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MSNBC host Jen Psaki told CBS “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert on Wednesday that not enough Democrats were fighting back against President Donald Trump, as the two liberals mocked Sen. Chuck Schumer’s efforts.

“I think what’s pretty clear is not enough of them are fighting, far too many are still relying on the old tactics of ever lore,” Psaki told Colbert before the late-night host quickly brought up Schumer.  

“But Chuck Schumer, he wrote a very strong letter,” he said. Psaki piled on and noted that it included, “eight strongly worded questions.”

She quipped, “If that’s not going to make you shake in your boots, I don’t know what is.”

JEN PSAKI ADMITS MSNBC’S LIBERAL VIEWERS EXPECT NEGATIVE COVERAGE OF TRUMP

MSNBC host Jen Psaki joined Stephen Colbert’s “Late Show” on Wednesday as the pair mocked Sen. Chuck Schumer for touting a “strong” letter he sent to Trump.  (Screenshot/Colbert)

Schumer touted sending the president a “strong letter” about Trump’s government funding freeze at Harvard University, during a CNN interview on Sunday. 

Psaki praised Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s speech in New Hampshire on Sunday, calling it “incredibly powerful and strong.” In the speech, Pritzker called for mass protests against Trump. 

She added that “the message he was sending was, ‘I’m a fighter, I’m going to say the things, I’m going to call out the do-nothing Democrats’ – his word, not my words. He’s going to call out what he’s seeing in the Trump administration.”

Psaki continued, saying, “I think what we are seeing right now is there is a divide, basically. There are people who are out there doing stuff, and by doing stuff I mean, it can be anything: go lead a protest, go to a red state, go hold a town hall, go to El Salvador. Whatever it may be, do stuff, people want to know you’re fighting and doing things. If Democrats are going to rely on the tactics of old, they will lose.”

 “And so, hopefully more people come on to the fighting side,” she added.

‘60 MINUTES’ CALLS OUT CORPORATE OWNER PARAMOUNT ON THE AIR, SAYS PRODUCER WHO QUIT FELT INTERFERED WITH

Jen Psaki speaks onstage during Jen Psaki in Conversation with Lawrence O’Donnell – Say More: Lessons from Work, the White House, and the World at 92NY on May 08, 2024 in New York City.  (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

The MSNBC host was also asked if journalists were “caving to the pressure of the Trump administration,” and denying the public truth. 

“Yes, I mean, first of all, when you are picking out the AP and Bloomberg, I mean these are reporters who are asking things like ‘what do you say about the bond market? What about these ceasefire negotiations?’ They are not gotcha questions, they are there to cover the actual news, policymaking that is happening in the administration,” she said, outlining her concerns.

“I’ve worked with media for more than two decades. Where the decisions are made are often behind the scenes, so there is no media organization or media outlet or reporter who is going to say, ‘We are going to obey and advance now.’ That’s not how it’s going to work.”

She added, “What happens is stories are killed, voices aren’t invited on, stories are muted, they’re watered down. We’ve obviously seen this happen recently, we don’t know all the details behind the scenes with ‘60 Minutes,’ but Bill Owens resigning is a significant statement of what they felt they were experiencing.”

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“I think most journalists are there to hold truth to power, to hold people to account, to follow the story, but where does the pressure come from at the top? And how do people respond to that? And how does that manifest itself in what news ends up on the front pages and on television? And those are pieces you will not see all of the behind-the-scenes conversations on,” Psaki said.

A former New Mexico judge and his wife, who are accused of harboring a Venezuelan gang member in their home, have been released from jail on bond.

Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, were arrested last month on charges of tampering with evidence after federal agents raided their Las Cruces home.

Court records show they were released on $10,000 bond each on Tuesday under certain conditions.

In January 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officials received a tip that Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, an alleged member of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, a designated foreign terrorist organization, “was residing with other illegal aliens in the United States unlawfully at an address located in Las Cruces, New Mexico…and was in possession of firearms,” a federal complaint states. 

EX-NEW MEXICO JUDGE, WIFE TRIED TO HIDE EVIDENCE OF ILLEGAL ALIEN GANGBANGER, DOJ PROSECUTORS SAY

Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano, 68, and his wife, Nancy Cano, 67, are accused of harboring Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, an illegal immigrant and alleged member of Venezuela’s notorious Tren de Aragua gang. (U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico /U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement )

“Nancy and Jose Cano are the owners of the Premises,” the complaint said.

Court documents further revealed that Ortega, who entered the United States from Mexico illegally in 2023 by climbing over a barbed wire fence, was initially hired by Nancy Cano for home repairs and later offered accommodation in the couple’s guesthouse.

