Blue state governor appears with Trump again — and this time she’s not hiding
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., greeted President Donald Trump on the tarmac in Michigan before his speech to National Guard members on Tuesday, where she also spoke at the event without hiding her face.
“Well, I hadn’t planned to speak, but on behalf of all the military men and women who serve our country and serve so honorably on behalf of the State of Michigan, I am really damn happy we’re here,” Whitmer said.
Fox News co-host Judge Jeanine Pirro said on “The Five” Tuesday that Whitmer had a chance to set the tone for the Democratic Party.
“I think that…of course, she’s there because of the troops, but there are some Democrats who wouldn’t be in the same room with Donald Trump,” Pirro said. “I think that she did the right thing, and I think that wanting to work with the president to bring back manufacturing to Michigan is a smart move.”
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During the event on Tuesday, Trump unveiled plans to swap out the retiring A-10 Warthog aircraft based out of Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan with 21 brand-new F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets.
Trump shared the details during a speech to National Guard members at the Michigan base before an event commemorating his 100th day in office.
“So I want to thank Governor Gretchen Whitmer for bringing it also to our attention very strongly. And, you know, I’m not supposed to do that. She’s a Democrat. They say, ‘Don’t do that. Don’t have her here.’ I said, ‘No, she’s going to be here,'” Trump said. “She’s done a very good job, frankly. And she’s she was very much involved with, with the Republicans. They worked together on saving it. And it was not easy. So I want to thank you very much, Gretchen. Good job.”
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Whitmer’s presence Tuesday came a few weeks after seemingly hiding her face during a meeting with Trump in the Oval Office.
Whitmer was criticized for shielding her face with a folder as a photo of the moment became a meme on social media.
She poked fun at the now-viral moment by once again holding folders up in front of her face when asked about her trip to Washington, D.C., during an event at the Detroit Economic Club after the meeting with the president.
“… I don’t want my picture taken, that’s all it was. I kind of wished I hadn’t put my folder up in front of my face, but whatever. You know I was there … I just wrote a book about learning to laugh at yourself, so I’m pretty good at it. We all have our moments,” Whitmer said.
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The governor’s trip to Washington brought her 2028 presidential ambitions into the national conversation as she struck a diplomatic tone with Trump. She carefully criticized Trump’s tariffs while saying she understood the “motivation behind the tariffs” and even agreeing with Trump that we “need to make more stuff in America.”
Whitmer’s Oval Office moment marked her second meeting with Trump in less than a month, and Tuesday’s meeting now marks the third. As Trump signed executive orders from the Oval Office on April 9 and answered questions from the press, he said Whitmer had “done an excellent job” as governor and called her a “very good person,” a break from his typical lines of attack on her character.
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When Trump signed the executive orders calling for the investigation of two first-term administration aides who were critical of his actions, Whitmer’s office said she was brought into the room “without any notice” and that her appearance was “not an endorsement of the actions taken or statements made.”
But Trump called the issues “bipartisan” and jokingly added, “We’ll all stand there together and cut a ribbon. OK, Gretchen?”
Blue state judge tries to stop CBP from arresting suspected illegals without a warrant
A California judge on Tuesday demanded Border Patrol agents allow people they think are living in the U.S. illegally to stay in the country, unless authorities have a warrant or reason to believe the person may flee before they can get a warrant.
U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston ruled on Tuesday that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in the Eastern District of California cannot stop illegal immigrants without reasonable suspicion, or deport them via “voluntary departure,” unless that person is explained their rights and agrees to leave, according to a report from The Associated Press.
The decision comes after dozens of people were arrested in January during Border Patrol’s “Operation Return to Sender.”
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and CBP officials, claiming Border Patrol agents unconstitutionally detained people who looked like farmworkers, regardless of their actual immigration status or “individual circumstances,” over the span of a week, according to the report.
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Detainees were allegedly taken by bus to the border, held without being able to communicate with family or legal representation, and forced to sign documents that stated they waived their right to see an immigration judge and voluntarily agreed to leave the U.S., the ACLU said.
Thurston wrote that the evidence showed Border Patrol agents “engaged in conduct that violated well-established constitutional rights,” The AP reported.
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The agency will be required to submit a report showing who is being held and who was arrested, along with the reasoning for both, every 60 days until the lawsuit is resolved.
CBP claimed Thurston did not have jurisdiction to make the ruling, but said it wouldn’t matter if she did because the agency had already issued new guidance and training to its agents, “detailing exactly when people may be stopped or arrested without warrants, and what rights detainees have after their arrest,” according to the report.
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Thurston alleged the policy could be changed again in the future.
