Federal judge orders Trump’s name removed from Kennedy Center, says only Congress can rename it

2026-05-29T16:10:19-04:00 / Fox News

The board of trustees overstepped its statutory bounds by unilaterally renaming the building, the judge ruled

By Louis Casiano, Fox News

Published May 29, 2026 4:10pm EDT

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A federal judge on Friday ordered that President Donald Trump’s name be removed from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, an Obama appointee, said the iconic venue cannot be renamed without an act of Congress, ruling that the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees overstepped its “statutory bounds by unilaterally renaming” the building.

As part of his ruling, the Trump administration will be required to take down all physical signage bearing Trump’s name and eliminate any references to a “Trump-Kennedy Center” from official materials.

TRUMP KENNEDY CENTER’S BOARD VOTES UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE $257M RENOVATIONS AND TWO-YEAR CLOSURE

A sign is displayed on the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts building.(Getty Images)

“The Kennedy Center’s organic statute makes crystal clear that the Center is to be named for President Kennedy, and it cannot bear any other formal name or public memorial based on the Board’s unilateral say-so,” Cooper wrote. “Congress gave the Kennedy Center its name, and only Congress can change it.”

In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump criticized Cooper and Democrats for opposing changes to the iconic center.

“I took great pride in taking over a losing Institution, and looked forward to making it into a Great and Prestigious WINNER for Washington, D.C., and indeed, the United States of America,” Trump wrote.. “Unfortunately, Judge Cooper and the Radical Left would rather see it DIE than have President Trump transform it into something that everyone could be proud of.”

Roma Daravi, the Trump Kennedy Center vice president of public relations, said the board plans to appeal the decision.

“We will review the decision carefully though the reality remains —the Center requires an urgent and significant restoration – a truth that even the plaintiff acknowledges,” Daravi said. “With $257 million secured by President Trump and approved by Congress, the resources are in place and we remain committed to pursuing every lawful avenue to ensure the Trump Kennedy Center is restored as a national cultural landmark for all Americans to enjoy.”

The ruling was part of a lawsuit filed by U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

BOARD VOTES KENNEDY CENTER TO BE RENAMED ‘TRUMP-KENNEDY CENTER,’ LEAVITT SAYS

President Donald Trump stands in the presidential box during a tour of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., on March 17, 2025. On Friday, a federal judge ruled that Trump’s name must be removed from he iconic venue.(Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images)

Cooper previously denied a request for a preliminary injunction filed by a preservation group to block the planned two-year closure of the Kennedy Center for a rehabilitation project.

Trump secured $257 million from Congress as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to address disrepair and deferred maintenance of the Kennedy Center, which critics say has been neglected and mismanaged before Trump intervened.

The funds appropriated by Congress are spent on maintenance, repairs, security, and capital projects related to the building and site.

“Based on the fact that the Radical Left Democrats care more about opposing your favorite President, ME, than saving a dying Performing Arts Center, almost all of which lose large amounts of money throughout the Country, we are going to be working with Congress to transfer this failing Institution back to them so they can make a determination as to what to do with it,” wrote Trump.

He noted that Cooper received a presentation by building and construction experts as to how structurally dangerous the Kennedy Center is, he wrote, noting problems with the venue, including rotting beams, parking areas that are subject to collapse, and various other safety issues.

“But he was not ‘swayed,’ and said he wants the Building to, incredibly, remain open and, therefore, dangerous,” Trump said. “Judge Cooper should be ashamed of himself!”

Beatty, who serves as an ex officio member of the board, praised Friday’s ruling.

“Today’s ruling rightly affirms that this administration’s efforts to rename and close the Center have no basis in law,” Beatty said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. “The Kennedy Center is an institution that belongs to the American people, not to Donald Trump. He has desecrated this sacred memorial for his own vanity. I am proud to have fought for the rule of law and to protect this sacred institution.”

Workers install Donald J. Trump signage above the existing Kennedy Center sign in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 19, 2025.(Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

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Trump’s name was added to the venue last December following a unanimous decision by the board. In February 2025, Trump was elected chairman of the Kennedy Center board after removing 18 trustees appointed by former President Joe Biden.

Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.

Judge orders Trump to answer questions about whether settlement that created “anti-weaponization fund” was “fraud”

2026-05-29T19:10:00-0400 / CBS News

By

Jacob Rosen Justice Department Reporter
Jake Rosen is a reporter covering the Department of Justice. He was previously a campaign digital reporter covering President Trump’s 2024 campaign and also served as an associate producer for “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”

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Updated on: May 29, 2026 / 7:11 PM EDT / CBS News

A federal judge signaled Friday she may reopen a legal case between President Trump and his own government that led the Justice Department to create a controversial $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization fund,” ordering the president’s lawyers to respond to allegations of “deception” and “fraud.”

U.S. Judge Kathleen Williams issued the four-page order after dozens of retired federal judges asked her to reopen the president’s lawsuit, arguing the government and Mr. Trump may have “deceived” Williams into dismissing the case.

Williams wrote that the former judges raised “grievous allegations” that Mr. Trump sought to dismiss the case “solely to avoid judicial scrutiny of a lawsuit that ‘was collusive from the start’ and was only filed to provide the imprimatur of legality for an unlawful settlement.”

She directed the president to file a response by June 12, laying out their responses to the former judges’ allegations of “collusion” and “deception,” and “the question of whether the case should be reopened because the Court was the ‘victim of a fraud.’”

It’s the latest legal roadblock for the “anti-weaponization fund.” Earlier Friday, a different federal judge temporarily barred the Justice Department from moving forward with work on the multibillion-dollar fund, following a separate lawsuit.

The case arrived on Williams’ docket earlier this year, when Mr. Trump sued the Internal Revenue Service for allegedly allowing his tax returns to leak. Williams signaled that she planned to look into whether the lawsuit was legally valid since Mr. Trump effectively sat on both sides of the table. But earlier this month, she dismissed the suit at the president and the Justice Department’s request and said there was no “settlement of record.”

Hours after the case was dismissed, the Justice Department announced it had settled the case by agreeing to set up a $1.776 billion fund to pay out people who allege they were victims of government “weaponization.” The government also promised not to take action against Mr. Trump for any issues related to his old tax returns.

The deal drew immediate criticism, with Democrats casting it as a “slush fund” for Trump allies and some Republicans raising questions about whether convicted Jan. 6 rioters could get payouts. The Justice Department has defended the fund, insisting it will be apolitical and all decisions will be made by a panel of five people appointed by the attorney general.

On Wednesday, a coalition of 35 former federal judges asked Williams to reverse her dismissal of the case and reopen it. They argued the settlement “is a product of collusion and is itself a fraud on the Court,” and said Williams should look into whether she was “deceived” about whether the case was valid or whether there were “arms-length negotiations undertaken to resolve it.”

Williams wrote Friday that she has the power to investigate “serious misconduct,” including whether filings are made for an “improper purpose,” and impose sanctions if needed.

“A party’s decision to file a frivolous lawsuit for the sole purpose of forcing a settlement may qualify as such an improper purpose,” she wrote.

The Justice Department and a spokesman for Mr. Trump’s legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Gov. Andy Beshear to attend event known to attract presidential hopefuls

2026-05-29T22:45:27.043Z / CNN Politics

beshear

Published 6:45 PM EDT, Fri May 29, 2026

Gov. Andy Beshear to attend event known to attract presidential hopefuls

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Trump call with Taiwanese president on hold

May 29, 2026 / 7:29 PM EDT / CBS News

By Sara Cook
Sara Cook is a White House producer and multi-platform reporter for CBS News. She has covered three presidential campaigns and the Obama, Biden, and Trump administrations.

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Olivia Gazis
Olivia Gazis covers intelligence and international security matters for CBS News. Twice Emmy-nominated, she has traveled worldwide with the secretary of state and contributes reporting on intelligence, foreign policy and other security topics across CBS News broadcast, radio, online and streaming platforms.