EX-NEW MEXICO JUDGE, WIFE ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY HARBORING ILLEGAL TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBER

An HSI agent escorts former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano out of his home on Thursday, April 24, 2025. (Courtesy of KFOX14)

Ortega is charged with being an illegal immigrant in possession of a firearm and/or ammunition. 

Federal authorities searched the Canos’ home on April 24 to locate Ortega-Lopez’s missing phone. During questioning, Joel Cano apparently admitted to authorities that he destroyed Ortega’s cellphone “with a hammer and discarded the remaining pieces in the city trash dumpster” earlier this year.

FBI ARRESTS WISCONSIN JUDGE, ALLEGING SHE OBSTRUCTED ARREST OF ILLEGAL ALIEN

Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano and his wife, Nancy Cano, were arrested last month on charges of tampering with evidence after federal agents raided their Las Cruces, New Mexico, home. (Doña Ana County Detention Center)

“Specifically, Jose Cano stated that he destroyed the cellphone and further admitted that he believed the cellphone contained photos or videos that would reflect negatively on Ortega,” a federal complaint states. “Through further questioning, agents ascertained that Jose Cano destroyed the cellphone, believing that it contained photographs of Ortega holding firearms that Ortega had uploaded onto social media platforms which would be additional incriminating evidence against him.”

Federal officials seized other cellphones from Oretga that apparently contained messages showing his “Tren de Aragua affiliation and photos of Ortega in possession of firearms and ammunition.” In social media videos, Ortega can allegedly be seen shooting “an AR-15 style rifle with a suppressor” at metal targets.

NEW MEXICO JUDGE RESIGNS AFTER ALLEGED TDA MEMBER ARRESTED AT HIS HOME

Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano. (U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico)

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Joel Cano resigned from his judicial position in March, and last month, the New Mexico Supreme Court issued a ruling permanently barring him from holding any judicial office in the state. 

Joel and Nancy Cano face up to 15 years in prison. Fox News Digital reached out to their attorney for comment.

“The rule of law is very simple: It doesn’t matter what line of work you’re in. If you break the law, we will follow the facts, and we will prosecute you,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a video message last week.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.

Florida Gov. DeSantis argued with a reporter on Thursday over illegal immigration, telling her “you seem to have no sympathy for people that have been victimized by illegal aliens” after she suggested work being done by ICE is “a little sloppy.” 

The fireworks erupted after the Republican spoke about Operation Tidal Wave, a record-breaking joint Florida-ICE operation resulting in the arrests of more than 1,100 illegal immigrants. 

“This is wonderful, this dog and pony show, but there are American citizens who are being deported – they show their birth certificates, they show their passports, they show their IDs and a lot of the work being done is a little sloppy,” the reporter, who identified herself as being from Florida station WSVN, told DeSantis. 

“Well, first of all, I’ll let ICE handle that accusation that you’re making that they’re deporting American citizens who are showing birth certificates and all that. I don’t believe that that’s true, but I’ll let them respond to that. But you seem to have no sympathy. You seem to have no sympathy for people that have been victimized by illegal aliens,” DeSantis shot back. 

OPERATION TIDAL WAVE: ICE, FLORIDA LAW ENFORCEMENT ARREST OVER 1,100 IN RECORD-BREAKING CRACKDOWN 

Posters of alleged criminals who officials said were arrested in a recent immigration enforcement operation are displayed as Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference at the South Florida office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Enforcement and Removal Operations on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in Miramar, Florida. (AP/Rebecca Blackwell)

“What about people — you have someone driving drunk and kills [an] American citizen. What about people that have been deported previously and let in under Biden, who then commit sexual offenses or commit homicides? And then we have more victims as a result of the federal government’s previous inattention and unwillingness to enforce the law. So there are a lot of people that have been harmed by illegal immigration. There have been people that have been harmed by Tren de Aragua gang members who should not be in this country in the first place,” DeSantis continued. 

FATHER WINS DECADE-LONG FIGHT FOR JUSTICE AFTER DAUGHTER KILLED IN TEXAS BY ILLEGAL MIGRANT 

Florida Gov. DeSantis argued with a reporter Thursday over the topic of illegal immigration.

“So let’s just be clear. Who are you fighting for?” Desantis asked. “We’re fighting for the citizens of Florida. We want them to be able to live in a society that upholds the rule of law. We want them to be able to live in a state that is safe, and we have to take action on it.” 

