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Latest SCOTUS leak a gift to liberals ‘salivating’ over control of high court narrative: experts

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A Supreme Court leak is giving liberals new ammunition in their long-running criticism of the emergency docket after recently published internal memos showed how the high court fast-tracks major cases, a process that critics say has served to advance key parts of President Donald Trump’s agenda in his second term.

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«The liberals are salivating over this. They’re very happy because it reinforces their narrative,» South Texas College of Law professor Josh Blackman told Fox News Digital.

The memos, published Saturday by the New York Times, offered a rare look at how Chief Justice John Roberts pressed the court in 2016 to quickly block President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan. But the immediate concern now is not about what the documents revealed about the Supreme Court’s emergency docket but rather the leak itself, according to experts, who said it was a deliberate attempt to damage the court’s credibility.

«The bigger issue is people are leaking stuff to try to hurt the court,» Blackman said. «That’s the bigger story. This was done to try to make the court look bad. Roberts, I think, doesn’t come out looking very good in this one. … I think it’s designed to hurt the chief in particular.»

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THE FIVE LIBERAL COURTS THAT TIED TRUMP’S HANDS BEFORE SCOTUS CLIPPED THEIR POWER

President Donald Trump greets Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. as he arrives to deliver an address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

The leaked internal memos appeared centered on the 5-4 decision along ideological lines in February 2016 to block Obama’s signature energy plan. The memos, written by and circulated among the justices, showed Roberts urging his colleagues to quickly intervene and halt the plan, a revelation that fueled attacks from the left on the so-called shadow docket.

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«The new reporting highlights the role of this rashly issued stay in inaugurating the Supreme Court’s use of unexplained and hastily issued ‘shadow docket’ proceedings to alter major national policies,» Environmental Defense Fund general counsel Vickie Patton said in a statement Monday.

The leak incident has generated several theories in legal circles that a liberal justice or retired liberal justice, or one of their former clerks, passed the 16 pages of memos off to the New York Times to weaken confidence in high-profile emergency docket decisions, which have often favored Trump since he took office. A similar, smaller-scale leak to the same New York Times reporters occurred in 2024.

A ‘deteriorating culture at the court’

Blackman noted the person who gave the decade-old memos to the New York Times could share even more.

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«This person probably kept a lot of things and decided to leak this, and there might be even more coming,» Blackman said. «I think this is absolutely partisan, and it’s done in a way to hurt and wound the court and to reaffirm this notion that the shadow docket is an evil, nefarious regime.»

SUPREME COURT’S 2026 RULINGS COULD DEFINE AMERICA FOR DECADES TO COME

Former President Barack Obama speaking at a rally inside a college gymnasium

Former President Barack Obama speaks to supporters during a get out the vote rally at Essex County College gymnasium in Newark, N.J., on Nov. 1. (Kyle Mazza/Anadolu)

George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley echoed Blackman’s sentiments in an op-ed, saying «the controversy over the use of the shadow docket is immaterial to this story.»

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Turley pointed to the Dobbs opinion leak to Politico from 2022, which was, at the time, a stunning violation of the high court’s confidentiality. Turley noted while that breach was an apparent «effort to influence the final opinion,» this latest one is about an old case and therefore «had a purely malicious purpose to embarrass or disrupt the court.»

«The leaks appear to reflect a deteriorating culture at the court,» Turley added.

The Supreme Court’s press office did not respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital about the leaks.

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GREGG JARRETT: TRUMP’S DEPORTATION WINS ARE A REBUKE TO SCHEMING LAWYERS AND ACTIVIST JUDGES

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told Fox News on Monday the memos were «100%» intended to discredit the court. Hawley and his wife, Erin, a lawyer at the conservative Alliance Defending Freedom, both previously worked as law clerks for Roberts.

«You can tell from the news article that builds it that way,» Hawley said. «They criticize the court for how they’re managing their docket. They say this is some big conspiracy. The only conspiracy is the multi-year effort funded by somebody to undermine the institution of the court from within, from without. … We need to find out who’s doing this.»

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Shadow docket criticism

The emergency docket allows litigants to bypass lengthy court proceedings and seek immediate relief from the Supreme Court if lower courts block them through restraining orders or preliminary injunctions.

Democrats have criticized the Supreme Court for the higher frequency of emergency decisions, which often contain little explanation but have increased because of what legal experts say is a rise in executive actions in lieu of Congress passing laws. In Trump’s second term, the justices have ruled in favor of Trump on emergency decisions most of the time, clearing the way for Trump to fire masses of federal employees, cancel hundreds of millions of dollars in federal contracts, move forward with aggressive immigration policies and more.

