"So this system is not working," Hong said. "If we want to be serious, we better be putting these billions into things we know prevent crime."

Martin asked whether Hong still wanted to abolish police in the long term. Hong did not answer yes or no, instead calling for "systems of care" and redirecting criminal justice spending before a campaign aide ushered her away.

"I believe that we have to be serious about public safety, and I’m going to be a governor that is more serious than anyone else in making sure that we are building systems of care," Hong said.

DEM SOCIALIST RUNNING FOR WISCONSIN GOVERNOR PUSHED 'ABOLISHING THE POLICE'

Hong campaign communications director Allison Geyer told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that the candidate had not changed her underlying values on police and prison abolition, although she now discusses the issue differently.

"Rep. Hong has spoken in the past about police and prison abolition as an aspirational goal, akin to eradicating disease or eliminating poverty," Geyer said. "Her values haven’t changed, but the way she talks about this issue has."

Hours earlier, moderators asked Hong and her four Democratic opponents whether they would sign a state budget cutting police funding. All five said they would not.

"The governor cannot defund police, and I am not here to govern by slogan," Hong said. "I am here to make sure I am the governor that’s most serious about public safety."

SCOTT WALKER: DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS ARE COMING FOR MY STATE. THIS IS HOW WE BEAT THEM

The exchange revived scrutiny of Hong's comments following the 2020 police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha. Hong called for abolishing police in a 2021 social media post after federal prosecutors declined to charge the officer who shot Blake.

"How is 7 bullets in the back not excessive force," Hong said. "Police exist to uphold White supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can't be an option. My heart breaks for the trauma the Blake family and their community continues to endure."

She addressed the controversy in a May statement to Fox News Digital but did not say then whether she continued to support abolishing the police. 

"There is no way I want to cut resources for public safety," Hong said. "I don’t like crime. I don’t like unsafe streets. I also don’t like when a member of law enforcement abuses their power."

On Tuesday, Hong's campaign told Fox News Digital that the candidate did not recall a social media post she made in 2021 calling to "Abolish the Senate" after the body failed to convict President Donald Trump during impeachment proceedings. 

DSA CO-CHAIR PUSHES BACK ON SOVIET UNION COMPARISONS, WANTS PRISONS TO BE 'LESS NECESSARY'

Hong's campaign platform calls for state support for noncarceral crime-prevention programs, reentry services, red flag laws, universal background checks and safe-storage requirements. Its public-safety section does not call for eliminating police departments or cutting their funding.

A Marquette Law School poll released Wednesday showed Hong at 38% among Democratic primary voters, up from 26% one week earlier. Former Lt. Gov. Mandella Barnes followed at 16%, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley had 7%, and 34% remained undecided. The survey of 407 primary voters had a 6.6-percentage-point margin of error.

Hong’s rise has unsettled Democrats concerned about the November contest against expected Republican nominee Rep. Tom Tiffany.

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Joe Zepecki, a Democratic strategist who is not supporting a primary candidate, said Republicans were "trying to pick an opponent they think they can beat."

"Every Democratic campaign should call this out for what it is: a sneaky, underhanded, blatant attempt to meddle in the democratic process," Zepecki said in comments published by Wisconsin Public Radio.

Joel Brennan, a former Wisconsin Department of Administration secretary under Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, is running against Hong for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

In a memo published by WisPolitics, Brennan said the ads were intended to elevate Hong, "a candidate they are confident they can beat in November because of her extreme positions on defunding police, abolishing prisons and other views out of step with mainstream Wisconsin values."

Citing a filing with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission, WisPolitics reported that the Republican Governors Association has spent nearly $3.6 million on ads labeling Hong dangerously liberal while emphasizing positions likely to appeal to progressive primary voters.

"President Trump’s administration has made our roads safer by taking illegal alien, non-English speaking truck drivers off America’s highways. Now, through the Freedom Haulers initiative, the President is expanding opportunities for our veterans by making it easier to obtain commercial driver’s licenses once they conclude their service," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital.

The Trump administration is pairing its crackdown on illegal immigrant and non-English-speaking commercial drivers with a new effort to recruit military veterans into the trucking industry. Trump, along with Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, will welcome a truck on West Executive Avenue to announce the initiative.

JOE BIDEN MANDATED ALL NEW VEHICLES COME INSTALLED WITH A 'KILL SWITCH.' THIS REPUBLICAN WANTS TO REPEAL IT

"By leading a multi-agency process spanning the Departments of Transportation, Labor, Veterans Affairs, and War, President Trump is bolstering America’s trucking industry, which is crucial to strong supply chains, while helping our nation’s heroes transition to civilian life with quality, good-paying jobs," Kelly added.