The Department of Homeland Security said Operation Tidal Wave resulted in the arrests of “members of MS-13, murderers, rapists, drug traffickers and human rights abusers”. (ICE)

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“I’ll let them address your accusations. But the notion that somehow this is America, therefore we’re supposed to have an open border? We’re not supposed to enforce immigration laws, we’re supposed to just sit on our hands? When Biden let in 7 or 8 million people illegally into the country? No, that is not responsible,” DeSantis concluded. “That is not what our citizens elected us to do. So we’re in this fight. I think a lot of these narratives that I hear, to me, just instinctively, I think they’re fake narratives because I’ve seen it happen so many times.” 

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich., said the United States is in a “constitutional crisis” after appearing alongside President Donald Trump in Michigan on his 100th day as president. 

Jon Favreau, former President Barack Obama’s speechwriter turned “Pod Save America” host, asked Whitmer in a social media clip posted Wednesday if the U.S. is in a “constitutional crisis” – just one day after she greeted Trump on the tarmac in Michigan before his speech to National Guard members. 

“We are,” Whitmer said. “I think that no one is above the law. The thought that we’ve got an administration that is just blatantly violating court orders should, I think, scare everybody. This is a very serious moment.”

Democrats have consistently described the country’s current political moment as a “constitutional crisis” since Trump returned to the White House about 100 days ago. While Whitmer has warned of the “peril” Trump’s tariffs will have on Michigan’s auto industry and urged him to deliver disaster relief to her constituents impacted by ice storms, the Democratic governor and potential 2028 presidential candidate has struck a more diplomatic tone than her colleagues in the past 100 days. 

WHITMER EXPLAINS HER OVAL OFFICE FOLDER FIASCO

President Donald Trump speaks with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer after arriving at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Warren, Michigan, on April 29, 2025. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

“Trump is currently investigating Michigan colleges and universities for their diversity policies. He’s already tried to kick dozens of Michigan foreign students out of the country. He’s threatening to unlawfully freeze federal funding for Michigan public schools, as he’s already doing that in Maine, because Governor Mills spoke up in a meeting. Have you asked the president to stop targeting people and institutions in your state?” Favreau challenged Whitmer in a subsequent social media clip posted Wednesday. 

GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER DIVIDES DEMOCRATS AFTER APPEARANCES WITH TRUMP IN MICHIGAN AND AT WHITE HOUSE

“I have not had that direct conversation on this subject yet, but I’m not afraid to do that,” Whitmer said. 

“Isn’t it worth speaking up for the rights and the freedoms of those people when you’re at an event with him, or you are in a meeting with him?” Favreau asked, articulating the criticism Whitmer has faced within the Democratic Party for her treatment of Trump. 

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer found herself in the Oval Office this month as President Donald Trump signed an executive order. (Getty Images)

“Whenever I get the opportunity, I use every minute of that to cover a lot of different issues. So this is, I think, a very important one that you’re raising. There’s no question. And I will continue whenever I have opportunities to make sure that I’m covering as much as I can. No question,” Whitmer said. 

BLUE STATE GOVERNOR MAKES ANOTHER APPEARANCE WITH TRUMP BEFORE HIS 100-DAY SPEECH: ‘HAPPY WE’RE HERE’

Returning to the question of a “constitutional crisis,” Whitmer said, “Many of us are fighting the fights we can,” but it’s the court of law that should “have the last word.”

“I hope that we finally see some backbone out of some of the Republicans in Congress to stand up to the courts to enforce their orders. There are a lot of people that aren’t doing their jobs to protect the foundations of this country,” Whitmer added, shifting blame onto congressional Republicans for not standing up to Trump. 

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer looks on as President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House on April 9, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The clips were posted one day after Whitmer appeared alongside Trump ahead of his 100th day rally in Michigan. Whitmer successfully lobbied Trump to retire an 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 thanked Whitmer for bringing the issue to his attention and once again applauded her job as governor. Whitmer’s diplomatic moves seemed to put her out of step with her party on Tuesday as Democratic governors, many similarly rumored to harbor 2028 presidential ambitions, instead hosted a counter-programming event to Trump’s speech slamming his first 100 days in office. 

WHITMER DITCHES DEM PLAYBOOK ON TRUMP’S TARIFFS AMID 2028 SPECULATION

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer criticized President Donald Trump’s tariffs while agreeing with him that the United States “needs to make more stuff in America” on April 9, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Earlier this month, Whitmer hid behind a folder in the Oval Office in an image that went viral and earned her the ire of Democrats discontent with her diplomacy. The Michigan governor found herself in the corner of the Oval Office for a press conference where Trump praised her, after consistently ridiculing her on the 2024 campaign trail. 

