Dem claims he was set up during meeting with alleged MS-13 gang member
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., says the margaritas were fake. The outrage, he says, is real.
Returning from a highly publicized trip to El Salvador to meet with deported illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Van Hollen addressed reporters Thursday after landing at Dulles International Airport in Virginia. He attempted to set the record straight on what’s now being dubbed “margarita-gate,” a viral photo posted by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele that appeared to show the senator and Garcia sitting casually at a table with two salt-rimmed drinks.
“Let me just be very clear,” Van Hollen said. “Neither of us touched the drinks that were in front of us. And if you want to play a little Sherlock Holmes, I’ll tell you how you can know that. … If you sip out of one of those glasses, some of whatever it was — salt or sugar — would disappear. You would see a gap. There’s no gap.
“Nobody drank any margaritas or sugar water or whatever it is.”
KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA SUSPECTED OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN REPORT OBTAINED BY FOX NEWS
Van Hollen claimed the glasses were placed after the meeting began as a staged photo-op, adding that earlier footage shows the table without drinks. Van Hollen accused both El Salvador President Nayib Bukele and the Trump administration of trying to distract from what he described as a constitutional crisis.
“This is a lesson into the lengths that President Bukele will do to deceive people,” Van Hollen said. “And it also shows the lengths that the Trump administration and the president will go to, because when he was asked by a reporter about this, he just went along for the ride.”
Trump had his own take, posting on Truth Social Friday, “Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland looked like a fool yesterday standing in El Salvador begging for attention from the Fake News Media, or anyone. GRANDSTANDER!!!”
The controversy stems from the case of Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national deported from Maryland last month and placed in the country’s notorious CECOT prison.
WHITE HOUSE PHOTO BLUNTLY SHOWS WHERE PARTIES STAND ON IMMIGRATION AMID ABREGO GARCIA DEPORTATION
Federal officials have called the deportation an “administrative error” in court. Van Hollen and other Democrats have since argued it violated Garcia’s constitutional right to due process.
But the Trump administration has pushed back, pointing to Garcia’s alleged domestic abuse, gang ties and suspected involvement in human trafficking.
A 2022 Homeland Security Investigations report identified Garcia as a member of MS-13 and a suspected human trafficker. A 2021 domestic violence filing, written by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez, claimed, “I have multiple photos/videos of how violent he can be and all the bruises he [has] left me.”
Despite these reports, Van Hollen insists no evidence has been presented in court and that the removal was unlawful. He cited rulings by a federal district court and the U.S. Supreme Court ordering Garcia’s return.
“The government in this case, the Trump administration, is asserting a right to stash away residents of this country in foreign prisons without the semblance of due process,” Van Hollen said, quoting a recent Fourth Circuit decision. “That is the foundation of our constitutional order.”
He added that Judge Paula Xinis, the federal judge who first reviewed the case, found the administration “offered no evidence linking Abrego Garcia to MS-13 or any terrorist activity.”
Trump, however, fiercely defended the deportation. In a post on Truth Social and X, he said the Democrats were demanding the return of someone with gang ties and a history of violence, while holding a photo allegedly showing Garcia’s fist with MS-13 gang signs tattooed onto his knuckles.
In his post, President Trump wrote: “This is the hand of the man that the Democrats feel should be brought back to the United States, because he is such ‘a fine and innocent person.’ They said he is not a member of MS-13, even though he’s got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles, and two Highly Respected Courts found that he was a member of MS-13, beat up his wife, etc. I was elected to take bad people out of the United States, among other things. I must be allowed to do my job. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador this week after the Salvadoran government initially denied him access to Garcia. After press coverage, he said, officials arranged a meeting at a hotel, which was filmed. He said Salvadoran soldiers had previously stopped him from approaching the prison and that he was surprised by the last-minute permission to meet.