MORNING GLORY: IF YOU CARE ABOUT THE CONSTITUTION, READ SARAH ISGUR’S NEW BOOK

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Last week, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, a Biden appointee, tore into the high court’s majority during a Yale Law School speech for issuing what she said were rushed, «scratch-paper musings» that advance «harmful» policies.

Ketanji Brown Jackson standing on stage at the 68th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles

Ketanji Brown Jackson attends the 2026 Recording Academy Honors presented by The Black Music Collective during the 68th Grammy Awards on Jan. 29, 2026, in Los Angeles, Calif. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)

Upon introducing a bill to «increase transparency» of the emergency docket in December, Rep. Jamie Raskin, the leading Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said the Supreme Court was losing credibility by not allowing cases to first play out in the lower courts.

«The Roberts Court’s reliance on the Shadow Docket to covertly fast-track one-paragraph decisions on major cases drives tremendous mistrust toward Justices already facing record-low levels of public confidence,» Raskin said at the time.

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Roberts the ‘bulldozer’

The Clean Power Plan would have involved the Obama Environmental Protection Agency imposing regulations on coal-powered plants under the Clean Air Act, a move that red states and industry groups implored the Supreme Court to quickly stop in 2016. Roberts, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, wrote, according to the memos, that without the high court stepping in, «both the states and private industry will suffer irreparable harm from a rule that is — in my view — highly unlikely to survive.»

The New York Times described Roberts as acting like a «bulldozer.» Blackman said «it’s very clear» that Roberts stepped in to stop the EPA administrator from ramming through a plan in Obama’s last year in office that could reshape the energy sector with only the «very liberal» D.C. appellate court weighing in.

In another memo, Justice Elena Kagan, an Obama appointee, disagreed with Roberts, saying «the unique nature of the relief sought in these applications gives me real pause.»

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In a matter of days, the high court issued its brief, unexplained decision along ideological lines to temporarily block Obama’s plan. The move would become a death blow to Obama’s efforts because Democrats would lose the White House later that year.

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Blackman noted that accountability for leaking the private memos, which framed Roberts as spearheading a reckless decision, would be difficult, saying any possible crime would fall outside of statutes of limitations and that, outside of the possibility of attempting to disbar the culprit for an ethics violation, there was no real recourse, especially for conservatives seeking to punish a possible left-leaning leaker.

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«If a liberal leaks they’ll get a medal,» Blackman said. «They’ll become a hero. They’ll suffer zero professional consequences. In fact, they’ll probably be better off.»

supreme court, judiciary, law, federal judges, democrats senate

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Trump says Colombia’s ‘El Tigre’ will be a ‘great president’ as socialist opponent launches legal challenge

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President Donald Trump congratulated conservative attorney and businessman Abelardo de la Espriella on becoming president of Colombia Monday at the White House. Yet while he holds a slim lead and is the favorite to win over left-wing Senator Ivan Cepeda, authorities have yet to officially certify the result.

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With 99.9% of votes counted, de la Espriella led with 49.7% to Cepeda’s 48.7%. De la Espriella, known to his supporters as «El Tigre,» dominated in the country’s mountainous interior and the vote-rich state of Antioquia, while Cepeda won in the capital Bogotá and performed well in coastal regions, following trends of recent presidential elections.

Cepeda has challenged the results, citing irregularities at thousands of polling stations. Nonetheless, overturning the election would be unprecedented in Colombian history.

If de la Espriella does hold out, it will mirror a continent-wide rightward shift seen in recent electoral results in Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru, where conservative Keiko Fujimori appears poised to win the presidency.

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ANTI-CARTEL HARDLINER CHANNELS TRUMP IN BID TO END COLOMBIA’S LEFTIST ERA IN PIVOTAL ELECTION

Colombia’s right-wing presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, from the Defensores de la Patria movement, delivers a speech to supporters during a campaign rally in Palmira, near Cali, Colombia on May 14, 2026. Colombia will hold presidential elections on May 31.  (Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP via Getty Images)

Donald Trump congratulated de la Espriella during a signing at the White House on Monday. Trump told reporters that, «He called me last night, and he thanked me for the endorsement. He won. He won the election.» In response to a question on relations between the U.S. and Colombia, Trump asserted that things would be «Much better. It’ll be better. He’s going to be a great president.»

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The election featured two candidates representing polar opposites of the Colombian political spectrum. De la Espriella, known as ‘El Tigre’ by his supporters, has enjoyed the enthusiastic backing of Donald Trump, promised a return to the law-and-order approach of former President Alvaro Uribe, and pledged an aggressive military campaign against guerrilla groups and criminal organizations, while Cepeda vowed to continue the negotiation-based strategy of Petro, a longtime political ally.