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The Michigan governor’s trip to Washington last month brought her 2028 presidential ambitions into the national conversation as she directly engaged with Trump. Whitmer’s office explained that she was meeting with Trump to discuss recovery aid for the northern Michigan ice storm, investing in Michigan’s defense assets and building the American economy for everyday Michiganders. 

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Trump administration National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and other staffers are out at the National Security Council, sources confirmed to Fox News.

Fox News confirmed Waltz and his deputy Alex Wong were purged Thursday. 

Waltz, who previously served as a Florida congressman and as a decorated combat Green Beret, has come under fire from Democrats and critics since March, when the Atlantic magazine’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg published a firsthand account of getting added to a Signal group chat with top national security leaders, including Waltz, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, while they discussed strikes against Yemen terrorists. 

Waltz took responsibility for the inclusion of a journalist in the group chat in April, telling Fox News’ Laura Ingraham: “I take full responsibility. I built the group. … It’s embarrassing. We’re going to get to the bottom of it.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital earlier Monday when asked about reports claiming Waltz and other would be shown the door: “We are not going to respond to reporting from anonymous sources.”

WALTZ DOUBLES DOWN ON HEGSETH PRAISE AMID ONGOING PENTAGON CONTROVERSY

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and President Donald Trump  (Reuters)

President Donald Trump held a meeting with members of his Cabinet Wednesday, following his 100th day back in office on Tuesday, with Waltz attending the meeting. 

Alex Wong served as Waltz’s principal deputy national security advisor, who was detailed in the Signal chat leak earlier this year as the staffer charged with “pulling together a tiger team” in Waltz’s initial message sent to the Signal group chat in March, the Atlantic reported at the time. 

“Team – establishing a principles [sic] group for coordination on Houthis, particularly for over the next 72 hours,” Waltz wrote in the group chat.” My deputy Alex Wong is pulling together a tiger team at deputies/agency Chief of Staff level following up from the meeting in the Sit Room this morning for action items and will be sending that out later this evening.”

Trump told the media on April 3 that a handful of other NSC staffers had been let go following the Atlantic’s report on the Signal chat leak last month, which characterized the Trump administration as texting “war plans” regarding a planned strike on Houthi rebels in Yemen. 

TRUMP REVEALS WHO WAS BEHIND SIGNAL TEXT CHAIN LEAK

“Always, we’re going to let go of people we don’t like, or people we don’t think can do the job, or people who may have loyalties to somebody else,” Trump said from Air Force One when asked about reports on the NSC firings on April 3. 

Trump confirmed that NSC members had been fired, but remarked it was not many individuals. He added at the time that he continued to trust his NSC team, remarking that they’ve “done very well” and “had big success with the Houthis.”  

President Trump is taking action against the Houthis to defend U.S. shipping assets and deter terrorist threats, the White House posted on X on March 15, 2025. (The White House)

The Trump administration had maintained, however, that no classified material was transmitted in the Signal chat last month, with Trump repeatedly defending Waltz amid the fallout. The strikes on Houthi rebels unfolded on March 15. 

WILL CAIN SHARES HIS TAKEAWAY ON THE ATLANTIC’S STORY ON THE TRUMP ADMIN’S ‘WAR PLANS’ TEXT

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the media in March that the White House considered the Signal group chat leak case “closed” while continuing to offer support to Waltz, whose office allegedly mistakenly added the journalist to the chat. 

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 25: National Security advisor Mike Waltz speaks as he sits with U.S. President Donald Trump during an Ambassador Meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on March 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. During the meeting, Trump answered questions from reporters on the news that Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, was accidentally added to a Signal group chat of top administration officials, where highly sensitive national security information was discussed. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“As the president has made it very clear, Mike Waltz continues to be an important part of his national security team,” Leavitt told the media in brief remarks during a gaggle outside of the White House’s press room March 31. “And this case has been closed here at the White House, as far as we are concerned.” 

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“There have been steps made to ensure that something like that can obviously never happen again,” she continued. “And we’re moving forward. And the president and Mike Waltz and his entire national security team have been working together very well, if you look at how much safer the United States of America is because of the leadership of this team.” 

“Trump Pressures Ukraine to Accept a Peace Plan That Sharply Favors Russia.”

So The New York Times warned a week ago, when the White House said Ukraine and Russia needed to make peace quickly. Slate, which has reached MSNBC levels of crazy-liberal, went even further: Trump’s Ukraine Peace Plan Gives Russia Everything It Wants…

Sharply favoring Russia! Giving Russia everything it wants! We are back in 2016, with Donald Trump as a Kremlin agent, a modern Manchurian candidate.