The Department of Transportation will expand eligibility for veterans to receive expedited commercial driver's licenses (CDLs), extending the waiver period from 12 months to 24 months after active-duty service.

For veterans who have never driven a heavy commercial vehicle during their military service, CDL training will be offered.

ILLEGAL TRUCKER CASES FUEL GOP PUSH TO CRACK DOWN ON CDL MILLS AS DEMS LARGELY SILENT

Indiana and Wyoming will also join the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's "Even Exchange" program, allowing military truck drivers to more easily transition into civilian CDLs.

Werner Enterprises, an Omaha, Nebraska-based trucking company attending Thursday's event, will announce plans to hire 1,400 new veteran drivers.

The administration is also highlighting its ongoing crackdown on commercial drivers who fail to meet English-language proficiency requirements or were improperly licensed.

VIRGINIA BUS CRASH THAT KILLED FIVE INVOLVED DRIVER WHO DOESN'T SPEAK ENGLISH, SEAN DUFFY SAYS

The Department of Transportation says it has removed more than 24,000 commercial driver's licenses from the nation's highways under stricter English-language proficiency enforcement.

More than 28,000 CDLs were also canceled after officials determined they had been improperly issued to non-citizen truck drivers.

The White House says the initiative is aimed at improving highway safety while strengthening the nation's trucking workforce.

The announcement comes after a series of fatal crashes involving illegal immigrant truck drivers in states including Florida, California, Indiana and Pennsylvania.

Earlier this month, a Pennsylvania State Police trooper was killed during a roadside inspection when a semitruck driven by a Haitian national struck him. Authorities say the driver had obtained a non-domiciled CDL before the administration's rule changes.

Truck drivers have seen a 7.42% increase in real wages during the Trump administration, compared to a 3% decline in real wages under President Biden, according to DOT.

DOT also says veteran truck drivers experience 42% fewer accidents and cover 98% more miles than non-veteran drivers, arguing the initiative will both improve highway safety and help strengthen America's supply chains.

The singer took the stage at Ball Arena but struggled through just three songs before stopping the show. Moroney returned to address the audience herself, apologizing as she fought back tears.

"I am obviously extremely sick, and I thought I did everything to make myself better, and obviously, two songs in, I just can't play this show tonight," she told the crowd in a fan-recorded video.

JON BON JOVI ABRUPTLY ENDS MADISON SQUARE GARDEN SHOW AFTER HEALTH SETBACK

MEGAN MORONEY STUNS IN ORANGE BIKINI DURING FRIEND'S BAHAMAS BACHELORETTE

Despite ending the performance early, Moroney assured concertgoers she planned to make up for the disappointing night.

"I want to give you guys the show you deserve. ... I'm sorry," she said.

Fans inside the arena responded with encouragement, with one audience member shouting, "That's OK Meg, I love you," as the visibly emotional singer exited the stage.

Ball Arena later confirmed the concert had been canceled because Moroney was feeling under the weather.

"Megan is unable to continue her performance this evening due to illness, and we must end the show at this time," the venue said in a statement.

"Please allow event staff to direct you to the nearest exit, and we will follow up with more information as soon as we're able."

COUNTRY SINGER MEGAN MORONEY SWEARS OFF DATING AFTER MEN 'RUINED' HER BIGGEST MOMENTS

The venue added that updates would be posted on its website and apologized "for the inconvenience" while thanking fans for their understanding and cooperation.

Shortly after, Moroney shared an emotional message with fans on Instagram, explaining that continuing the concert would have meant delivering a performance below her own standards.

"That was the hardest decision I've ever had to make & I'm so sorry to cancel the show tonight," she wrote.

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"I never ever will give you guys a show that is not 100% and by song 3 I knew that I was not capable of giving that to you tonight."

The "Am I Okay?" singer said she was devastated by the decision, adding, "I'm typing this as I'm quite literally bawling my eyes out in my dressing room & it hurts me so much to disappoint you all."

Moroney also announced that the Denver concert has been rescheduled for Aug. 27. Tickets purchased for Tuesday night's performance will be honored for the new date, and fans unable to attend can request refunds through their original point of purchase.

"I've never had to do this & I'm truly so sorry," she wrote before closing her message with, "i love u guys."

Fox News Digital reached out to Moroney for comment. 

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The abrupt cancellation comes as Moroney continues touring following the success of her third album and a string of sold-out performances across the country. 

Her emotional apology and promise to return were met with widespread support from fans online, many of whom encouraged the singer to focus on recovering before getting back on stage.