Ivan Cepeda is a longtime figure on the Colombian left, and served as senator for 12 years, following a four-year stint in the Chamber of Representatives. His father, Manuel Cepeda, was a prominent figure in the Colombian Communist Party, and was assassinated in 1994 during a particularly bloody era in Colombia’s internal conflict.

TRUMP DOUBLES DOWN ON COLOMBIA CRACKDOWN, CALLS PETRO ‘LUNATIC,’ VOWS TO END ALL US PAYMENTS OVER DRUGS

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Abelardo de la Espriella

Colombia’s presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, of the Defensores de la Patria party, speaks behind bulletproof glass during his closing campaign rally in Medellin, Colombia on May 24, 2026. Colombia will hold presidential elections on May 31.  (Jaime Saldarriaga/AFP Via Getty Images)

The first round of the election, held on May 31, saw de la Espriella win 43.7% of the vote, to Cepeda’s 40.9%, with right-wing Senator Paloma Valencia placing a distant third, at 6.9%.

On Sunday evening, Secretary of State Marco Rubio congratulated de la Espriella on the result, saying, «The Trump Administration looks forward to working closely with your incoming administration to advance regional security cooperation, end illegal immigration to the United States.»

Ivan Cepeda standing at a podium speaking during a campaign rally

Ivan Cepeda speaks during a campaign rally in Cali, Colombia, on June 6, 2026. The leftist candidate is set to face conservative attorney Abelardo De La Espriella in Colombia’s June 21 presidential runoff election. (AFP via Getty Images)

COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT PETRO THREATENS MILITARY RESPONSE AFTER TRUMP WARNS COLOMBIA MAY BE NEXT TARGET

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While the issues driving American and Colombian politics remain considerably distinct, de la Espriella’s insurgent outsider campaign emulated Trump’s in many ways, particularly in the sense that neither held elected nor appointed office prior to winning the presidency, launching successful campaigns almost entirely outside the existing party structure.

The defining safety and security issue set de la Espriella on a winning course, as he honed something of a strongman image to forcefully critique the Petro administration’s policy of peace through negotiation with armed groups in opposition to the Colombian government.

Colombian leader Petro and Donald Trump

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro, left, and President Donald Trump. On Wednesday, Trump said Petro will «be next» amid escalating tensions over U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and drug trafficking operations. (Mauro Pimentel/AFP via Getty Images; Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

It is widely believed that Petro’s negotiation-based approach and restraint with respect to military action has allowed such groups as the ELN (National Liberation Army), and various dissident elements of the FARC to regroup, boost recruitment and regain control of key territory and drug trafficking routes.

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De la Espriella promised a return to an aggressive military campaign to reclaim territory from terrorist groups and cartels, and pledged to build «mega-prisons», citing the policies of El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele as a model for eradicating criminal groups.

A de la Espriella administration will also likely mark a return to free-market economics, decreased governmental intervention in the economy, and a renewed push to lower taxes.

A strengthened U.S.-Colombia relationship is also a certainty, following an era of considerable tensions between Petro and Trump, which led to a series of acrimonious social media exchanges. Historically, Colombia was the U.S.’ strongest ally in the region, but the relationship has weakened considerably under the tenure of Petro.

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Political analysts will also be closely watching the dynamic between Colombia and Venezuela.  De la Espriella is likely to follow the Trump administration’s lead in Bogotá’s approach to the new Delcy Rodriguez administration, demanding a timeline for free and fair elections, and calling on the Venezuelan government to aggressively pursue the ELN Marxist guerrilla group in border regions where it has long sought refuge, and had an allegedly close relationship with former dictator Nicolás Maduro.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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colombia, latin america, south america, foreign affairs, donald trump

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Autoridades en Guatemala piden evacuación preventiva en Zona 5, Villa Hermosa I y San Miguel Petapa por riesgo de desastres

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La Coordinadora Nacional para la Reducción de Desastres (CONRED) de Guatemala dijo que coordina alertas y operativos para prevenir emergencias por inundaciones o deslizamientos en sectores señalados de la capital y San Miguel Petapa.

La Secretaría Ejecutiva de la Coordinadora Nacional para la Reducción de Desastres difundió el 22 de junio de 2026 un comunicado para reiterar que las zonas de alto riesgo en Guatemala no deben ser habitadas ni ocupadas de manera permanente. La advertencia apunta a sectores de la zona 5 de la ciudad de Guatemala, Villa Hermosa I y la zona 7 de San Miguel Petapa.