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President Trump is no longer expected to speak with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s potential trip to the United States this fall, multiple sources familiar with the discussions told CBS News.

When Mr. Trump visited China earlier this month, Xi warned him that Taiwan could become a “very dangerous situation” if mishandled.

Mr. Trump twice made international headlines in mid-May when he indicated that he would have a conversation with Lai before making a decision about selling a new package of defensive military weapons to the democratic self-governed island.

“I’ll speak to him,” Mr. Trump told reporters last week when asked if he’d speak to Lai before greenlighting the arms sale.

“I have to speak to the person that right now is — you know who he is — that’s running Taiwan,” Mr. Trump said two weeks ago on Air Force One.

No sitting U.S. president has spoken directly with a Taiwanese leader since 1979 due to diplomatic sensitivities in managing relations with China, although in December 2016, while Mr. Trump was president-elect, he received a congratulatory call from then-Taiwanese President Tsai Ying-wen.

“I think [Lai], if he has time, would love to tell him our side of the story, the Taiwan story, which is one that — of resiliency, of a state staying up against the Chinese aggression,” Alexander Yui, Taiwan’s Representative to the U.S., told “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on May 17.

Taiwan’s de facto embassy in the U.S. told CBS News this week that it’s still waiting to hear from the U.S. about a phone call.

A White House official referred CBS News to the president’s comments.

The Chinese Communist Party has long vowed to “reunify” the island with the Chinese mainland, and the potential for military force remains a risk. After Mr. Trump’s mention of a potential phone call, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Beijing opposed any “official exchanges between the U.S. and China’s Taiwan region, and the U.S.’s arms sales to Taiwan is consistent, clear and rock-firm.”

On Mr. Trump’s two-day visit to Beijing, during which he said he spoke in “great detail” to Xi about the weapons sale to Taipei, the president also told Fox News that he planned to hold the weapons “in abeyance,” depending on what China did. He suggested arming Taiwan could be a “negotiating chip” useful to the U.S., but he did not elaborate.

Under a Reagan-era agreement known as the Six Assurances, the U.S. pledged not to cut off arms sales to Taiwan, and not to consult with Beijing on such sales.

“So, what am I going to do? Say ‘I don’t want to talk to you about it, because I have an agreement that was signed in 1982?’ No. We discussed arms sales,” Trump told reporters during the return trip from China.

The last U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, totaling $11 billion, was announced by the administration in December last year. A subsequent $14 billion package has been under consideration since January but has not yet been greenlit by the State Department and awaits Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s signature.

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told Congress earlier this month that the sale had been put on “pause” to ensure the U.S. military had sufficient munitions for its operations in Iran. A source familiar with the arms sales later told CBS News that the delay was unrelated to Iran and that the president is expected to make a decision “soon.”

“Taiwan and the United States maintain open and smooth communications as the U.S. government reaffirms that its long-standing policy on Taiwan remains unchanged, and supports the status quo and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), Taiwan’s de facto embassy in the U.S., said in a statement to CBS News.

Mr. Trump invited Xi to visit on Sept. 24, the White House announced, though China has not yet accepted the invitation.

Qiu Wenxing, deputy chief of mission and minister at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C., told reporters Wednesday that while Xi had agreed to visit the U.S. in the fall, “the date has to be determined,” and he added that “favorable conditions have to be created prior to such an important state visit.”

While no call with Taipei has been planned, two sources indicated that Mr. Trump always likes to keep options open.

《纽约时报》5月29日引述一名美国高级官员说，特朗普在白宫战情室开会两小时后就离开，没有就伊朗提案做出任何决定。 （法新社档案照片）

美国官员透露，美国总统特朗普星期五（5月29日）在白宫战情室与幕僚开会后，“推迟决定”是否接受伊朗的提案。特朗普在开会之前预告，他将在战情室会议后做出“最终决定”。