President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speak in Rome where they both attended Pope Francis’ funeral on April 26, 2025. (Vatican and Ukraine Ambassador to Holy See)

Just one problem. These headlines aren’t even close to the reality of what the Trump administration is proposing. (I know, you’re shocked.)

In fact, the more I read and think about the ceasefire proposal, the more impressed I am with the tack President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have taken.

They are walking a very narrow tightrope. If they can manage it they’ll deserve enormous praise. Nobel Peace Prize-type praise, though the Kremlin will freeze over before King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden puts that medal around Trump’s neck.

UKRAINE SIGNS DEAL TO GIVE US ACCESS TO RARE MINERALS WITH TRUMP ADMIN ‘COMMITTED TO A PEACE PROCESS’

Let’s start with some unpleasant facts: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is an old-school land grab by a murderous dictator. In a perfect world, the Ukrainian people would rise up, evict the Russian army with boomerangs, and ride into the sunset.

But in this world, China puts a million Uighurs in open-air detention camps and nobody does squat. Viruses gonna virus, and great powers gonna great power. Even middling powers, if they have nuclear arms and the right (aka wrong) attitude.

In this world, after an initial burst in 2022, Ukraine has lost territory slowly but steadily for the last two years, despite massive American aid. Russia has four times Ukraine’s population, and a leader who faces no domestic constraints keeping him from losing as many men as he deems necessary.
The Europeans talk a good game about helping, but they have neither the military nor the political will to do more than talk (again, shocker!) For 80 years, Europe has had a terrible case of “let’s you and him fight.” This war is only the latest proof. Have you noticed the Bundeswehr on the Ukrainian front lines? Me neither.

So Ukraine needs the United States.

And the United States has elected a president who does not believe this war is a good idea.

President Trump wants peace. The left says he wants peace because he hates Zelenskyy and wants to build Trump Tower Kremlin. The right says he wants peace because he is tired of sending American tax dollars so Ukrainian and Russian boys can kill each other.

Me, I’m not going to guess. I don’t presume to know what’s in our president’s head, much less his heart.

Here’s what I do know. A peace that simply gives the Russians a few months to rearm is not a peace at all.

Here’s what else I know. The Trump administration knows that, too.
The administration has not fully released its ceasefire proposal publicly (a smart move, and a sign that it is serious rather than playing political games). But the details of it have leaked, as the administration no doubt expected.

And its most important element is the one the media has barely mentioned: The proposal contains NO restrictions on the size of the Ukrainian military, as the Russian government wanted. That was a non-starter for Ukraine, a true red line.

Nor does the proposal require Zelenskyy to quit, or even — as far as we know — hold free elections.

Nor does it require Ukraine or any other country to recognize that the Crimean peninsula is part of Russia (though, apparently, it does extend American recognition).

So why is the left shrieking?

First, because the deal keeps the front lines in place, pretty much. Meaning that Russia is going to continue to occupy the territory it now occupies.

So Trump is… wait for it… rewarding aggression! He’s allowing Putin to redraw Europe’s borders! (Well, one border of one country that even most Europeans probably couldn’t find on a map.)

Yep. He sure is.

Newsflash: Putin is not going to voluntarily give up the territory that hundreds of thousands of men have died taking. And Ukraine can’t make him. That’s why we need a ceasefire.

What exactly do the critics propose? Newsflash: Putin is not going to voluntarily give up the territory that hundreds of thousands of men have died taking. And Ukraine can’t make him. That’s why we need a ceasefire. 
There is nothing unusual about an armistice that keeps the front lines in place. Like, say, at the end of the Korean War. Maybe after Putin dies, a new Russian regime will decide eastern Ukraine wasn’t so important after all and pull back. In the interim, the fighting and killing have stopped.
Second, because the United States apparently promises to recognize Crimea as Russian territory. The humanity!

Except that Crimea WAS Russian territory from 1783, when Catherine the Great annexed it, until 1954, when Soviet leader Nikola Khrushchev transferred it back from Russia to Ukraine. Sure, 1954 sounds like a while ago – except that in 1954, both Russia and Ukraine were parts of the Soviet Union.

In other words, Khrushchev’s transfer made no practical difference. The Kremlin, as the seat of Soviet control, still controlled the territory, and did so until the USSR collapsed in 1991. Thus, between 1783 and 2014, the Crimea was under Moscow’s rule for 208 years, and Kiev’s for 23.

Does this mean Crimea belongs to Russia? I have no idea.