He also revealed that the U.S. had committed $15 million to El Salvador to support detention operations and said over $4 million had already been paid. Van Hollen claimed this funding was unauthorized and pledged to oppose future appropriations.
“I won’t support the use of one penny of taxpayer dollars to keep Abrego Garcia illegally detained in El Salvador,” he said.
Critics, including Republicans and Trump allies, have questioned why Van Hollen would travel abroad to advocate for someone with alleged gang ties and a record of domestic abuse while remaining silent on victims like Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman murdered by an illegal immigrant in 2023.
The White House drew a sharp contrast, posting side-by-side photos of Trump meeting with Morin’s mother and Van Hollen meeting with Abrego Garcia. The caption: “We are not the same.”
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Asked about the comparison, Van Hollen said his “heart breaks” for Morin’s family but defended his actions as grounded in the Constitution.
“The reason we have courts of law is to punish the guilty, but also to make sure that those who have not committed crimes are not found guilty and arbitrarily detained,” he said.
College student charged with allegedly firebombing Tesla dealer while on spring break
A college student was arrested by federal authorities in Boston after allegedly launching a Molotov cocktail at a Tesla dealership in Missouri while home on spring break.
Owen McIntire, 19, of Kansas City, was arrested and made an initial court appearance Friday in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts.
McIntire, a college student in Boston, was charged with unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device and malicious damage by fire of any property used in interstate commerce, according to court documents filed in the Western District of Missouri.
FBI INVESTIGATING AFTER WASHINGTON TESLA CHARGING STATION DAMAGED FOLLOWING ‘LOUD NOISE’
A Kansas City Missouri Police Department (KCMOPD) officer who was near the Kansas City Tesla Center March 17 saw smoke rising from a Cybertruck parked in the parking lot.
The officer also found a Molotov cocktail that was still in tact near the burning Cybertruck just before midnight, according to an affidavit.
Kansas City Fire Department crews responded to extinguish the fire, which had spread from the Cybertruck to a second vehicle in the lot, according to court documents. The Cybertrucks had sale prices of $105,485 and $107,485.
Two Tesla charging stations were also damaged by the fire, each with an approximate value of $550.
TESLA VEHICLES, DEALERSHIPS TARGETED WITH ARSON, GUNFIRE AND VANDALISM IN AT LEAST 9 STATES: FBI
Agents and forensic experts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recovered and analyzed key evidence, including Molotov cocktails allegedly used in the arson.
Authorities later found video footage of a person who they believe to be McIntire, wearing a large hat, lighting the devices and throwing them at the Cybertrucks before walking away.
The hat was later found by authorities near the dealership, with DNA evidence confirming it matched that of a man.
TESLA VEHICLES, CHARGING STATIONS TARGETED AS PROTESTERS DENOUNCE DOGE, ELON MUSK
“Let me be extremely clear to anyone who still wants to firebomb a Tesla property: You will not evade us,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement. “You will be arrested. You will be prosecuted. You will spend decades behind bars. It is not worth it.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said the arrest was the second of the week for crimes targeting Tesla.
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“These actions are dangerous, they are illegal and we are going to arrest those responsible,” Patel said. “We will work with our partners at the Department of Justice to hold accountable anyone who commits such crimes.”
The FBI Kansas City and Boston field offices, the ATF and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department are investigating.
Southern vacation town braces for mayhem as crime-filled beach fest returns
Orange Crush, a controversial Georgia college spring break bash that has brought violence and piles of trash to the quiet Georgia vacation town of Tybee Island in years past, is returning Saturday. And, this time, its organizers are promising to keep the event safe and clean.
Orange Crush has an official permit this year, along with an agreement between its organizers and Tybee Island city officials to keep the beach clean enough for the estimated several thousand people expected to show up to watch the sunrise on Easter Sunday from the Tybee Beach pier.