《纽约时报》引述一名美国政府高级官员说，特朗普在白宫战情室开会两小时后就离开，并没有做任何决定。

目前尚不清楚特朗普为何仍未做出决定。

当天上午，特朗普在Truth social发文说：“我现在正前往战情室开会，以做出一个最终决定。”特朗普重申，伊朗必须同意永远不拥有核武器，并允许美国撤走浓缩铀。他还说，霍尔木兹海峡必须立即双向开放，免收通行费，允许航运交通不受限制地运行，所有水雷都必须被清除。伊朗已经多次拒绝这些条件。

伊朗外交部发言人巴盖伊29日接受伊朗国家媒体电话采访时说，目前与美方的谈判范围并未涉及核问题。近几天，双方发生了零星交火，特朗普还多次威胁要恢复全面战争。

Jill Biden on Hunter pardon: “We just could not let our son go to jail” under Trump’s DOJ

2026-05-29T19:42:44-0400 / CBS News

May 29, 2026 / 7:42 PM EDT / CBS News

Jill Biden said she supported Joe Biden’s decision to pardon their son, Hunter, because they couldn’t let him go to jail under President Trump.

Joe Biden had repeatedly pledged not to pardon his son, but reversed course at the end of his presidency.

“And then the Justice Department changed. And I think that the process was not fair to Hunter,” Jill Biden told CBS News Sunday Morning’s Rita Braver in an interview airing Sunday on CBS. “When Trump was elected, things changed, and we knew that he would target Hunter. And we just could not let our son go to jail on a charge that no one would go, I mean, no one has ever gone to jail for.”

Joe Biden repeatedly said he wouldn’t pardon his son, who was convicted in June 2024 of three separate felony charges related to his purchase of a revolver in 2018 when he was battling a drug addiction, which he lied about on paperwork to obtain the gun. Hunter Biden also pleaded guilty to nine tax evasion charges in a separate case in September 2024.

The elder Biden’s decision to pardon his son drew bipartisan criticism.

When asked by Braver if she urged her husband to pardon Hunter Biden, Jill Biden said: “I truly supported it. I wanted him to pardon Hunter at that point, and I agreed with Joe.”

Asked why Biden also preemptively pardoned several other family members before he left office, Jill Biden said: “I suppose for the same reason that he felt that they would be targeted.”

Jill Biden talked to Braver about the election, her husband’s 2024 debate performance, and her new book, “View from the East Wing: A Memoir”.

Watch more of Jill Biden’s interview on “Sunday Morning” on May 31 at 9 a.m. on CBS stations and streaming on Paramount+.

Jill Biden on Joe Biden’s pardon of son Hunter

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/jill-biden-on-joe-bidens-pardon-of-son-hunter/

白宫匿名官员：特朗普对伊朗协议“坚守红线”

2026年5月30日 07:05 / 联合早报

白宫匿名官员：特朗普对伊朗协议“坚守红线”

白宫匿名官员告诉法新社，“特朗普总统只会达成一项对美国有利且不逾越美国底线的协议。” （彭博社）

美国白宫官员告诉法新社，美总统特朗普只有在伊朗满足了所有条件后才会与伊朗达成一项和平协议。

特朗普星期五（5月29日）下午就是否接受伊朗的提案在白宫战情室召开会议。

《纽约时报》引述一名美国政府高级官员说，特朗普与幕僚开会两小时后就离开，并没有做任何决定。

一名不愿具名的白宫官员向法新社确认，白宫战情室会议已经结束。

这名白宫官员说：“战情室会议持续了大约两个小时。特朗普总统只会达成一项对美国有利且不逾越美国底线的协议。”

他说：“伊朗永远不能拥有核武器。”

Former Attorney General Pam Bondi hails Trump admin’s ‘justice and transparency’ on Epstein files

2026-05-29 1:33pm EDT / Fox News

Fox News Digital obtained a copy of Bondi’s prepared statement on Friday as she sat for an interview with a House committee

By Alex Nitzberg Fox News

Published May 29, 2026 1:33pm EDT | Updated May 29, 2026 1:35pm EDT

Blanche invokes Trump ‘love’ when pressed on staying in AG role after Bondi’s ouster

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche lavished praise on Donald Trump during a press conference, saying when asked if he wanted to replace Pam Bondi permanently that the decision was up to the president.

