INTERNACIONAL
Democrats forge strange bedfellows as party flounders in Trump’s 2nd term

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The Democratic Party has been without a leader since losing the White House in November, and as Democrats navigate President Donald Trump’s second administration, they’ve developed some unlikely alliances.
From violent protests erupting in Los Angeles to the defense of controversial deportees and accused extremists, the party’s fractured response to Trump’s agenda has drawn scrutiny not just from the right, but from within its own ranks.
1. Anti-ICE Protests
Amid the chaos unfolding in Los Angeles, Trump said those protesting and rioting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are «not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists.»
Images emerged this weekend of rioters setting cars on fire and large swaths of protesters shutting down highways as Trump federalized the National Guard for the first time since 1965. He ordered National Guardsmen and Marines to Los Angeles to protect federal immigration agents during the ongoing arrests.
Led by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, long considered a potential 2028 presidential candidate, Democrats have railed against Trump and rallied behind the anti-ICE protesters.
DEMOCRAT ACCUSES TRUMP OF UNLEASHING ‘CAMPAIGN OF TERROR’ ON ILLEGALS AS LA RIOTS RAGE
Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Gov. Gavin Newsom, have made some unexpected alliances during President Trump’s second term. (Shutterstock/AP)
«This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president inflamed a combustible situation, putting our people, our officers, and the National Guard at risk,» Newsom said.
ICE RAMPS UP ARRESTS OF CONVICTED CRIMINALS AS RIOTS RAGE IN BLUE CITY: ‘YOU WILL NOT STOP US’
And Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said on NBC, «A lot of these peaceful protests are being generated because the president of the United States is sowing chaos.»
«The vast majority of protesters and demonstrators are peaceful,» Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., said on MSNBC. «They’re passionate.»
2. Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national deported from Maryland earlier this year, is set to face federal charges for human smuggling and conspiracy, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday.
For months, Democrats have ridiculed the Trump administration for deporting Abrego Garcia to a high-security prison in his home country, El Salvador. Returning Abrego Garcia to the U.S. became a major cause for the Democratic Party.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., was the first of several lawmakers to travel to El Salvador to visit Abrego Garcia this year, sparking social media backlash after being photographed with purported margaritas at a restaurant.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia (Abrego Garcia Family/Handout via REUTERS)
«As I have repeatedly said, this is not about the man, it’s about his constitutional rights and the rights of all. The administration will now have to make its case in the court of law, as it should have all along,» Van Hollen said Friday.
Abrego Garcia is accused of being a member of the violent Salvadoran gang MS-13. According to court records filed by his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, he also allegedly physically abused her on multiple occasions.
KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA INDICTED ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING CHARGES, ORDERED TO APPEAR BEFORE JUDGE IN NASHVILLE
Earlier Friday, another Maryland Democrat, Rep. Glenn Ivey, who also made a trip to El Salvador to advocate for Abrego Garcia, used his X account to promote an event to continue the «critical conversation on the fight to return those who are wrongfully imprisoned in El Salvador.»
And Maryland Gov. Wes Moore celebrated the news of Abrego Garcia’s return, telling Fox News Digital, «I want to thank our federal delegation for their efforts to ensure our government adheres to the rule of law.»
Moore said it was «never about one person, but about the due process that governs all people in our country.»
3. Tesla vandalism
Earlier this year, few Democrats were willing to denounce vandalism on Tesla showrooms, charging stations and vehicles, even as Attorney General Pam Bondi labeled the attacks «domestic terrorism,» an issue Democrats have railed against for years.
What began as protests against Elon Musk and his leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) escalated into violent incidents, including shots fired at a building, destroyed dealership windows and charging stations set on fire.
In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on «Special Report» in March, Musk blamed Democrat leaders’ anti-DOGE rhetoric for the surge in violence against his company.