“Our whole region of southeast Georgia has nothing but bad memories about this event [in recent years]. … It got out of control whenever people got involved who weren’t really college students. They were coming just to try and make money or whatever,” Tybee Island Mayor Brian West told Fox News Digital. “We had a really good year last year. It was a complete success, in my opinion, although it wasn’t perfect.”
West added that if the event goes smoothly this year, city officials will keep working with event organizers to establish trust among locals and keep the event returning to Tybee for future spring break festivals.
ORANGE CRUSH 2025: GEORGIA BEACH TOWN APPROVES PERMIT FOR SPRING BREAK FESTIVAL UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS
Tybee Island City Manager Bret Bell said during a press conference Wednesday recorded by WSAV — the city’s fourth press conference ahead of Orange Crush since the permitting process began early this year — that “Tybee has always been one of the great host communities of the South, and this weekend will be no different.
“Troublemakers are never welcome on Tybee Island, and this is no exception to that. But if you’re here to have a good time on one of the most beautiful spots on Earth, we welcome you with open arms.”
“If you’re here to have a good time on one of the most beautiful spots on Earth, we welcome you with open arms.”
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The college-age beach bash, which was previously held on Friday, Saturday and Sunday on Tybee, will only take place Saturday this year as part of the agreement with city officials.
The event will end at 8 p.m. EST, at which point festivalgoers will have to leave the beach and head to Saturday evening activities elsewhere in nearby Savannah.
Tybee Island’s entire police department of about 30 officers will be monitoring the event, along with approximately 130 officers from other local agencies providing support to Tybee for the festival.
Orange Crush has designated 25 people to help with cleanup after the event, and Tybee Island leaders are asking for volunteers to assist afterward.
“Bring your own trash bags. Don’t wait for someone to come organize you. Just come and pick up litter,” Bell said.
ORANGE CRUSH 2025: POPULAR GEORGIA BEACH TOWN APPROVES RETURN OF CRIME-FILLED BEACH FEST
Orange Crush began as a relatively small spring break gathering for Savannah State students in 1989 but has since grown into a large festival that local officials have struggled to control in recent years. The city has dealt with issues ranging from traffic backups and litter in the ocean to gunfire, fights and stampeding, West previously told Fox News Digital.
While the event is no longer affiliated with Savannah State and briefly moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in 2021, it has since returned to the Georgia vacation spot and is expected to draw tens of thousands of attendees to the three-mile island.
ROAD RAGE SHOOTING CAPS GEORGIA ’23 SPRING BREAK CHAOS AT TYBEE ISLAND
“This is the first time that we have ever received a permit that was complete and answered all of our questions,” West told Fox News Digital. “So, that was the first step. The promoters made the effort to do it the right way. And then … they were able to meet the permit requirements as we kind of customize them for what we would like the event to look like.”
“They were willing to work with us and to create an event that both the city and the promoters can live with.”
West said he and other city officials have been working with event promoters for “weeks” to ensure the festival goes smoothly.
POPULAR GEORGIA BEACH TOWN OVERRUN BY ‘ORANGE CRUSH’ FIGHTING, CHAOS, VIDEO SHOWS
West noted that “spring break is a problem” for many coastal cities across the southeast, and Tybee is no exception, but the city feels it can make Orange Crush a “better” event and possibly reduce some restrictions in the future.
Last month, Tybee Island granted a special permit for Orange Crush after negotiating a one-day event rather than a three-day event, as well as an agreed-upon site plan that blocks access to Tybee Island parking lots, where West said some nefarious activity occurred at past Orange Crush events.
Attendees can also rent beach equipment, and there will be special VIP areas this year, West said. Additionally, Tybee Island will be bringing in extra police officers to help enforce public safety.
The Tybee Island Police Department said in a Facebook post Thursday that locals should anticipate significant traffic delays, and, due to an influx of visitors to the small island, there “will be an abundance of law enforcement officers from multiple agencies working on the island throughout the weekend.” The department will post any emergency news to its Facebook page.