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Former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who spoke before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Friday, stood behind the Trump administration’s work releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files, according to a copy of her prepared opening remarks obtained by Fox News Digital.

“Before we start today, I want to reiterate what I have said many times regarding the Department’s handling during my tenure as Attorney General of the voluminous materials that are now commonly known as the Epstein Files,” she told the committee, according to the document.

“I am proud of the Department’s record and commitment to transparency under my leadership. We demonstrated an unprecedented commitment to transparency in the Department’s search for, collection, and review of the Epstein files, producing nearly 3 million pages of material, including thousands of videos and hundreds of thousands of images,” Bondi asserted.

Bondi has since departed from the Capitol following her voluntary transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee, Fox News has learned. Friday’s interview was transcribed, though not video recorded.

BONDI GRILLED ON EPSTEIN FILES IN FIRST CAPITOL HILL RETURN SINCE DOJ OUSTER

Former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi arrives to testify at a closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee on Capitol Hill on May 29, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“These investigations span FOUR administrations, dating back to the Bush administration and have gone on through the Obama administration, the first Trump administration, and the Biden administration. The only time federal prosecutors were permitted to launch investigations against Epstein and Maxwell was when President Trump occupied the White House. Only under President Trump were 3 million Epstein related documents released,” Bondi said, according to her prepared remarks.

The former attorney general further described “an enormously complicated and labor-intensive process.”

“To the best of my knowledge, the Department produced everything required under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Our diligent and good faith effort to collect materials ensured that all potentially responsive documents that could be reasonably located would see the light of day,” she noted, according to the copy of her remarks.

“All Department components were directed to submit any potentially responsive records, resulting in a comprehensive review of millions of documents. As the head of a large Department with broad responsibilities, I did not lead every aspect of this effort or conduct that document review myself. I delegated oversight over this process to Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche,” Bondi continue.

Blanche was appointed acting attorney general on April 2 after President Donald Trump announced Bondi’s departure. He is not considered Bondi’s permanent replacement as head of the DOJ.

President Donald Trump interacts with then-U.S. General Attorney Pam Bondi as he took to the stage to participate in a roundtable discussion regarding the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF) in combating violent crime at the Memphis International Airport on March 23, 2026 in Memphis, Tenn.(Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

Bondi told the committee on Friday that “the team of professionals who reviewed all of the materials that we collected assured me the only materials that were withheld were either non-responsive, privileged, or duplicative.”

“Although not required by the Act, the Department has given Congress access to unredacted, duplicative materials in the Reading Room in an effort at maximum transparency,” Bondi said.

“There were redaction errors,” she continued. “But since day one of this process, this Department has been committed to accountability and transparency. Our stance has always been that the Department stands ready to review any potential evidence of criminal activity related to Epstein and his associates and would pursue appropriate investigative or prosecutorial action wherever the facts and law warrant.”

FORMER PRINCE ANDREW, SARAH FERGUSON DUBBED ROYAL FAMILY’S ‘BONNIE AND CLYDE’ AS EPSTEIN FALLOUT GROWS: AUTHOR

“I would like to repeat what I shared before the House Judiciary Committee in February: I have spent my entire career fighting for victims and I will continue to do so. I am deeply sorry for what any victim has been through, especially as a result of that monster. If they have any information to share with law enforcement about anyone who has hurt them or abused them, the FBI is waiting to hear from them,” Bondi’s opening statement said.

Then-U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Feb. 11, 2026 in Washington, D.C.(Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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“The bottom line is: justice and transparency in this matter have been delivered at the direction of President Trump and his administration,” she asserted.

Bondi was diagnosed with thyroid cancer shortly after departing the Department of Justice last month, according to reports this week. Katie Miller, a former White House staffer and podcast host who is married to White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller, reposted an Axios report on X on Tuesday.