Trump blows off ‘stupid question’ during testy ABC interview exchange
President Donald Trump knocked what he called a “stupid question” from ABC News’ Terry Moran about his confidence in Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
During a sit-down primetime interview marking his 100th day in office Tuesday, Trump was asked about his conversations with Hegseth, who has made headlines in recent weeks over his work-related use of the encrypted Signal communication app as well as the ongoing turmoil at the Pentagon resulting in the ousting of his top aides.
“Did you take him to the woodshed?” Moran asked.
“I had a talk with him, and whatever I said, I probably wouldn’t be inclined to tell you, but we had a good talk,” Trump responded.
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“He’s a talented guy, he’s young, he’s smart, highly educated, and I think he’s gonna be a very good defense- hopefully a great defense secretary, but he’ll be a very good defense secretary,” Trump added.
“You have 100% confidence in Pete Hegseth,” Moran followed.
“I don’t have 100% confidence in anything, okay? Anything,” Trump shot back. “‘Do I have 100%’ – It’s a stupid question.”
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“It’s a pretty important position,” Moran interjected.
“No, no, no,” Trump pushed back. “You don’t have 100% – only a liar would say I have 100% confidence. I don’t have 100% confidence that we’re gonna finish this interview.”
“We will,” Moran asserted.
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Co-founder ‘not proud’ to host fundraiser for alleged track meet murder suspect
EXCLUSIVE: More than $514,000 has been donated to the “Help Karmelo Anthony Official Fund” on the crowd-sourcing site GiveSendGo.com.
This half-million-dollar sum is the result of an alleged murder that occurred at a track meet in Frisco, Texas, on April 2.
The victim was 17-year-old Austin Metcalf of Memorial High School, who died in a deadly stabbing. The suspect, 17-year-old Karmelo Anthony of Centennial High School, was just released from jail on bond after lawyers reduced his bail from $1 million.
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Anthony has told police that he “did it” – meaning the murder – but has claimed it was in self-defense. He has been charged with first-degree murder.
Now, GiveSendGo is leading in online fundraising for the Anthony’s family legal expenses. Other major crowd-sourcing platforms, including GoFundMe and Kickstarter, have not platformed a campaign for Anthony on their sites.
But GiveSendGo co-founder Jacob Wells and his leadership team are featuring Anthony’s campaign.
“How proud am I of this campaign? I don’t, I wouldn’t say I’m proud at all,” Wells told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview.
“I have no pride in having this being on GiveSendGo. I just have appreciation for what GiveSendGo is doing in the midst of these tragic moments, which is standing on principle, which is loving people even in the midst of very hard and dark places.”
Wells admitted that there have been other campaigns on his site, like a foster home for boys fundraiser, that he is proud of. But Anthony’s fundraiser is not one of those.
Wells claimed his company has only ever removed campaigns for causes deemed “illegal,” or raising money under false pretenses. He says he’s taken down a fundraiser for fraudulently raising money for travel expenses while the organizer intended to use the money to buy a gun.
Wells declined to directly say whether there were any conversations about removing the campaign, but insists that “pretty much” everyone involved in leadership at the company has been supportive of platforming it.
Wells compared the Anthony fund to the one his platform hosted for Kyle Rittenhouse in 2020. That effort raised over $250,000 after Rittenhouse shot three men in Kineshoa, Wisconsin, during the Jacob Blake riots.
But now Anthony’s campaign has raised more than twice that number, and is looking for more. As Wells and his colleagues have faced backlash and death threats, he said he’s had a conversation about donating the profits of the fundraiser to the Metcalf family to try and make a point that they aren’t just platforming Anthony’s fund for financial gain.
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Wells has also paid special attention to this campaign in recent weeks, as it’s been one of the biggest and most notorious his platform has ever hosted. He’s gone out of his way to take note of the types of people who are donating, and why they are donating.
And to him, some of these people are donating for the “wrong reasons.”
“There will always be people who are donating for the wrong reasons, on any campaign. There are people that believe the best way forward is racial division. That’s what they believe. So they’re going to stoke the flames of racial division however they can,” Wells said. “When you live in free societies, which we do, there’s a price to pay, and that is it allows for some people to do things that might not be good. And I think people do that all the time.”
Wells pointed specifically to “championing a racial narrative” as the wrong reason for wanting to donate to the campaign, when asked.
“When someone is championing a racial narrative that is divisive and not unifying, then I would claim that that’s a wrong reason to be donating. And there are people that have donated that are making claims that are divisive and not unifying. And those are in some of the comments. ” Unfortunately, in free societies, people can say stuff that is divisive and not unifying,” Wells said.