Steve Witkoff meets with Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg (Reuters )

What I do know is that when Russia took Crimea (back) in 2014, neither the United States nor anyone else rushed to Ukraine’s aid. The Crimean Peninsula is strategically vital to the Kremlin, because its port of Sevastopol is Russia’s only warm-water port. It is much more important to Russia than the territory Russia has seized since 2022, and even after Putin is long gone, Russia isn’t going to give it up without a fight.

And, again, the Trump administration isn’t saying Ukraine has to accept this takeover as part of a peace deal, only that the United States will.
Third, the critics are whining that the proposal includes a ban on Ukraine joining NATO. This objection is genuinely stupid. Even before the war, Ukraine was — at best — decades from joining NATO.

So, to review: The deal the Trump administration has proposed doesn’t require Zelenskyy to quit, allows Ukraine to retain its ability to fight, does not require it to cede any territory it hasn’t already lost, and — as far as we know — does not limit the ability of Europe or the United States to continue to aid Ukraine militarily.

In return, Russia keeps Crimea and the other territory it has already grabbed. And it has the potential to have sanctions — sanctions that have proved completely ineffective in changing its behavior — removed.

I guess I’m missing the part where this proposal “sharply favors Russia.”
No wonder the Kremlin, despite its public praise for Trump, hasn’t jumped on it.

About that public praise: Putin needs a win if he’s going to make peace. On the other hand, after three years of promising to evict the Russian army, Zelenskyy needs someone to blame for the fact that he couldn’t.
The Trump administration is providing a useful foil for both. Zelenskyy gets to rant about the American betrayal while Putin puffs his chest and lets his media lavish praise on him for outfoxing the Americans. The deal doesn’t change.

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The key word in all of this is lasting.

If the Russians take this deal only to break the ceasefire and make a new push on Kiev in a few months, it will be hard not to regard any peace as a massive miscalculation.

But is Putin really likely to be spoiling for another war? This one didn’t go as planned. It cost him hundreds of thousands of men for marginal territorial gains.

And he must know that if he starts hostilities again, the United States and Europe will see little choice but to come to Kiev’s aid. This way, he can declare victory and get back to his billion-dollar Black Sea palace.

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I think the odds are good that if Trump can push this deal through, it will hold until Putin winds up in the great Kremlin in the sky (or, more likely, down below).

In that case, Trump’s critics will no doubt acknowledge his incredible achievement in ending Europe’s most brutal war in generations quickly and relatively cleanly.

Sure they will.

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The NIL movement on Capitol Hill will have a huge push on Thursday, as both Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and former Alabama coach Nick Saban will join President Donald Trump to discuss regulations.

The transfer portal has run wild as college athletes are now aiming to make as much money as possible during their college eligibility.

Tuberville said ideally, the government would not be involved, but they find themselves in the thick of things and are brainstorming.

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Sen. Tommy Tuberville attends the House and Senate committee markup of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 in the Dirksen Building on Nov. 29, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“The one thing we can do is we can make every state be on the same level [for NIL money]… Now, between that, we have to come up with some rules for transfer portals and possible contracts for players, all the things that make college football the greatest sport ever. We do not want to turn into minor league sports. We can do things, we just gotta get it passed,” he told 109.9 The Game in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday.

Tuberville, though, blamed Democrats for the continued whirlwind that is the current atmosphere of college sports.

“I think we can get it on the floor, the problem is getting it past a Democrat group that really wants nothing to do with making this country better. They don’t care about college sports or education, they worry about the power that they control in this country. It’s a hard way to go, but if anybody can get it done, it’s President Trump, and hopefully we can have some discussion to get on the right track toward helping the NIL and college sports,” he said.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville speaks to members of the media outside the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse in New York, on May 13, 2024. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

FORMER COLORADO STARS SPEAK OUT AMID SHEDEUR SANDERS, TRAVIS HUNTER’S CONTROVERSIAL JERSEY RETIREMENTS

Tuberville also said women’s sports, and transgender inclusion, will be at the forefront of the discussion.

“There’s nothing more important than women’s sports, women’s athletics, and he stopped the nonsense of biological men and boys in women’s sports.… We’ve gotta save Title IX, we’ve gotta save women’s sports, and President Trump is the one that will stand up and fight for women. He’s done that, he understands it, and that will be in our entire discussion about NIL. If we continue down this path, there’s not gonna be any money left.… If we don’t do something soon, we will lose a lot of non-revenue sports, and most of those include women’s sports.”

Tuberville also believes that if this current landscape continues, “you’re going to start losing fans.”

Sen. Tommy Tuberville talks during a television interview before former President Donald Trump speaks at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, June 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

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“Sooner or later, it’ll affect the fans that pay that ticket not knowing who the players are with no loyalty.…” he said. “There’s no carryover or loyalty to schools that these fans love to support.”