Despite the canceled show, Moroney's music career continues to soar.

After attending the University of Georgia, she moved to Nashville to pursue music full time.

Her 2022 breakout hit, "Tennessee Orange," launched her into the country music spotlight, and she has released three albums since: "Lucky" (2023), "Am I Okay?" (2024) and "Cloud 9" (2026).

Moroney also earned ACM and CMA honors as the country's top new female artist before releasing her latest project, "Cloud 9," in February and launching her current tour in May.

While the deal raises suspicions, one securities attorney says evidence of wrongdoing is likely impossible to find and acknowledged that critics have a "proof problem."

"Well, the question is whether President Trump would have known about his sons’ investments in this company, and I think the answer would be ‘no’ unless the sons told them," Andrew Stoltmann, a Chicago-based securities and investment fraud attorney, told Fox News Digital.

"Look, they are private investors," he continued. "They are not government employees. So, to the extent they make a passive investment in a company or an entity, there are no real duties to disclose this information."

RESOURCE-RICH NATION PRAISES US TIES AMID WASHINGTON-BEIJING CRITICAL MINERALS RACE

The controversy stems from a tungsten mining deal in Kazakhstan, which primarily involves U.S.-based investment company Cove Capital, and the company's mining affiliate, Cove Kaz Capital Group. Between 2023 and 2024, Cove Capital negotiated with the Kazakh government to take a 70% share in the country's state-owned tungsten mining deposits.

Tungsten is a rare earth mineral that is critical to building military equipment, including missiles and fighter jets. The lion's share of the earth's supply of the mineral is owned by China and Russia. Trump, since returning to office, has made it a strategic national security priority to secure a long-term supply of the resource.

In August 2025, through an investment vehicle created by Dominari Securities, which is housed in Trump Tower in New York, the Trump brothers purchased a minority interest in a construction company Skyline Builders, which at the time was publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker SKBL.

HOWARD LUTNICK SHUTS DOWN DEM QUESTIONS OVER JEFFREY EPSTEIN AT BUDGET HEARING

In June of that year, Cantor Fitzgerald, founded by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, underwrote a $46.8 million loan to a company called ASP Isotopes. ASP Isotopes is owned by businessman Paul Mann. Lutnick's company is now controlled by his sons, Brandon and Kyle Lutnick, who took over when their father became a government official.

At about the time of underwriting, the Trump brothers were investing in Skyline Builders, a wholly-owned ASP Isotopes subsidiary that acquired voting control of Skyline Builders.

On Nov. 6, 2025, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, met with Trump and announced that the Central Asian country had awarded a tungsten mining contract to the United States. The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), which provide government financing for international projects, penned letters of interest totaling up to $1.6 billion in financing for the deal. Cove Kaz Capital was selected as the firm to do the majority of the mining.

The deal has not officially been inked, and is under a standard review process by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Earlier this spring, Skyline Builders completed a reverse merger with Cove Kaz Capital, creating a company called Kaz Resources, which is now listed on the NASDAQ as KAZR. Skyline Builders owns 20% of Kaz Resources after a $20 million investment.

ERIC TRUMP PLANS TO SUE JEN PSAKI, MS NOW FOR ALLEGED 'BLATANT LIES' ABOUT HIM JOINING FATHER'S CHINA TRIP

Critics have suggested — albeit without evidence — that the Trump brothers schemed to invest in Skyline Builders with foreknowledge that Kazakhstan would opt to award the billion-and-a-half-dollar tungsten deal to the United States, instead of other countries, and in turn Kaz Resources would secure the contract. The Trump organization vehemently denies that characterization, and says the investment made by the brothers through Dominari Securities in Skyline Builders was completely passive, made before the tungsten deal was done and made without the knowledge that Kazakhstan would award the mining contract to the United States in the first place.

Even without wrongdoing, Stoltmann said the appearance of impropriety could cause headaches.

"The $64,000 question is pretty much what Trump knew and when he knew it — and look, the optics are bad," he said. "You have the president's sons investing in a company that is eventually awarded a very large contract, and so it certainly raises eyebrows, it raises suspicions, and it's certainly clear why this has caused an uproar. But a lot of times, this is more thunder, this is more noise, a tempest in a teapot, as I like to say."

In discussing potential ramifications, Stoltmann said members of the political left who are frenzied over the deal will have trouble finding proof of wrongdoing, as Trump would have no way of knowing about his sons' investment unless they told him about it.

"But this is where the proof problem comes in," said Stoltmann.