“They go both ways too. We’ve seen people who have made donations because donating is a way for you to comment on the campaign page… you have people that are on the other side of the aisle and they’ll donate the minimum $5 donation just so they can post a comment being derogatory to the Anthony family.”
Still, Wells claims that the “overwhelming majority” of engagement on the fundraiser has not been “derogatory.”
Wells declined to point to any specific comments that represent the “wrong” reasons. However, some public comments reviewed by Fox News Digital reflect Wells’ “racial narrative” reference.
“Honestly, even if Karmelo stabbed Austin for no reason at all, I’d still donate and support. Whites have gotten away with killing us for hundreds of years. I could care less about White lives,” read a comment with 53 likes.
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Wells blamed “right-wing outrage” for driving support to the fundraiser.
“The outrage of the right has fueled the response of the other side,” Wells said, adding that he saw similar patterns occur due to the left-wing response to the Rittenhouse fund and when his site hosted a campaign to support Daniel Penny after killing Jordan Neely in defense of New York City subway riders in 2023.
Representatives for the Anthony family have referenced race while comparing Anthony’s situation to Rittenhouse’s and Penny’s.
Next Generation Action Network (NGAN) president Dominique Alexander made the comparison at a press conference on April 17.
“Because these racist bigots try to prevent us from standing up for our baby, our boy, he should be afforded the same rights that Kyle Rittenhouse had, Daniel Penny and all the people who have claimed whatever their defense was – he should be afforded the same right,” Alexander said.
Anthony was recently moved from his home to an “undisclosed location to ensure his immediate safety” following an “alarming increase in death threats, continued harassment, and physical intimidation targeted at the family’s home,” NGAN said in a statement last week.
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Meanwhile, the Metcalf family has been victims of swatting in recent weeks, the Frisco Police Department (FPD) previously confirmed. Swatting is when a 911 call is made, usually to report a fake violent crime, to get police and sometimes even SWAT teams, to respond to the address given by the caller.
Metcalf’s father, Jeff Metcalf, previously told Fox News, “I want to clarify something right off to start because I’ve already heard some rumors and gossip. This was not a race thing. This is not a political thing.
“Do not politicize this. It’s not … this is a human being thing. This person made a bad choice and affected both his family and my family forever.”
State’s high court drops hammer against defiant Wisconsin judge
The Wisconsin Supreme Court issued an administrative order on Tuesday calling for Milwaukee Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan to be “temporarily relieved of her official duties.”
Dugan was arrested and charged with obstruction of an official proceeding on Friday after evidence came to light 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.
The order on Tuesday reads that Dugan “is temporarily prohibited from exercising the powers of a circuit court judge in the State of Wisconsin.”
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The state Supreme Court said the order will remain in effect “until further order of the court.”
The Wisconsin Court System confirmed with Fox News on Tuesday afternoon that Dugan will not return to the bench this week, adding that her caseload will be covered by other judges.
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.
The FBI arrested Dugan on Friday 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 Mexican national Eduardo 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 judge’s 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.
Dugan appeared in federal court in Milwaukee on Friday and made no public comments during the brief hearing, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Her attorney, Craig Mastantuono, told the court, “Judge Dugan wholeheartedly regrets and protests her arrest. It was not made in the interest of public safety.”
Dugan disputed the accuracy of local reports that claimed she had shielded the illegal immigrant from ICE.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Dugan had responded to the accusations in its publication last Tuesday, writing, “Nearly every fact regarding the ‘tips’ in your email is inaccurate.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi 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.”
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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.
George Clooney’s wife could reportedly be barred from entering the US
George Clooney’s wife of 11 years could find herself barred from entering the United States in the future because of her work with the International Criminal Court, according to a report.
Amal Clooney, a British human rights lawyer, has reportedly given legal advice to the court in a war crimes case against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the war in Gaza, according to the Financial Times.
George Clooney is an American citizen, and the couple, who share two young children, have properties in the United States.
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They mainly live in France, but have temporarily relocated to New York City while the “Ocean’s 11” actor stars on Broadway in “Good Night, and Good Luck” about Edward R. Murrow.
“They love being here,” Clooney recently told Stephen Colbert of his family. “I mean, come on, how do you not love this? It’s New York City.”
He added, “Actually, a play is kind of a good schedule because you’re working at night. You get to see the kids during the day. So, it’s OK,” Clooney added.
They also have homes in London and Lake Como, Italy.
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Per the Financial Times, the U.K. Foreign Office reportedly recently warned lawyers, including Amal Clooney, giving legal advice to the International Criminal Court that they could face sanctions due to a February executive order President Donald Trump signed.