Five Tesla vehicles were set on fire and shot at in what police said was a «targeted attack» at a repair center in Las Vegas on March 18. (Hal Sparks via Storyful)
Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat who has earned a reputation for bucking his party on key issues like immigration and supporting Israel, dissed Democrats for suddenly backing Musk amid the billionaire’s social media spat with Trump.
DEMS WHO HAVE SPOKEN PASSIONATELY AGAINST DOMESTIC TERRORISM GO SILENT AS TESLA TORCHERS ARE CHARGED
«The Dems, we’ve been dumping all over Musk and vandalizing Teslas or whatever, and now, suddenly, we might be more back into him,» Fetterman said, calling out Democrats’ inconsistency.
4. Mahmoud Khalil
Trump told Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that Democrats lost big in November because they’re backing «90% negative issues,» including support for Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University activist who was arrested and faced deportation for his alleged support of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
«Backing Khalil is not a great issue, but backing Khalil is better than backing these other hundreds of people that are really serious criminals. It’s probably a step better than that,» Trump told Ingraham.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Khalil of participating in «antisemitic protests and disruptive activities, which foster a hostile environment for Jewish students in the United States.»

Mahmoud Khalil (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
«Condoning antisemitic conduct and disruptive protests in the United States would severely undermine that significant foreign policy objective,» Rubio said, defending his move to revoke Khalil’s green card over his alleged affiliation with the terrorist group, Hamas.
But more than 100 Democrats sent a letter accusing the Trump administration of a «brazen attempt to use the power of the United States government to silence and punish people who do not agree with the sitting President» by arresting Khalil. The Democrats requested documentation of the «reasonable grounds» for his arrest and affirmed his «constitutional right in our democracy to express his political views.»
IVY LEAGUE ANTI-ISRAEL RINGLEADER MAHMOUD KHALIL WITHHELD DETAILS OF FOREIGN TIES FROM VISA APPLICATION: FEDS
The procedural request followed a fiery letter sent by 14 House Democrats, including «Squad» members Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Illhan Omar and Ayanna Pressley, demanding Khalil’s release and labeling his detention an «illegal abduction» and violation of the First Amendment.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called the arrest «inhumane» and «unconstitutional.» Tlaib, who is the only Palestinian American in Congress and was censured last year for her criticism of U.S. policy on the war in Gaza, said the Trump administration’s «illegal actions set a dangerous precedent» and called to «free Mahmoud Khalil.»
5. The seniority question
Earlier this year, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faced backlash from his own party after voting for the Republican-proposed continuing resolution to avert a government shutdown.
Soon after, a Siena College poll found Schumer’s favorability was down at 39% among New York state voters questioned in the poll, which was conducted April 14-16. Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez’s favorability soared to 47% as rumors swirled about her ambitions for higher office.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)
Texas Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett said the Schumer criticism among donors was «reminiscent» of when former President Joe Biden was «taken down» before the 2024 presidential election.
EMBATTLED DNC VICE CHAIR DECIDES NOT TO RUN AFTER DIVERSITY RE-VOTE CALLED
And former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg sparked intraparty conflict this year when he vowed $20 million through his outside political action group, Leaders We Deserve, to primary challenge older House Democrats in safe blue districts he said are «asleep at the wheel.»
After months of growing tension between DNC officials, Hogg announced he would not compete in the new vice chair election after a majority of members voted for a new contest in the wake of a procedural error in the Feb. 1 elections.
But the DNC has a different take on their response to Trump’s second term.
«The American people think Donald Trump is off the rails — they oppose his deployment of troops to LA, they don’t support his budget bill to give handouts to the rich, and they don’t trust him to run the economy,» DNC spokesperson Aida Ross told Fox News Digital.
«That’s why Trump has the lowest approval ratings of any modern president at this point in his term. Democrats on the other hand are on a record-breaking streak, winning and overperforming in elections across the map this year, including in red states.»
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Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller, Peter Pinedo and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
INTERNACIONAL
New Jersey’s ban on privately operated ICE detention centers struck down by court