Orange Crush organizer Steven Smalls previously told Fox News Digital in a statement that his team has “implemented a structured system to bring organization, security, and entertainment to this event — something that has never been done before.”
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“I have worked closely with Tybee Island officials, including Mayor Brian West, law enforcement in Tybee Island and Savannah and other key stakeholders to develop a rigorous plan for this year’s festival,” Smalls said. “Our team has followed a strict schedule to ensure that every detail is carefully organized and executed with safety and structure in mind.”
Smalls noted that Orange Crush has “been a longstanding tradition, occurring with or without a permit,” but this year will be different because “for the first time, the event is officially structured, with security, waste management and traffic coordination in place.”
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In 2018, Tybee Island enacted new regulations cracking down on Orange Crush weekend, including restrictions on open alcohol because Tybee is an open container city, increased traffic stops and property searches and limits on home rentals. An activist group, the Concerned Citizens of Tybee, complained about the regulations and involved the Justice Department. Eventually, the group and city leaders came to an agreement in July 2018.
The agreement states that Tybee will apply the same rules and restrictions to all large events on the island, “permitted or unpermitted,” that will be applied equally.
Bill Maher sounds the alarm on potential Dem candidate in 2028
“Real Time” host Bill Maher is not rallying behind Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., as the Democratic nominee in 2028.
Maher began the panel discussion Friday by pointing to how the prominent “Squad” member and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have been getting large crowds at their “Fight Oligarchy” rallies across the country, prompting one audience member to loudly clap.
“Thank you,” Maher reacted to the audience member. “There’s that same guy, I call him the ‘always wrong’ guy – I’m kidding.”
“But I feel like big crowds, again, these shiny objects that the Democrats chase. It’s not about the big crowds when you’re talking at a festival or wherever they are, because I think that Bernie showed up at Coachella. That must’ve been fun for the fans,” Maher continued. “It’s who shows up on Election Day. And I just don’t see that’s the ticket.”
BILL MAHER DECLARES HIMSELF A ‘HERO’ FOR CONFRONTING TRUMP AT WHITE HOUSE MEETING
He took a knock towards the 25-hour marathon speech given by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., as Democrats “whacking each other off.”
Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., defended Booker’s record floor speech as something that energized their party but conceded Democrats have to do a lot more to win back voters.
“And you don’t really think AOC should be the candidate, do you?” Maher asked.
“It’s not my job to pick who the candidate is going to be,” Smith responded.
“Oh, it’s mine,” Maher quipped. “And it’s not – it shouldn’t be her. It shouldn’t be her.”
BILL MAHER REVEALS TRUMP WAS ‘GRACIOUS AND MEASURED’ AT WHITE HOUSE MEETING, SAYS HE’S NOT THE MAN SEEN ON TV
Ocasio-Cortez has seen a surge in recent Democratic primary polls, placing second to former Vice President Kamala Harris in one. Prominent pollster Nate Silver said this week that she’s currently the most likely candidate to win the Democratic nomination in 2028, although Ocasio-Cortez has not indicated she’s running for president.
Earlier in the show, Maher pointed to the viral moment from an AOC-Sanders rally where anti-Israel protesters dropped a “Free Palestine” banner over the American flag and were ejected by police, prompting rallygoers to chant “Free Palestine” and halt Sanders’ speech.
“I kind of worry that that’s where the Democratic Party is, that this is their next stupid hill to die on,” Maher said. “So the chant of ‘Free Palestine,’ free from whom I would like to ask. Do they realize who is really the people who are enslaving the people of Palestine?”
“If those moronic people had any knowledge, they would say ‘Free Palestine from Hamas,’” author Douglas Murray responded to an agreeing Maher. “At the very least, they would do that.”
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At another point in the show, Maher mocked Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for her awkward moment last week where she tried to hide her face behind a folder while in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump. The two-term governor of a swing state, Whitmer is widely seen as a possible 2028 candidate.