"It's fun to have conjecture. It's fun to theorize, and it's fun to discuss this, but I don't think there's any duty of disclosure when you are a passive Investor in a company, and that's where President Trump would most certainly say, 'I don't know all the things my sons do.'"

As for the Lutnick brothers, Stoltmann noted that Cantor Fitzgerald stood to financially benefit from underwriting and advisory fees when they helped finance the loan for Mann, whose company now owns a majority voting stake in Kaz Resources.

"You most certainly need a Wall Street brokerage firm or bank to help finance some of this, but more importantly, to do the underwriting," Stoltmann said. "We have reverse mergers, we have mergers and we have multiple shell companies coming into the equation. When you do that, you need a bank, you need a brokerage firm. And that's where Cantor Fitzgerald comes in."

In the way of political ramifications, Stoltmann warned that if Democrats regain control of the House and Senate in November, the Trump brothers will likely face heat from the president's political opponents for any business deals that they think can come under scrutiny.

"You're going see a tsunami of subpoenas trying to get the phone records, the communication records, the emails of the Trump boys and President Trump and everybody associated with this deal," he predicted. "So look, is there potential legal liability this situation? Yes, there is. I don't think there is for President Trump, though."

"You know, clearly, at least by all appearances, it seems like his sons were passive investors, and the sons would say, ‘look, we're worth a couple hundred million dollars. We have passive investments in dozens and dozens, if not hundreds of different companies. This is all pure than Caesar's wife,’ but it certainly raises some suspicions."

The White House reiterated that the president does not directly manage his investment holdings, and that they are instead managed by independent third-party financial institutions.

"This is the same, tired narrative that Democrats have pushed against President Trump, his family, and his administration for a decade," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said. "President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public – which is why they overwhelmingly re-elected him to this office, despite years of lies and false accusations against him and his businesses from the fake news media. There are no conflicts of interest."

Cantor Fitzgerald emphasized that it had no interaction at all with Kaz Resources or Skyline Builders.

"Cantor is a natural partner for companies raising capital to meet growing demand for critical minerals, a spokesperson said. "Cantor’s involvement is limited to supporting capital raises in the public markets and does not include participation in negotiations with the current or any prior administration."

The Trump Organization and Commerce Department did not return Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

Though not the final vote to pass the long-stalled effort, the latest successful bid to move a bone-crushing sanctions package once championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham is no less significant.

The upper chamber hopes to complete work on the package, renamed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, by next week. If successful, the long-awaited legislation will again be put on the shelf, albeit temporarily, until the House returns from its August recess.

'A BIG EFFING DEAL': GRAHAM'S FINAL MISSION MOVES FORWARD AFTER HIS DEATH

Still, lawmakers are confident they can get the bill through the next few hurdles and believe that it’s the best way to honor Graham, who made his final trip home to South Carolina on Wednesday for his funeral.

"This may turn out to be Lindsey Graham's greatest legislative achievement in a stellar 32-year career," Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said.

The bill, which has gone through several iterations, still focuses on kneecapping Putin’s war machine in its ongoing fight with Ukraine. However, it reinserts sanctions targeting Iran’s weapons and energy sectors in the hopes of incentivizing a lasting peace deal as the war in the Middle East marches on.

PUTIN, RUSSIA PUT ON NOTICE AS SENATE TAKES CRUCIAL STEP TO GRIND DOWN THE KREMLIN’S WAR MACHINE

Key components of the legislation allow for up to 500% tariffs on Russian imports; tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying Russian energy, like China and India; and provides President Donald Trump flexibility for when to turn off some aspects of the sanctions.

Some Democrats have acknowledged that giving Trump tariff authority could give their colleagues heartburn, particularly after raging against his usage of duties during his second term.

Proponents of the bill brought in heavy artillery to convince Democratic skeptics in the form of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a close ally of Graham’s, to win some key votes for the package.

LINDSEY GRAHAM'S FINAL MISSION NEARS FINISH LINE AS WORLD LEADERS GATHER TO HONOR HIM

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said on the Senate floor that she was aware that some had raised concerns about the tariff authorities.

"They say that President Trump has used tariffs indiscriminately to target our closest allies. Well, I agree," Shaheen said.

"But, in the case of this bill, Congress is explicitly directing these tariffs for one unambiguous purpose: to increase the pressure on Vladimir Putin and end his unprovoked war against Ukraine," she continued. "That’s why this bill is narrowly targeted at the worst actors supporting Russia."

And at its core, the legislation is still meant to send Putin and the Kremlin a strong message as the war in Ukraine rages on.

