next couple of weeks. 

TRUMP’S TOP ECONOMIC ADVISOR SAYS TARIFF PANIC IS ‘EXAGGERATED’ AS STOCKS SINK

“I’ll reiterate what I saw last week for countries that don’t retaliate. We are at a maximum tariff level, and it is my hope that through good negotiations, all we will do is see levels come down. But that’s going to depend on the other countries. And you know, President Trump is going to be personally involved in these negotiations, and he believes, as many of us do, that there’s been an unfair playing field, so the negotiations are going to be tough,” Bessent said.

Maher praises Trump for his authenticity, says voters ‘smell a phony’ with other politicians

Comedian Bill Maher praised President Donald Trump for his unique appeal to voters in an episode of his podcast, arguing he has something other politicians of both parties lack.

Maher has been a frequent critic of Trump over the years, but he has also broken with the left on issues like so-called “woke” identity-politics and the draconian aspects of COVID-19 policy across the country. Maher recently met with the president at the White House in a meeting brokered by musician Kid Rock. Kid Rock said Trump took the group, including Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White, on a tour and chatted about their commonalities like “ending wokeness” and “securing the border.”

On Sunday, Maher’s “Club Random” podcast released an episode where he spoke with news host Chris Cuomo and praised Trump for his unique ability to appeal to Americans in a way most politicians cannot. The episode was taped before Maher’s White House visit.

“Trump really is one of the most effective politicians, whether whatever you think of the policy and him as a person, just as a politician, just understanding that – always lean in to being more who you are – the people are not savvy about issues, but they smell a phony a mile away. And that kind of s—? Nobody else does it,” Maher said.

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Maher noted that while he has been one of Trump’s biggest critics, there are nonetheless times when he thinks, “Oh man, I got to give it up,” and praises him.

One example Maher summarized was when “He did that thing when the guy came in from the Taliban, and he said, ‘This is an aerial picture of your house, if during our withdrawal one American is hurt, just know I know where you live.’ I was like ‘Oh, can we just play the music now?’ Because I don’t care ‘it’s Donald Trump, and he’s the worst person ever,’ blah blah blah, I f—ing love that.”

Maher cited another anecdote during the 2016 GOP primary where Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, mocked Trump for having “New York values” and Trump responded, “When you want to knock New York, you’ve got to go through me.”

“It’s like ‘Oh, Hometown boy,’” Maher said, praising him for defending his origins. “You know, he has those moments that no other politician has, and the Democrats have to find that guy.”

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Maher argued that a key issue for the Democratic Party is that they lack an “alpha” leader.

“Democrats have to come up with an alpha, and it’s not Tim Walz,” Maher said, comparing the 2024 vice-presidential hopeful to stereotypical goofy dads in commercials.

Maher argued, “You’ve got to appeal to people at a sort of post-civilization stage, where we’re kind of at, on a primal level, you just do, and Trump does it better than anybody.”

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Blue state Dems ram abortion, transgender bills through on limited Sunday session debate

The Colorado Democratic House majority pushed through a slate of controversial gender and abortion bills on Sunday, curtailing floor debate in what Republican lawmakers called an “unprecedented” tactic.

“It should alarm every American that Colorado’s Majority used a Sunday — a day typically reserved for family and prayer — to force through four of the most extreme bills of the session,” Republican House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese told Fox News Digital on Monday.

Pugliese said while “weekend work” is a “tactic the majority uses to punish the minority,” it was especially “unprecedented” this time because of the highly controversial nature of the bills.

CONCERNED PARENTS OF TRANS KIDS COMPARED TO ‘HATE GROUPS’ BY COLORADO DEM: WOULDN’T ‘ASK THE KKK’ FOR OPINION

“There was no filibuster, no delay — just a determined effort to shut down discussion on legislation that directly affects parental rights, public safety, and the use of taxpayer dollars,” she said.

The bills that were passed include SB25-183, which requires taxpayers to fund abortion services; HB25-1309, mandating insurers cover transgender procedures regardless of age; HB25-1312, which imposes state-mandated gender policies on schools and considers it “coercive control” in child custody cases when a parent does not affirm a child’s gender identity; and SB25-129, which prohibits cooperation with out-of-state investigations on transgender procedures and abortion services.

According to state House Majority Democrat Leader Monica Duran, the four bills were debated on the floor for more than 12 hours last week.

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“The minority offered dozens of amendments in that time,” Duran told Fox News Digital. “Ultimately, Coloradans elected significant Democratic majorities with clear mandates, and with only 120 days in session, we will use every day we need to do the people’s work.”