“We need a better Democrat than that,” Maher said.
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Trump admin proposes new rule for thousands of career federal employees
President Trump on Friday said that career government employees working on policy matters for the administration will be reclassified “Schedule Policy/Career,” – or at will employees – and will be fired if they don’t adhere to his agenda.
“Following my Day One Executive Order, the Office of Personnel Management will be issuing new Civil Service Regulations for career government employees,” the president wrote on Truth Social Friday afternoon.
He added, “Moving forward, career government employees, working on policy matters, will be classified as ‘Schedule Policy/Career,’ and will be held to the highest standards of conduct and performance.”
This comes as the Trump administration continues to fire federal employees in an effort to shrink the government.
FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS HALT TO TRUMP ADMIN’S CFPB TERMINATIONS
The administration’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM) estimated the rule change in Trump’s executive order “Restoring Accountability to Policy-Influencing Positions Within the Federal Workforce” would affect around 50,000 employees or 2% of the federal workforce, the White House said in a Friday memo.
The regulations for civil service employees “with important policy-determining, policy-making, policy-advocating, or confidential duties” will now be considered “at-will” employees, “without access to cumbersome adverse action procedures or appeals, overturning Biden Administration regulations that protected poor performing employees.”
Trump added in his post: “If these government workers refuse to advance the policy interests of the President, or are engaging in corrupt behavior, they should no longer have a job. This is common sense, and will allow the federal government to finally be ‘run like a business.’ We must root out corruption and implement accountability in our Federal Workforce!”
SUPREME COURT RULES ON STATUS OF TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FIRED PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES
The White House said the “rule empowers federal agencies to swiftly remove employees in policy-influencing roles for poor performance, misconduct, corruption, or subversion of Presidential directives, without lengthy procedural hurdles.”
The employees aren’t required to personally support the president, but “must faithfully implement the law and the administration’s policies.”
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The proposed rule won’t change the status of affected employees’ jobs until another executive order is issued, the White House said.
Americans sound off as REAL ID scramble causes chaos: ‘Forced down our throats’
The countdown is on: In less than 20 days, the REAL ID requirement will take effect, requiring Americans to obtain a new form of identification in order to fly domestically.
Other identification that will be accepted in lieu of a REAL ID include a valid U.S. passport or passport card; DHS trusted traveler cards such as Global Entry; Department of Defense IDs; permanent resident cards; and border crossing cards.
As of Friday morning in New Jersey, the Department of Motor Vehicles (NJDMV) website showed “0 appointments available” for REAL ID services on its site.
REAL ID APPOINTMENTS ADDED AS NEW JERSEY RESIDENTS STRUGGLE TO GET NEW IDENTIFICATION
There were, however, 13,380 appointments available for non-driver IDs and 31,107 appointments open for transferring drivers’ licenses from out of state.
DMVs across the country are reportedly working to meet the demand, with some implementing Saturday REAL ID events and extending appointment hours during the week.
If a driver’s license falls within the renewal period, the person can book a renewal appointment to upgrade to a REAL ID — and there are 51,906 appointments available for that.
Fox News Digital reached out to NJDMV for comment.
NO ‘REAL ID’ APPOINTMENTS OPEN IN NEW JERSEY AS RESIDENTS SOUND OFF: ‘GET WITH THE TIMES, NJ’
Daniel Velez, a spokesperson for TSA New England, told Fox News Digital on Friday that the agency will be “ready to enforce” the policy on the deadline of May 7 and that the requirement will “not be pushed back.”
The launch date happens to fall on a Wednesday — which is one of least busy travel days of the week, Velez said.
Airports are finalizing plans on how to handle those travelers who do not have proper identification to fly. He added that travel delays will be “few and far between.”
Real reactions to REAL ID
The approaching REAL ID deadline has drawn comments from both supporters and critics, sparking debates on social media.