The executive order claims the court “engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel. The ICC has, without a legitimate basis, asserted jurisdiction over and opened preliminary investigations concerning personnel of the United States and certain of its allies, including Israel, and has further abused its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.”
The executive order goes on to say, “The United States will impose tangible and significant consequences on those responsible for the ICC’s transgressions, some of which may include the blocking of property and assets, as well as the suspension of entry into the United States of ICC officials, employees, and agents, as well as their immediate family members.”
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ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, who is British, was named in the executive order as facing U.S. sanctions.
Amal Clooney practices law both in England and the United States. The 47-year-old was born in Lebanon and raised in Britain.
Last year, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant over their retaliation against Hamas in Gaza that has left tens of thousands dead following Hamas’ unprovoked Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The court also charged three Hamas leaders who have since died.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to reps for Clooney and the U.K. Foreign Office for comment.
Rock star canceled by the Left stuns White House with free speech question
Former Mumford & Sons musician and podcast host Winston Marshall asked the White House on Monday if President Donald Trump would give “political asylum” to UK citizens punished for their speech.
The British rock star-turned-political commentator appeared at Monday’s press briefing where he addressed concerns about free speech being under threat in his home country and asked if the U.S. would consider granting asylum to Brits who faced prosecution for posting “hate speech” online.
“In Britain, we have had a quarter of a million people issued non-crime hate incidents. As we speak, there are people in prison for quite literally posting memes,” Marshall told White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
“We have extensive prison sentences for tweets, social media posts and general free speech issues. Would the Trump administration consider political asylum for British citizens in such a situation?” he asked.
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Leavitt chuckled before complimenting Marshall for broaching the topic.
“It’s a very good one. I have not heard that proposed to the president nor have I spoken to him about that idea, but I certainly can and talk to our national security team and see if it’s something the administration would entertain,” she began.
Leavitt relayed that Vice President JD Vance had been “incredibly outspoken” about free speech concerns in the UK.
“The president has spoken about this as well, directly with your prime minister when he was here for a visit to the White House,” Leavitt told Marshall. “So it remains a critical endeavor of ours, to show the Brits, and your country, which we love and admire, about the First Amendment and the importance of free speech in a sovereign nation.”
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In a speech to European leaders in February, Vance warned that Europe appeared to be retreating from some of its fundamental values it shares with the U.S. and returning to “Soviet-era” censorship.
Marshall, a co-founder and former lead guitarist for the folk rock band Mumford & Sons, has become an outspoken advocate for free speech after being “canceled” in 2021 for expressing his political opinion.
He left the band that year after causing an uproar by sending a tweet in support of conservative journalist Andy Ngo’s book, “Unmasked,” about the left-wing anti-fascist movement known as Antifa.
In a November 2022 interview with Fox News Digital, Marshall said he had “no regrets” about leaving the band and now feels “liberated” to speak out on controversial issues.
From 2022-2023, Marshall hosted the podcast “Marshall Matters” with The Spectator. He currently hosts the podcast, “The Winston Marshall Show,” where he interviews “leading writers, authors, artists, journalists, musicians, scientists, entrepreneurs and heterodox voices across the world.”
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Anonymous NFL team exec takes aim at Shedeur Sanders’ handling of pre-draft process
The 2025 NFL Draft brought its fair share of surprises. But Shedeur Sanders’ free fall down the draft boards was perhaps the most surprising development.
The Cleveland Browns finally selected Sanders in the fifth round on Saturday. Shortly after the selection, Sanders took to social media to share a short but emotional message: “Thank you GOD.” In the days since, many figures in the sports world and beyond have attempted to outline Sanders’ drop.
On Tuesday, a report from The Athletic, citing an unmanned NFL team executive, highlighted decisions Sanders made that could have contributed to some teams becoming disillusioned with the former Colorado quarterback leading up to the NFL Draft.
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“I believe Shedeur approached these visits with teams as a recruiting trip versus a job interview,” the team executive told the outlet.
The same source suggested to The Athletic that Sanders’ refusal to hire an agent to represent him in an official capacity acted as a detriment. A certified and experienced agent could have given Sanders some beneficial insight into the draft process, the report suggested.
It was widely believed that Shedeur’s father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, effectively served as the quarterback’s informal advisor during the draft process.
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Sanders also faced some intense scrutiny from a different source just before the opening round kicked off last Thursday.
When asked to describe his pre-draft interview experience with Shedeur, an anonymous NFL assistant coach noted it was “the worst formal interview” he’d been part of.
“He’s so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates. … But the biggest thing is he’s not that good,” the unmanned assistant coach said via NFL Media.
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Sanders finished the 2024 season with 4,134 passing yards. He will join a crowded quarterback room in Cleveland that features Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel.
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