“Yesterday that included passing legislation to implement voter-approved Amendment 79, which protects abortion rights and passed with nearly 62% of the vote last November.”

Other Democrats in the legislature, who authored the passage of the bills, see them as a way to shield the Centennial State from the Trump administration’s policies.

TRUMP DOJ, EDUCATION DEPT FORM TASK FORCE TO PROTECT FEMALE ATHLETES FROM ‘GENDER IDEOLOGY’ IN SCHOOLS, SPORTS

“It’s time to fight back against out-of-state interference and Trump administration threats to restrict abortion and health care for LGBTQ+ Coloradans,” Democratic state Rep. Karen McCormick, D-Longmont, sponsor of SB25-129, said in a statement.

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Democrat Rep. Lorena Garcia, sponsor of SB5-183, also said, “Despite the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle abortion access or restrict funding altogether, Coloradans believe it’s your constitutional right to access the reproductive health care you need.”

“This bill will expand access to life-saving reproductive health care, including abortion,” Garcia said in a statement.

The bills now head to the Democratic-dominated state Senate for consideration.

DOGE helps Coast Guard save millions by eliminating ‘ineffective’ program

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has helped the U.S. Coast Guard save $32.7 million by eliminating an “ineffective IT program” known as the Logistics Information Management System (CG-LIMS), the Department of Homeland Security confirmed to Fox News Digital.

“Another win for government efficiency at DHS!” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday. “Continuing the crucial work of DOGE, the Coast Guard eliminated an ineffective IT program, saving over $32 million and focusing its resources where they’re most needed to protect the homeland. The USCG continues to deliver on the President’s priorities, maximizing its efficiency while securing our borders and maritime approaches.”

Originally anticipated to begin operating in 2027 and reaching full capability in 2031, the CG-LIMS was expected to integrate existing and future capabilities with the Coast Guard while supporting operations.

As designed, CG-LIMS would have modernized the Coast Guard’s IT systems, which, according to the military branch’s website, would have gained increases in capabilities and resources while resulting in “substantial cost savings and improved integration of logistics” between the services.

TRUMP WANTS MUSK TO STAY WITH ADMINISTRATION, SAYS DOGE FOUND SOMETHING ‘HORRIBLE’ TODAY

CG-LIMS would also have been utilized on 245 cutters, 200 aircraft, 1,800 boats, shore-based systems, aids to navigation equipment and command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment.

But starting no later than May 1, 2025, all program activities regarding CG-LIMS will end.

According to the Coast Guard, the termination is the result of the program’s inability to deliver on its full requirements in the near future.

The $32.7 million saved will instead be used “to address emergent Coast Guard needs,” according to the military service. Personnel that worked on CG-LIMS will be “reassigned to fill critical personnel shortages” within the Coast Guard, it said.

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The Coast Guard said it will continue to search for alternatives to resolve gaps in IT logistics, and achieve the necessary functionality envisioned by the Service.

“The Coast Guard upholds a longstanding tradition of meticulous stewardship, driven by our talented, innovative and resourceful workforce,” Rear Adm. Mike Campbell, the Coast Guard’s director of acquisition programs and program executive officer, said. “The termination of the Logistics Information Management System acquisition program continues that legacy under Force Design 2028 (FD 2028). Through Force Design 2028, we are renewing our efforts to maximize efficiencies, identify cost savings and maximize the return on America’s investment in the Coast Guard.”

AMERICANS GRADE DOGE AND ELON MUSK’S EFFORTS WITHIN THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

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FD 2028, the Coast Guard said, focuses on people, organization, contracting and acquisition, and technology. It is also described as a “once-in-a-generation” effort to investigate and transform the Coast Guard so it can adapt to the current and future environment.

TMZ founder ‘stunned’ by changes in Menendez brothers ahead of possible hearing

TMZ founder Harvey Levin said he’s “stunned” at who the Menendez brothers have become after spending more than 30 years in prison for the brutal murder of their parents.

Levin shared a sneak peek of his exclusive prison interview with Lyle and Erik, detailing what the brothers’ futures could look like if they’re released from prison and the obstacles to their freedom, in an interview Monday on “Special Report.”

“I covered the trials when I was a local reporter here in LA. And my impressions of them were spoiled brats, monsters, who deserved their sentence. Thirty-five years later, I spoke with two entirely different people. They are — they’re introspective, they’re thoughtful, they are remorseful,” he said.

The Menendez brothers shot their parents, Jose and Kitty, with a shotgun multiple times at close range in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989.