La institución indicó que permanecer en esas áreas representa una amenaza directa ante la posibilidad de deslizamientos, inundaciones u otros eventos que podrían desencadenar emergencias. También pidió atender las recomendaciones de las autoridades y evacuar de forma preventiva para resguardar la seguridad personal y familiar.

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La Secretaría recordó que la prevención no solo corresponde a las instituciones del Estado, sino que requiere la participación activa y la corresponsabilidad de la ciudadanía.

El comunicado de CONRED subraya que las zonas clasificadas como de alto riesgo no deben ser habitadas ni ocupadas de manera permanente. La advertencia se dirige de forma prioritaria a quienes residen en la zona 5 de la ciudad de Guatemala, Villa Hermosa I y la zona 7 de San Miguel Petapa.

CONRED reiteró que las áreas evaluadas como de alto riesgo no deben ocuparse de manera permanente durante la temporada de lluvias en Guatemala (Foto cortesía CONRED)

Según la institución, esas áreas han sido objeto de evaluaciones técnicas que indican la presencia de suelos inestables, pendientes pronunciadas o cercanía a cuerpos de agua, factores que incrementan la probabilidad de incidentes como deslaves o inundaciones. CONRED advirtió que la ocupación de estos lugares representa un peligro permanente para la vida de sus habitantes.

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En el caso de Villa Hermosa I, las autoridades llamaron a la población a poner en práctica el principio de autoevacuación y evitar permanecer en zonas donde se han detectado condiciones de riesgo.

El comunicado menciona que el Sistema CONRED, conformado por diversas instituciones estatales, mantiene de manera constante acciones de monitoreo en las áreas vulnerables, además de la coordinación interinstitucional y la difusión de información preventiva destinada a la población.

Durante la temporada de lluvias, el Sistema CONRED refuerza los operativos de vigilancia y monitoreo en las áreas más vulnerables. El objetivo es identificar posibles situaciones de peligro y activar los protocolos de emergencia cuando sea necesario. Las acciones preventivas incluyen la difusión de alertas, la coordinación con los gobiernos locales y el despliegue de equipos para la atención de emergencias.

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La entidad pone nombre a los puntos críticos y explica por qué preocupa su ocupación. Habla de pendientes, cercanía a cuerpos de agua y un riesgo constante. La recomendación clave busca anticiparse a una emergencia (Foto cortesía CONRED)
La entidad pone nombre a los puntos críticos y explica por qué preocupa su ocupación. Habla de pendientes, cercanía a cuerpos de agua y un riesgo constante. La recomendación clave busca anticiparse a una emergencia (Foto cortesía CONRED)

La institución enfatizó la necesidad de cumplir de forma estricta con las recomendaciones y medidas sugeridas. También reiteró que la reducción del riesgo de desastres es una tarea compartida y que el cumplimiento de las recomendaciones emitidas por las autoridades competentes contribuye a salvaguardar vidas y minimizar los daños en el patrimonio de las familias guatemaltecas.

El comunicado concluye con el mensaje: “La prevención es tarea de todos”, y señala que la colaboración entre instituciones y ciudadanía es fundamental para enfrentar de forma efectiva las amenazas derivadas de fenómenos naturales o condiciones del entorno.

La institución invitó a la población a mantenerse informada a través de los canales oficiales y a actuar con responsabilidad, teniendo en cuenta que la seguridad personal y colectiva depende de decisiones oportunas y del respeto a las advertencias técnicas.

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US official says JD Vance made ‘great progress’ in Iran talks, calls snub reports ‘foreign propaganda’

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FIRST ON FOX: A U.S. official involved with the U.S.-Iran peace negotiations said that Vice President JD Vance made «great progress» in the talks, adding that «foreign propaganda» spread a falsehood that the prime minister of Qatar snubbed Vance.

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The U.S. official told Fox News Digital that Iranian state media originated reports of Vance being snubbed by the Qatari prime minister and Iranian leadership threatening to walk away from the negotiating table.

«The vice president and the U.S. delegation departed Switzerland today after making great progress and engaging in historic talks that lasted well into the late hours over the weekend,» a U.S. official present at the talks told Fox News Digital. «The negotiations set the framework for continued talks so that the unmatched efforts of the president can lead to a deal that’s best for the American people.»

«Those parroting foreign propaganda serve no one except the bad faith actors that want to derail negotiations,» the official added.

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IRAN’S UNPRECEDENTED ‘WHOLE-REGIME’ DELEGATION AT US DEAL TALKS SIGNALS ONE GOAL: EXPERT

Vice President JD Vance speaks to members of the media after the U.S. and Iran held high-level talks aimed at advancing a deal to end the Middle East conflict at the Lake Lucerne Summit, near Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 22, 2026. (Nathan Howard / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

As Vance and White House officials deliberated a peace agreement at the Bürgenstock resort on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, a CBS poll on Sunday showed that an overwhelming 78% of Americans say that the conflict between the U.S. and Iran should come to an end.