“Pam has been quietly kicking cancer’s ass the last few weeks,” she wrote.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

DOJ escalates blue-state ICE standoff after states refuse key federal request

2026-05-29T12:42:29-04:00 / Fox News

Legal experts say the DOJ faces an uphill battle trying to compel states to issue plates via the Supremacy Clause

By Robert Schmad Fox News

Published May 29, 2026 12:42pm EDT

Some blue states ‘actively sabotage’ law enforcement: Florida governor

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticizes Democrats’ reluctance to work with the Trump administration on issues including immigration on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’

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The Department of Justice announced on Thursday that it filed lawsuits against four Democrat-led states over their refusal to issue undercover license plates to ICE agents.

DOJ Civil Division Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate previously issued an ultimatum to Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington, giving them until May 22 to provide immigration enforcement officers with undercover plates for their vehicles. Justice Department officials argue the states’ refusal unlawfully discriminates against federal law enforcement and violates the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.

These lawsuits escalate a months-long standoff between the Justice Department and Democrat-led states over immigration enforcement. The cases could test the limits of the Supremacy Clause as the DOJ seeks to assert legal authority over state motor vehicle departments, while the states themselves maintain that they are not required to assist with civil immigration enforcement.

“This Department of Justice will exercise any and all lawful authorities to support the brave men and women of law enforcement,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said. “Law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to keep Americans safe and must be able to carry out their duties effectively. By denying undercover license plates to DHS components, including ICE, while issuing them to their own state agencies, these governors are pursuing discriminatory and obstructionist policies against federal law enforcement.”

DOJ PUTS BLUE STATES ON NOTICE AS ICE FIGHT BARRELS TOWARD NEXT CONSTITUTIONAL SHOWDOWN

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche arrives for a press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House August 11, 2025, in Washington, D.C. Trump announced he will use his authority to place the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under federal control to assist in crime prevention in the nation’s capital, and that the National Guard will be deployed to D.C.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

An official in the Massachusetts governor’s office previously told Fox News Digital that the commonwealth does issue undercover plates to federal agents, but only if they are investigating criminal offenses. It refuses to do so in cases where civil infractions are being investigated, which covers most immigration cases.

“In Massachusetts, we support law enforcement doing legitimate criminal investigative work, and local, state and federal agencies doing that work can request confidential plates,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement flagged for Fox News Digital by her staff. “But that’s not what we are seeing from ICE and its unconstitutional tactics.”

Oregon, meanwhile, has gone a step further by placing a general moratorium on issuing undercover plates to federal agents, while Maine and Washington, like Massachusetts, are declining to provide plates for civil investigations.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey takes questions from reporters during a news conference in Boston on Jan. 31, 2024. She nominated an appeals court judge and former romantic partner to an open seat on the state’s highest court.(Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

FEDERAL JUDGE RULES AGAINST DHS ON WARRANTLESS IMMIGRATION ARRESTS IN OREGON

“We look forward to defending this lawsuit,” Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said in a statement his office shared with Fox News Digital. “We take public safety seriously, and work with federal partners to voluntarily provide hundreds of undercover plates every year for criminal investigations. Judges across the country have found that the Department of Homeland Security’s tactics in conducting civil immigration enforcement routinely violate the Constitution.”

“That is unacceptable,” he added.

A spokesman for the Oregon governor’s office told Fox News Digital that Gov. Tina Kotek is waiting for the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles to conduct a review of its undercover plate policy and that she expects the agency to “communicate next steps.”

Law enforcement officers stand guard as protesters demonstrate outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 1, 2026, opposing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.(Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images)

ANTI-ICE LAW SET TO TAKE EFFECT IN MAINE AS GOVERNOR FACES INCREASED CRITICISM FOR ALLOWING IT AMID SENATE RUN

The Maine governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Thursday.

The lawsuits filed by the DOJ cite the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution, which establishes federal law as supreme over conflicting state laws, arguing that it can be used to make the four Democratic states issue undercover license plates to ICE agents.

“The United States has sovereign authority to manage federal law enforcement activities and, under the Supremacy Clause, need not cede that authority to Maine (or any state) by abiding by its dangerous policy which jeopardizes federal law enforcement operations and the officers who carry them out,” the lawsuit reads.