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Good morning and welcome to Fox News’ morning newsletter, Fox News First. And here’s what you need to know to start your day …

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1. Rubio blows the lid off Biden admin’s secret file 

2. US, Ukraine sign minerals deal

3. Harris delivers first speech since leaving office

MAJOR HEADLINES

FACE-TO-FACE – What Trump told Zelenskyy during meeting at the Vatican that immediately went viral. Continue reading …

LOOMING THREAT – Violent terrorist gang pushed north in fresh threat to America’s border states. Continue reading …

‘NUMEROUS QUESTIONS’ – China lashes out, levels accusation against the US over COVID-19 origins. Continue reading …

‘INNOCENT AMERICAN LIVES’ – Mother who lost husband in DUI crash applauds Trump’s immigration crackdown. Continue reading …

FOR BETTER OR WORSE – Married women face REAL ID documentation hurdles: ‘I can’t accept this.’ Continue reading …

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POLITICS

CLEAR WARNING – Defense Secretary Hegseth threatens military action against Iran. Continue reading …

‘NOTHING AT ALL’ – Trump says Social Security, Medicaid won’t face cuts as part of GOP budget bill. Continue reading …

MADE IN AMERICA – Trump touts massive investments with top CEOs at the White House. Continue reading …

PARTY AT ODDS – Former Democrat Hill staffers challenge the aging establishment in Congress. Continue reading …

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MEDIA

FEELING THE FALLOUT – White House reporters react to Axios journalist’s speech on media’s Biden coverage. Continue reading …

‘WIN ELECTIONS’ – James Carville berates David Hogg in heated debate. Continue reading …

HUMBLE IN HOLLYWOOD – Baylee Littrell says his famous dad gave him great advice ahead of ‘American Idol.’ Continue reading …

SPEAKING OUT – Robby Starbuck says Meta exec’s apology is too little, too late. Continue reading …

OPINION

TONY STRICKLAND – Gavin Newsom is the one ‘wreaking chaos on California.’ Continue reading …

SIMON HANKINSON – When it comes to ID, it’s time to get REAL. Continue reading …

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IN OTHER NEWS

‘PROFOUND SADNESS’ – Legendary NFL quarterback breaks silence on agent’s death. Continue reading …

LISTENING IN – Prosecutors make admission about suspected Ivy League assassin’s jailhouse call. Continue reading …

AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ – Test yourself on equestrian events, flag facts and famous food. Take the quiz here …

MORNING BREW – New caffeine trend that’s replacing your morning coffee is gaining traction. Continue reading …

WILD LINK? – Study reveals connection between plastics and this illness. See video …

WATCH

BRITTNEY HOPPER – Conservative commentator ‘really afraid’ Kamala Harris is gearing up for next campaign. See video …

REP. NICOLE MALLIOTAKIS – GOP lawmaker advocates for Medicaid reforms to reduce ‘abuse,’ ‘fraud.’ See video …

FOX WEATHER

What’s it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading…

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President Donald Trump has reached the coveted 100-day mark in his second presidency, and it is once again a polarizing tenure.

Since taking over as president, Trump has cracked down on illegal immigration and transgender athletes participating in women’s sports.

At the same token, Trump’s tariffs have also resulted in negative affects on the stock market, with prices from the end of former President Joe Biden’s presidency still at the forefront.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Sen. Tommy Tuberville gives his acceptance speech during an election night event at the Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery, Alabama, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. (IMAGN)

Trump said there would be lower prices on day one, but Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said that was a nearly impossible task considering the “huge hole” Biden put him in.

“The Democrats are fighting us tooth and nail for trying to make our country better. President Trump’s been put in a huge hole. He inherited, I’ll put it this way, a 0-12 football team with no wins at all for the last four years,” Tuberville told 109.9 The Game in Tuscaloosa. “He’s trying to get us out of the hole, and he’s doing a good job of it.”

Tuberville said he thinks Trump’s first 100 days were “very good,” but “it’s hard to grade anything when you start from below zero.”

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., left, and then-Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, arrive at a press conference across the street from the Manhattan criminal court on Monday, May 13, 2024 in New York. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)

FORMER COLORADO STARS SPEAK OUT AMID SHEDEUR SANDERS, TRAVIS HUNTER’S CONTROVERSIAL JERSEY RETIREMENTS

“There were no wins here – that Biden football program for four years didn’t win a game. They didn’t do a thing for the American taxpayers, the American citizens. Everything was from outside our borders, crime is rampant, our economy is gone to help in a hand basket, and there was no growth whatsoever. They’re all screaming and yelling ‘President Trump’s been in for 100 days, he hasn’t gotten it turned around.’ Really? You can’t do it overnight. But it’s going to happen. I’m proud to be on the team.”