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Reports from Iranian state media created confusion about the progress of the peace talks in Switzerland, with critics alleging the Qataris snubbed Vance after Qatar’s prime minister and chief negotiator, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, walked past Vance and warmly greeted Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instead. 

«The U.S. delegation had just spent hours with the Qataris and there was no need to re-greet someone having just spent hours with,» a U.S. official said. «The decision to give statements together before the meeting was done impromptu, which is why it wasn’t a staged greeting.»

Vice President JD Vance standing next to an image of a missile and the Iranian flag.

Vice President JD Vance said the Iranians have agreed to allow nuclear inspectors back into their country. (Spencer Platt/AFP via Getty Images)

TRUMP AGAIN SAYS DEAL IS CLOSE, THEN CONFIRMS A LAST-MINUTE AGREEMENT WITH IRAN, BUT DETAILS STILL SECRET

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In an interview today with Qatar’s official media outlet, Al Jazeera, Al Thani denied snubbing Vance, saying he had just spent hours with Vance and hadn’t yet greeted Sharif. He blamed the media for misrepresenting the encounter. «And they just made the issue too big,» he said.

Prospects of a peace agreement have already shown signs of life in the U.S., even without a final deal. The New York Times reported oil prices dipping on Monday amid expectations Vance would secure peace during the talks in Switzerland. 

Critics of Vance have been vocal in the media about the vice president’s handling of the talks, echoing a sentiment among protesters that have been supporting the Islamic Republic of Iran since the onset of hostilities earlier this year. Some critics allege that Vance is surrendering to the Iranians and that the Iranians are getting more out of the peace deal than the U.S.

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U.S. delegation arriving in Switzerland.

The U.S. delegation, including Steve Witkoff, JD Vance and Jared Kushner, arrived in Switzerland on Sunday. (Nathan Howard/Pool/REUTERS)

FAR-LEFT NETWORK ACTIVATES TO FLY IRAN’S FLAG OVER AMERICA IN VICTORY AND WAGE A ‘SMOKELESS WAR’ ON THE US

A Fox News Digital investigation found that a network of pro-communist groups funded by Neville Roy Singham, an American-born tech tycoon living in China, supporting the Chinese Communist Party and allies, like the Islamic Republic of Iran, has been behind most of the protests that have taken place. 

In April, nonprofits in Singham’s network mobilized to protest President Donald Trump’s «criminal war,» painting blood on their hands to symbolize what they called the «genocidal threats» the administration was making against Iran. 

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The Party for Socialism and Liberation, a self-declared pro-China communist group, communicated to its followers through its propaganda platform, «Liberation News,» to «keep up the pressure» in combatting the war.

A woman protesting the war with Iran.

Medea Benjamin (right) and Olivia DiNucci (center) of CodePink protest against the U.S. war in Iran. (Fox News Digital)

VANCE SAYS US-IRAN TALKS END WITHOUT DEAL AFTER 21 HOURS OF NEGOTIATIONS

In 2017, Singham married a co-founder of CodePink, Jodie Evans, and started pouring a documented $278 million into a network of groups that fuel anti-American protests in the United States, support the People’s Republic of China and now back the Islamic Republic of Iran, a strategic partner of China and a major source of its oil imports.

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Despite the coordinated propaganda defending Iran, the administration has maintained its intention to rid Iran of nuclear capabilities. For more than three months, U.S.-Israeli forces have been fighting Iranian forces, a conflict which Americans have expressed concerns about. 

Vance’s trip to Switzerland marks his second attempt to bring the conflict to an end. In April, he traveled to Islamabad, Pakistan, alongside Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Special Peace Envoy Jared Kushner to negotiate peace. The talks failed and Vance returned home, but he has remained a key figure in finalizing a ceasefire.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance walking with Pakistan's Chief of Defence Forces Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Islamabad.

Vice President JD Vance walks with Pakistan’s Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir and Deputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar after arriving for talks with Iranian officials in Islamabad, Pakistan, on April 11, 2026. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

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His involvement with the negotiations has also led to a surge in bettors placing wagers on the vice president winning the presidency in 2028.

In March, Kalshi showed Vance being beaten out for president in 2028 by both Secretary of State Marco Rubio and California Governor Gavin Newsom. Since Vance has been facilitating the peace deal this month, he surged to the top spot for the next presidential election cycle.

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treaties, white house, war with iran, iran, jd vance

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