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A U.S. appeals court struck down a law in New Jersey that prevented the federal government from contracting with private firms to operate immigration detention centers across the state.
The court’s 2-1 ruling marked a victory for President Donald Trump and his administration during their ongoing illegal immigration crackdown across the country.
One of the Trump administration’s efforts has been to expand a network of detention centers in preparation for the deportations of dangerous illegal aliens.
The court’s ruling also means CoreCivic Corp., a private prison firm, can continue to operate the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility, which is one of the centers ramping up deportations.
DEM REP TO PLEAD NOT GUILTY TO FEDERAL CHARGES FOR INCIDENT AT NEWARK ICE FACILITY
A federal appeals court overturned a New Jersey law that blocked private immigration detention centers, citing interference with federal immigration powers. (Kena Betancur/VIEWpress)
In the decision, U.S. Circuit Judge Stephanos Bibas, who was appointed to the post by Trump, wrote, «Just as states cannot regulate the federal government itself, they cannot regulate private parties in a way that severely undercuts a federal function.»
Bibas added that the law «interferes with the federal government’s core power to enforce immigration laws.»
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, signed a law in 2021 that barred CoreCivic from renewing its agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to continue operating the Elizabeth Detention Center.
DEM REP MCIVER EXPECTED TO MAKE FIRST COURT APPEARANCE AFTER NEWARK INCIDENT
CoreCivic ultimately sued the state, resulting in a district court judge siding with the private firm. The state then appealed the ruling to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court and received a decision counter to what it had hoped.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin expressed disappointment about the decision in a post on X on Tuesday.
DEM LAWMAKERS DEFEND ‘STORMING’ OF ICE FACILITY, SAY TRUMP ADMIN IS ‘LYING AT ALL LEVELS’
«As recent events at Delaney Hall underscore, entrusting detention to for-profit companies poses grave risks to health and safety, and as the dissenting judge noted, States retain broad latitude to protect the health and safety of people within their borders – particularly where, as here, there is no conflict with federal legislation,» Platkin wrote, in part.
Platkin added he is evaluating the next steps in the case.
CoreCivic’s Ryan Gustin told Fox News Digital that the company has «played a limited but important role» in the U.S. immigration center at the Elizabeth facility for more than 25 years.
«We appreciate that we’ve had the opportunity to present our positions to the courts and are grateful to the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals for reaffirming the federal government’s discretion to rely on the Elizabeth Detention Center to support its vital mission,» Gustin said.
DEM CONGRESS MEMBERS STORM NEW JERSEY ICE PRISON TO CONDUCT ‘OVERSIGHT VISIT’: ‘PEOPLE DESERVE DIGNITY’

Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., has pleaded not guilty to allegedly obstructing Homeland Security agents during an altercation outside a Newark, New Jersey, immigration facility last month. (Fox News)
Rep. LaMonica McIver, D-N.J., was hit with a federal indictment for allegedly obstructing Homeland Security agents during an incident outside the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark on May 9.
McIver and two other members of Congress said they were conducting a congressional oversight visit that coincided with an immigration protest when a clash ensued with federal agents.
According to the DOJ, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was allowed into the facility’s secured area and refused to follow federal agents’ warnings to leave.
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When officers tried to arrest him, McIver allegedly put her arms around the mayor and «slammed her forearm» into one officer while grabbing another and using both of her forearms to forcibly strike the second officer.
McIver has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Fox News Digital’s Michael Dorgan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
INTERNACIONAL
Disputed fire by ancient church in Holy Land sparks diplomatic, religious fallout

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Israeli police late Monday dismissed reports alleging that Jewish settlers set fire to the archaeological site of the Church of St. George in the village of Taybeh in the West Bank, calling them «factually incorrect,» lacking evidence and potentially misleading to the public.
According to police, a probe was launched last Thursday by a specialized team within the Judea and Samaria Central Investigations Unit (YAMAR) under the direction of the district commander. An internal committee was also tasked with reviewing the timeline of events recorded in police information systems, assessing the handling of reports and complaints, and evaluating the response.
«Findings gathered on the ground unequivocally show that no damage or harm was caused to the holy site itself,» police said.
DISPUTE OVER CHRISTIAN GROUPS’ VISAS TO ISRAEL RESOLVED AFTER HUCKABEE THREAT
An aerial view of Taybeh shows the remnants of a fire in a field located adjacent to the Church of St. George. (Courtesy: Israel Police)
The statement noted that a small fire had occurred in an open area near the site, but no buildings, crops or infrastructure were damaged.
On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee noted on X that Taybeh was «a beautiful village made up of mostly Arab Christians. Glad [the Israel Police] continue [to] search for truth [without] regard to assumptions.»
Huckabee pointedly added: «I have NOT attributed the cause of fire to any person or group as we don’t know for sure. The press has. I have said that regardless, it was [a] crime [and] deserves consequences.»
An exclusive investigation by The Press Service of Israel (TPS-IL) first raised questions over the fire, having uncovered evidence that local Jewish residents had participated in firefighting efforts near the church and raised significant doubts about the cause of the blaze.
TPS-IL also documented additional fires on July 7, 8 and 11 in nearby pastureland, located dozens of meters from the church compound. In each instance, a Jewish farmer with a property adjacent to the site filed complaints with police, claiming the areas where animals were grazing had been deliberately set ablaze.

Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee during a tour of the Church of St. George area, the site of a fire, during his visit to the West Bank town of Taybeh, east of Ramallah Saturday, July 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
Last weekend, Huckabee visited Taybeh, where he called for accountability. «To commit an act of sacrilege by desecrating a place that is supposed to be a place of worship, it is an act of terror, and it is a crime,» he said in a statement released by the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. «There should be consequences, and it should be harsh consequences because it is one of the last bastions of our civilization, the places where we worship.»
The visit came after the Council of Patriarchs and Heads of Churches of Jerusalem issued a statement claiming that «radical Israelis from nearby settlements intentionally set fire near the town’s cemetery and the Church of Saint George.»
A joint statement days earlier from the priests of the three churches in Taybeh – the Greek Orthodox Church, the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Church – blamed «Israeli settlers» for «deliberately ignit[ing] a fire near the town’s cemetery and the historic Church of Saint George (Al-Khadr), a fifth-century site considered one of the oldest religious landmarks in Palestine.»

A screenshot shows two Israeli shepherds trying to put out a fire near the Byzantine-period church in the Palestinian village of Taybeh on July 7, 2025. (TPS-IL)
HUCKABEE DEMANDS ISRAEL ‘AGGRESSIVELY INVESTIGATE’ MURDER OF PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN KILLED IN ‘TERRORIST ACT’
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III accused «radical Israelis from nearby settlements» of «a targeted attack.»
Dan Diker, president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, told Fox News Digital that Israel must take a more assertive approach in handling incidents that could impact its international standing.
«We are in the middle of the most consequential war since the founding of the state, and events like this are just as dangerous,» he said.
He emphasized the importance of reinforcing Israel’s role in safeguarding Christian heritage and holy sites, particularly in contested areas.
«This includes exposing the PLO and Hamas’ ongoing war against Christian citizens, but it also requires transparency and assertiveness in showing our role as guardians of Christian sites and civilization in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem,» said Diker.

An aerial view showing St. George church on the West Bank. (TPS-IL)
He also pointed to what he described as a coordinated effort by the Palestinian leadership to undermine Israel’s legitimacy on the global stage, particularly through the media.
«We are in the midst of an international crusade by the Palestinian leadership to uproot our legitimacy,» he said. «The international media has become an ecosystem for the defamation and delegitimization of Israel. They are weaponizing every event into an existential assault.»
On Monday night, the Binyamin Regional Council, which administers Jewish communities in southern Samaria, confirmed the church incurred no damage.
«Here I am on the outskirts of the church. You can see the apse over here. And even on the outskirts or the outer walls, there are no signs of fire,» the council’s international spokeswoman, Eliana Passentin, said in a video.
«We are the guardians of the biblical heartland. This land was given to us by God – there is no reason for us to burn a church or to disrespect anyone else’s religion,» she added.
Speaking to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, Passentin recalled bringing visitors to the local brewery in Taybeh, which was so well-regarded that a rabbi granted it kosher certification. She noted that Israelis and Christian Arabs had coexisted peacefully in the area for years, but expressed concern that the community now identifies itself with a Palestinian state that does not formally exist.
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«When I was walking around, one of the priests in Taybeh said he believed in the two-state solution and it felt as if the P.A. was putting a lot of pressure on the Christians,» Passentin said.
She suggested that the latest crisis was manufactured by those seeking to divide Jews and Christians, whom she described as joint guardians of Judea and Samaria.
«We are striving for peace,» she said. «This is the land of the Bible, and we should be building it together – not fighting or spreading false blood libels accusing Jews of burning down a church.»
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