Tuberville also implored the youth to “rally around Trump.”

“I don’t think people across the country, no matter what age, realize how close our country’s coming to just absolutely folding left and turning absolute socialist. Look at what happened to Canada, their economy, everything is DEI, this and that, and they turn around and elect another guy that’s just as bad. We’ve lost our closest neighbor in Canada. We’re the shining star of the world that has not been taken over by globalists, by the DEI movement, the woke movement, and President Trump is on top of it. Hopefully the youth of this country understands they’re in the best country ever.”

Republican Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville. (Office of Senator Tommy Tuberville)

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Tuberville got into politics after his legendary coaching career at Auburn – ironically, he will be at the graduation of the school’s biggest rival in the University of Alabama with Nick Saban and Trump himself.

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Donnie Wahlberg did everything in his power to save “Blue Bloods” before having to walk away and focus on creating a spinoff.

During an interview with Fox News Digital, the actor explained that everyone involved in the drama crime series “fought so hard” to keep the series alive, but the traditions of the Reagan family will live on in “Boston Blue.”

“When it ended, we thought, ‘Okay, some of the network’s gonna come and say, let’s keep going.’ And nobody came, and it was kind of like we were all in denial about it,” he said about “Blue Bloods.”

Donnie Wahlberg fought hard to save “Blue Bloods.” (CBS)

Wahlberg explained that the opportunity presented itself to produce “Boston Blue.”

TOM SELLECK HOPES TO WORK WITH ‘YELLOWSTONE’ CREATOR AFTER ‘BLUE BLOODS,’ WANTS TO ‘SIT ON A HORSE AGAIN’

“It was heavy, you know?” he said. “It’s, like, how do I do this? Like, how does [his character] Danny Reagan carry on? You know, how do we create this new world for this character and how do we do it in another city, not in New York?”

WATCH: ‘Blue Bloods’ star Donnie Wahlberg admits ‘there’ll always be a Reagan a phone call away’ in spinoff

Wahlberg explained that everyone involved in “Blue Bloods” — from the cast and crew to the caterers and the props department — was very important to him.

“They became part of our family. You know, the viewers are saying, like, ‘How do we keep going with a “Blue Blood” spinoff without the whole family?’ And I share that. How do we do that, right?” he asked.

“Blue Bloods” was a drama that followed the Reagan family’s involvement in the New York Police Department. Wahlberg told Fox News Digital that he can’t give too much away about “Boston Blue,” but a Reagan is always just a “phone call away.”

Donnie Wahlberg on the set of “Blue Bloods” in April 2024. (Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

“It was definitely a challenge to take on this opportunity, but I kept saying to myself, you know, if I’m really sincere about wanting ‘Blue Bloods’ to carry on, here’s an opportunity to do it,” he said.

“Now, it’s just Danny going to this new world, but I can’t say a lot about it — but I could say, if he’s a Reagan, it will never be just Danny. There’ll always be a Reagan a phone call away. And the traditions that the Reagans have, Danny wouldn’t abandon those traditions.”

“There’ll always be a Reagan a phone call away. And the traditions that the Reagans have, Danny wouldn’t abandon those traditions.”

— Donnie Wahlberg

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CBS aired the final episode of “Blue Bloods” on Dec. 13. The hit series starred Wahlberg, Tom Selleck, Will Estes and Bridget Moynahan.

WATCH: Donnie Wahlberg fought hard to keep ‘Blue Bloods’ alive 

After the finale aired, Wahlberg penned an emotional letter to Selleck on Instagram.

After 14 years on CBS, “Blue Bloods” ended in December. (Craig Blankenhorn/CBS via Getty Images)

“Fourteen years of calling this man my cast mate, my commissioner, my friend and — whether it was on screen or off — calling him DAD! It’s been an honor, my dear friend. Thank you for leading the way and for always trusting in me. Thank you for being a father figure, and a leader, to all of us on the set of Blue Bloods. Our tour has ended, but the friendship, admiration, respect and memories, will remain. Happy Blue Bloods Finale Friday,” he wrote.

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“Love you, Dad. All my gratitude, Donnie aka Danny aka Son,” his caption concluded.

Donnie Wahlberg and Tom Selleck starred in the entire run of “Blue Bloods,” from 2010-2024. (Getty Images)

CBS announced in February that Wahlberg will reprise his role as Danny Reagan on “Boston Blue.” The rest of the cast has not been announced, and the series is set to debut in the fall.

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