PROSECUTORS WHO PUSHED MENENDEZ BROTHERS RESENTENCING PLAN TO SUE NEW DA FOR ‘RETALIATION,’ ALLEGED DEMOTIONS

Lyle and Erik were convicted of first-degree murder in 1996 and received life sentences without the possibility of parole. 

A Netflix series released last year brought renewed attention to their case, leading then-Los Angeles County DA George Gascón to recommend that the brothers be resentenced. 

The DA’s office said the Menendez brothers filed a habeas petition in court in May 2023 to overturn their convictions based on the discovery of new evidence. 

TIMELINE OF THE MENENDEZ BROTHERS’ MURDER CASE

“The biggest thing is that until recently, Bret, they had no chance of ever seeing freedom,” Levin told Fox News chief political anchor Bret Baier. “Yet, they started a hospice program, a suicide prevention program, a green space program. They counseled other inmates to rehabilitate them. They got advanced college degrees. And they did all of this without ever expecting to get out. So, I am stunned at the two people that I just spoke with.”

Nathan Hochman, the new LA County DA, who was sworn into office in early December, announced early last month that he was withdrawing Gascón’s motion to request resentencing.

“The People want to make clear that its request to withdraw its resentencing motion is based on the current state of the record and the Menendez brothers’ current and continual failure to show full insight and accept full responsibility for their murders,” read a press release from Hochman’s office in part. 

“If they were to finally come forward and unequivocally and sincerely admit and completely accept responsibility for their lies of self-defense and the attempted suborning of perjury they engaged in, then the Court should weigh such new insight into the analysis of rehabilitation and resentencing — as will the People.”

A hearing for the resentencing withdrawal request is scheduled to be held on Friday.

Levin said he doesn’t see any value in the upcoming hearing.

“I think that hearing is irrelevant because even if they got resentenced, all it would mean is, it then goes to the parole board. But, Governor Newsom has already jumped the gun and sent it to the parole board,” the TMZ founder explained.

“This is an issue of releasing them that splits the country right down the middle. And it’s pretty clear to me, at least, that Gavin Newsom’s running for president. If the parole board comes back to him and says they are rehabilitated and they’re not a danger, I think he’s going to let them out. And that is a pretty ballsy political move for somebody who has presidential ambitions.”

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“The Menendez Brothers: The Prison Interview” will air April 7 at 9:00 p.m. ET on Fox.

Massive payday for America announced — to the tune of $5,000,000,000,000

President Donald Trump’s 12th week in office is likely to center around the fallout from last week’s announcement of several new tariffs and a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“HANG TOUGH,” Trump said on social media Saturday while defending new U.S. tariffs, adding that “it won’t be easy, but the end result will be historic.”

The comments come as much of Trump’s 12th week in office promises to center around the president’s decision last week to announce new tariffs on dozens of countries around the world, a policy he argued will eventually “supercharge” the economy as part of his “economic revolution.”

STEPHEN MILLER SAYS AMERICANS HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW ‘BADLY’ WE’VE BEEN RIPPED OFF AS A COUNTRY

But concerns remain about the economic pitfalls of the new tariffs, most notably after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq saw their worst plunge of the decade late last week. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2,231.07 points, or 5.5%, on Friday, adding to the concern over Trump’s trade policies.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the tariffs a “massive assault on American families” during an appearance on CNN over the weekend, arguing that the policy will only serve to “help the billionaires.”

Nevertheless, Trump appeared ready to double down on his tariff push in the week ahead, vowing the trade plan will be a “win” in the long run.

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“We are bringing back jobs and businesses like never before. Already, more than FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS OF INVESTMENT, and rising fast! THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN,” Trump wrote Saturday on Truth Social.

Meanwhile, Trump is set to host Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, when the two leaders are likely to discuss not only the 17% tariff the president placed on the longtime U.S. ally but also the ongoing expansion of the Israeli invasion of Gaza.

Trump is also likely to keep a close eye on Congress in the week ahead as GOP lawmakers push forward to advance the president’s multitrillion-dollar spending agenda.

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The Senate adopted Trump’s budget blueprint over the weekend, which will now require approval from the House in order to push forward toward the budget reconciliation process. But doubts remain that Trump’s agenda can clear the lower chamber this week, with the GOP holding a slim majority that has strong disagreements among factions of the party.

“The Senate is free to put pen to paper to draft its reconciliation bill, but I can’t support House passage of the Senate changes to our budget resolution until I see the actual spending and deficit reduction plans to enact President Trump’s America First agenda,” Rep. Andy Harris, the House Freedom Caucus chair, wrote on X on Saturday.