JONATHAN TURLEY: WHY BLUE STATES’ NEW ANTI-ICE LAWS ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL VIRTUE SIGNALING

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche criticized reporters for asking questions about a viral story from The Atlantic alleging FBI Director Kash Patel has exhibited ‘erratic behavior’ tied to frequent intoxication, during a press conference on April 21, 2026.(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

“Under the Supremacy Clause, States do not have the power to dictate how the Federal Government executes its constitutional powers within their borders,” it continued.

Conservative legal experts previously told Fox News Digital that they believe the DOJ is fighting an uphill battle in trying to compel states to issue specific license plates by leveraging the Supremacy Clause.

“Federal law preempts state law when state law conflicts with a supreme federal law. And when it does, the state law is preempted, meaning that the state law cannot be given legal effect in those instances of conflict,” Charles “Cully” Stimson, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital. “There is no law in my mind that is conflicting with federal law. You simply have state actors refusing to issue these types of license plates.”

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Stimson did add that there is an underlying assumption that, by virtue of being in the union and as implied under the Constitution’s separation of powers, the four Democratic states should cooperate with the federal government to enforce laws.

The Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment when reached by Fox News Digital on Thursday.

Pentagon hosts first-ever Israeli–Lebanese military talks aimed at curbing Hezbollah

Discussions mark shift from diplomacy to direct military coordination as ceasefire deadline looms in weeks ahead

May 29, 2026 2:15pm EDT / Fox News

By Efrat Lachter Fox News

Hezbollah remains biggest obstacle to Israel–Lebanon talks, analyst warns

As Israeli and Lebanese military officials meet in Washington for rare Pentagon-mediated talks, Ahmed Sharawi of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies warns Hezbollah’s grip on Lebanon continues to undermine hopes for a broader agreement.

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Israeli and Lebanese military delegations opened Pentagon-mediated talks Friday morning in Washington, launching a new U.S.-brokered security coordination track aimed at preventing renewed escalation along the Israel–Lebanon border and shoring up a fragile ceasefire reached in mid-April.

A State Department official told Fox News Digital that, “As we have continuously stated, the only path to lasting peace is through direct negotiations between the two sovereign governments.”

The discussions mark a shift from diplomatic negotiations into direct military coordination, with talks expected to focus on ceasefire enforcement, border stability, Israeli withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon and the role of the Lebanese Armed Forces in containing Hezbollah.

ISRAEL MOVES TOWARDS CEASEFIRE DEAL WITH HEZBOLLAH: REPORTS

Michael Needham, counselor for the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa, Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter pose for a photo before a meeting at the State Department in Washington, D.C., on April 14, 2026.(Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)

The talks come weeks after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire first reached during the broader regional conflict tied to the U.S.–Iran war. While large-scale fighting has eased, Israeli forces continue operating inside parts of southern Lebanon and Hezbollah maintains drone and rocket capabilities, keeping tensions high along the border.

The ceasefire was extended on May 15 for another 45 days, creating pressure on both sides to show progress before the current arrangement expires.

But analysts say the central question overshadowing the talks is whether Lebanon can realistically curb Hezbollah’s military power without risking internal collapse.

“This will be the first meeting between representatives of the militaries since the start of the negotiation process between Lebanon and Israel,” Ahmed Sharawi, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, told Fox News Digital.

Representing Lebanon in the talks is Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal, who previously served as commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces in southern Lebanon, an area where Hezbollah maintains a strong presence. Hezbollah is the Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist organization designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization.

“What we should expect is talks regarding de-confliction and what the expectations are for the LAF in terms of the broader disarmament plan against Hezbollah’s weapons,” he said.

Sharawi said the chances of a broader breakthrough remain limited so long as Hezbollah remains heavily armed and politically entrenched inside Lebanon.

“The biggest obstacle here is that the Lebanese state is yet to present a feasible plan to disarm Hezbollah,” he said.