“REAL ID is literally just a regular ID with a little star on it to demonstrate you showed the DMV clerk a document with your name and address on it. It’s gonna be OK, people,” one user posted on X.
“As always, no appointments available when you need it.”
Another user wrote, “I see REAL ID is trending. What’s BS about this is you have to make an appointment, and you can’t just walk [into] in the DMV and get it taken care of. As always, no appointments available when you need it.”
REAL ID DEADLINE FOR TRAVELERS, SOME FEDERAL BUILDING ACCESS QUICKLY APPROACHING
“You can pitch a tent on their lawn. Camp out until they can see you,” someone else joked about DMV appointments.
Another person said, “REAL IDs are an insult to every American citizen. What next?”
“States have had 25 years to implement REAL ID. Blame your state for the delay,” said one user.
“Now we have REAL ID being forced down our throats,” posted one man.
Another shared, “I don’t get why everyone is so mad at the REAL ID thing. I’ve had one for 4 years. Had no idea it was an issue. What am I missing.”
Said another person on X, “We’ve been showing ID to fly as far back as I can remember. Stop fear-mongering. REAL ID simply helps guarantee that the ID being used is genuine.”
One woman shared, “Yea, that REAL ID is definitely not happening before this flight. Thank God for a passport.”
Former presidential candidate and ex-House Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, wrote on X, “REAL ID is one of the greatest threats to Americans’ civil liberties in decades.”
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Another user posted, “The fact there are roughly 90 million people in this country who will be unable to fly starting May 7 unless they pay to get a REAL ID seems like it should be a bigger story.”
Said yet another person, “I don’t know if it’s the same in every state, but in Nevada we have to physically go to the DMV to get one … I’d rather take my passport everywhere I go than have to ever go to the DMV.”
One man shared, “Even as a right-leaning independent that has some libertarian views, I don’t get the hoopla over REAL ID. You’re already on several ‘lists,’ chief among them via your SSN.”
Rich Davis, a senior security advisor for the global travel assistance company International SOS, said he suggests waiting for an appointment if you can.
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“If you don’t have immediate travel plans or if you already have a passport, it’s worth waiting for an appointment,” Illinois-based Davis told Fox News Digital.
“Availability is expected to improve after the deadline passes, making it easier to obtain a REAL ID.”
Pro-life father whose home FBI raided appeals ruling by ‘activist’ federal judge
FIRST ON FOX— Pro-life activist Mark Houck, who sued the Justice Department over his arrest and prosecution under the Biden administration, said his family has been blocked from settling their lawsuit by an “activist” federal judge.
Houck filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department last year, seeking restitution for what he called “a faulty investigation” and “excessive force” after a SWAT team of around 25 people arrested him in front of his children.
Now, Houck is appealing the judge’s decision to the Third District Court and calling on the Trump administration to follow through on ending the weaponization of the DOJ against pro-lifers such as him once and for all. He discusses the case with his wife and 40 Days for Life founder Shawn Carney in a new video shared with Fox News Digital.
“You live in fear of it happening again, not only to yourselves but to others, and you want to know that this administration, which rode this message to the White House, is willing to step in,” Houck said in the video, adding, “and they’re doing it for other organizations, they’re doing it in the DOGE, they’re doing it with all the things, they’re cleaning house.”
PRO-LIFE JOURNALIST ASSAULTED ON STREET ASSIGNS BLAME TO DEMOCRATIC RHETORIC
In an interview with Fox News Digital, 40 Days for Life President Shawn Carney said: “I just think, Democratic or Republican, we’re tired of activist judges on both sides of the political aisle.”
“Nobody likes it – and just, this guy’s a victim,” Carney said, adding that the Justice Department “needs to fix this.”
News of the appeal, which is slated to be filed by 40 Days for Life on behalf of Houck, was shared exclusively with Fox News Digital. The group has already filed a Notice to Appeal to the courts.
At issue are the settlement negotiations that 40 Days for Life entered into with the Justice Department in early 2025, following Trump’s inauguration.