LAWMAKERS QUESTION WHETHER US MOVING FAST ENOUGH TO CAPITALIZE ON HEZBOLLAH’S WEAKENED STATE

But analysts say the central question overshadowing the talks is whether Lebanon can realistically curb Hezbollah’s military power without risking internal collapse.(Ibrahim AMRO / AFP via Getty Images)

He pointed to the terms of the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, which placed responsibility for disarming Hezbollah on the Lebanese state.

“We are yet to see the confiscation of one single bullet from Hezbollah,” Sharawi said.

He also warned that Hezbollah’s deep support among Lebanon’s Shiite population complicates any attempt to move toward normalization with Israel.

“There’s a fear of a civil war,” he said. “That also accounts for the Lebanese state’s unwillingness to disarm Hezbollah.”

The talks opened as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled Israel intends to maintain military pressure on Hezbollah despite the negotiations.

Sharawi argued the Trump administration nevertheless appears determined to push the process forward as part of a broader effort to weaken Iranian influence in the region.

“The reason behind these meetings is that President Trump is really trying to push for a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon,” he said. “Peace between these two countries could really undermine Hezbollah and its influence in Lebanon.”

WALTZ SAYS TRUMP HAS CREATED ‘BEST CHANCE IN OUR LIFETIME’ TO BREAK HEZBOLLAH’S GRIP ON LEBANON

Churches in the southern Lebanese town of Rmeish remained standing throughout the conflict, as residents say the community resisted Hezbollah attempts to launch rockets from the area.(Jusoor News)

Israeli analysts similarly described the talks less as a breakthrough and more as a strategic signal aimed at Hezbollah.

“The war between us and Hezbollah is continuing,” Yossi Kuperwasser, senior project manager at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security and former head of the Research Division of Israeli Military Intelligence, told Fox News Digital.

“There is no doubt the Lebanese government does not have a monopoly on the use of force in Lebanon,” he said.

‘OVERBLOWN’ REPORTS ON ISRAEL–LEBANON NORMALIZATION RISK HINDERING BORDER TALKS BEFORE THEY BEGIN: OFFICIAL

IDF troops discovered a Hezbollah weapons cache near a UNIFIL post in southern Lebanon in 2024.(IDF Spokesman’s Unit)

Kuperwasser said expectations for an immediate diplomatic breakthrough should remain low, but argued the talks themselves send an important political message.

“The purpose of these talks is first and foremost to send a message to Hezbollah and also to the Americans,” he said. “Both sides are prepared to sit together against Hezbollah and signal that they are moving, even if slowly, toward normalization between Israel and Lebanon.”

He argued Hezbollah has been weakened politically and militarily by the ongoing conflict and by growing frustration among Lebanese civilians displaced by the fighting.

“For years Hezbollah portrayed itself as the defender of Lebanon,” Kuperwasser said. “Now many Lebanese see Hezbollah as responsible for the suffering Lebanon is experiencing.”

Kuperwasser added that while Israel supports strengthening the Lebanese army, Beirut fears direct confrontation with Hezbollah could ignite another civil war.

“The Lebanese government fears military action against Hezbollah would lead to civil war,” he said. “That fear shapes everything.”

The talks also come amid mounting domestic pressure inside Israel, where critics of Netanyahu have accused the government of pursuing containment rather than decisive military victory against Hezbollah.

Speaking Friday during a visit to Israel’s northern front, Netanyahu said Israeli forces had crossed the Litani River and were operating across multiple parts of Lebanon.

“We are operating in Beirut, in the Bekaa Valley, across the entire front and striking Hezbollah hard,” Netanyahu said.

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A woman holds her dog as she walks past burned cars a day after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 9, 2026.(Emilio Morenatti/AP)

Meanwhile, Lebanon’s leadership is attempting to balance growing American pressure with fears of internal instability and renewed sectarian conflict.

Neither the Israeli Embassy in Washington nor the Lebanese Embassy in Washington immediately responded to requests for comment. The Pentagon did not have anything to add when asked to comment.

Efrat Lachter is a reporter for Fox News Digital covering international affairs and the United Nations. Follow her on X @efratlachter. Stories can be sent to efrat.lachter@fox.com.