U.S. District Judge Paul Diamond, a Bush appointee, abruptly issued a motion to dismiss the case last month, effectively ending the negotiations that had been playing out between Houck and the Trump-led Justice Department.
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It appears that the motion to dismiss the case had originally been filed by the Biden-led Justice Department, which charged Houck in 2021 for allegedly violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances, or FACE Act.
In the video, Carney and Houck discussed the judge’s decision as well as changes in the law enforcement community more broadly, and what they hope to be new priorities of the second Trump administration.
Houck said his family is disappointed by the judge’s actions and added that “it reflects poorly against the Trump administration.”
Speaking with Fox News Digital, Carney lamented the dismissal of their lawsuit by Diamond, whom he called an “activist” judge and accused of political bias. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that the Trump administration would make it right.
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“We are appealing the decision of the judge to continue the lawsuit against the DOJ,” Carney said. “And of course, if we could get back on track with that, the idea is that then we would be able to settle with DOJ, since they want to settle.”
“We have a very strong appeal,” he said of their yet-to-be-filed brief. “We’re very confident about the appeal.”
The FBI and Department of Justice did not respond to requests for comment.
Houck, a longtime volunteer with 40 Days for Life, was arrested in 2021 for his actions outside a Planned Parenthood clinic, which prosecutors said violated the so-called Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE Act.
He was acquitted by a Philadelphia jury, but could have faced up to eleven years in prison if convicted.
Both his high-profile arrest at home, and the lengthy prison sentence he could have faced if convicted, prompted outrage from pro-life groups, including 40 Days for Life, where Houck has volunteered since 2007.
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In 2023, after Houck’s acquittal, 40 Days for Life joined Houck in suing the Justice Department over the ordeal, accusing law enforcement personnel of conducting a “faulty investigation” against him, and accusing law enforcement of using “excessive force” in the FBI raid of his family home.
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Carney has weighed in on the topic before, saying in a post on X this year that 40 Days for Life was “targeted constantly by the Biden DOJ.”
“With 1,000,000 peaceful volunteers we will always fight for free speech for pro-life and pro-abortion Americans alike. God bless Trump and Vance for backing us up,” said Carney.
Hulk Hogan makes big announcement as his latest venture takes off
This weekend marks the 41st edition of WWE’s staple, WrestleMania, but the company’s biggest superstar ever is making moves out of the squared circle, as well.
Hulk Hogan’s Real American Beer, founded last June, has now hit the shelves at Walmart.
The mega-store will now be selling the beverage in eight states: Florida, Illinois, Idaho, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio and Wisconsin.
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“Americans deserve a real American beer, and now they can grab Real American Beer at Walmart — America’s store. Our team is passionate about building a beer that brings America together. We are a beer for great American pastimes — sports, racing, grills, tailgates, family,” Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, said in a statement. “Real American Beer is made for summer. And now, it’s easier than ever to get some, brother.”
Added Real American Beer CEO Terri Francis: “Our Walmart partnership is a massive step forward in making Real American Beer available to millions more Americans. This is about more than just fast growth — it’s about building an iconic American brand that people want to celebrate. We see it when we roll into a new Real American Beer town and lines wrap around the block. We see it when the beer sells out in days. We see it in the comments, the shares, the photos, the stories.”
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Real American Beer, available in 23 states, is the official beer of WWE, and it trails only Samuel Adams as the most-popular light beer.
Its name is an ode to Hogan’s entrance music, titled “Real American.”
WrestleMania 41 is set to kick off Saturday night in Las Vegas, and it’s the sixth straight year the spectacle will be a two-night event.
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Saturday night’s main event is the triple-threat match between Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and CM Punk, while on Sunday night, new heel John Cena will look to notch his record-breaking 17th world title against Cody Rhodes, who won the belt over Reigns last year after the latter’s more than 1,000-day run as champ.