"This bill says to Vladimir Putin, ‘Your days of war are numbered. You are on the losing side. Better to come to the table now than sacrifice more lives, waste more money, crater your economy, destroy your standing in the world,’" Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said.

"The things our children have suffered with the lack of education, with the forced masking, with children in some places being forced to take vaccinations so that they could go to school, the things that they have endured, what our families have been through, America deserves an apology," Tina Descovich, CEO and co-founder Moms for Liberty, told Fox News Digital.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital Wednesday, Descovich said families are still grappling with the effects of pandemic policies, including learning loss, mental health challenges and prolonged school closures.

FAUCI PRIVATELY TOOK CREDIT FOR COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS DESPITE PUBLIC DENIAL, NEWLY EXPOSED DIARY ENTRIES REVEAL

She said Congress should continue investigating how decisions were made and who was responsible for keeping schools closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Our children are still living with the consequences," Descovich said. "Some schools were closed in California, Chicago, other places for up to two years. Our children suffered mental health ramifications from his policies."

Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee on Wednesday to face questioning from Republican lawmakers and Sen. Rand Paul, chair of the committee, over how he handled the COVID-19 pandemic.

RAND PAUL SEEKS CONTEMPT CHARGES AFTER FAUCI INVOKES FIFTH AMENDMENT MORE THAN 100 TIMES

Fox News previously reported that Paul said he plans to pursue civil contempt proceedings against Fauci after the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' director invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during Wednesday's hearing.

At one point during the hearing, when attorney David Schertler, whom Paul said was one of Fauci’s "half a dozen" lawyers, tried talking without being recognized, Paul had him removed.

FAUCI'S NEWLY RELEASED COVID DIARIES REVEAL BIZARRE FIXATION ON FAME AS PANDEMIC DEATHS MOUNTED

On Tuesday, Paul released Fauci's COVID-era diary, which uncovered previously unknown details about his belief about where COVID-19 started and how he managed the pandemic.

"Later in the pandemic, he gloried in the positive attention he was receiving from legacy media and demonized those who questioned his official narrative — like me," Paul said about the documents, referencing tense exchanges during congressional hearings when Paul grilled Fauci over his response to the pandemic.

"Many entries in Fauci’s daily historical account completely undermine the official narrative that Fauci and other public health officials espoused," Paul wrote in his introduction to the documents.

Descovich said she would simply ask Fauci why he did what he did.

"Why did you do this to our children," Descovich asked. "Why did you do this to our families, and how are you going to be held accountable now?"

Her hope is that reforms will be put in place, so families are not at risk of something similar to the COVID-19 pandemic in the future.

"Our elected leaders in America need to hold themselves accountable, and they need to stay in their lane," Descovich said.

"Parents have the fundamental right to direct the upbringing of their children," she continued. "Moms for Liberty was born in 2021 because government was overreaching into our families, making decisions on behalf of our children, throwing them out of school, forcing masks on them, forcing them to vaccinate, and it shot Moms for Liberty into the stratosphere immediately because parents were very upset, and our government should have learned a very good lesson in 2020, 2021, don't mess with American moms."

Fox News Digital reached out to Fauci for comment but did not immediately receive a response. 

The outage in Anaheim, California, also impacted nearby businesses and Angel Stadium starting around 6 p.m. PDT on Tuesday.

A Disneyland official confirmed that the outage temporarily impacted operations throughout the resort, adding that the team remained flexible and quickly worked to take care of its guests.

DISNEY WORLD GUESTS SHAKEN AS RARE EARTHQUAKE NEAR CUBA JOLTS FLORIDA

City officials reported technical issues with drawing water from several groundwater wells, according to Anaheim officials.

Roughly 75% of the city’s water comes from groundwater wells, while the other 25% comes from the Colorado River. Four groundwater wells were impacted, several outlets reported.

An official with the City of Anaheim told Fox News Digital the issue was resolved around 8 p.m. local time Tuesday.

There is currently "no ongoing concern," the spokesperson said.

DISNEY WORLD GUEST WITH HEART CONDITION DIES OF CARDIAC EMERGENCY AFTER ICONIC RIDE

As access to restrooms during the outage was blocked, some guests said they were caught off guard.

A Disneyland guest named Tiffany Christensen told local outlet KTLA that she was barred from entering several of the park's bathrooms.

"Most guests understood it was out of Disney’s hands, while others were upset [over] the inconvenience," said Christensen.

SIX FLAGS GUESTS STRANDED 245 FEET IN AIR AFTER POWER OUTAGE FORCES COASTER EVACUATION

"It was a little chaotic, but they handled it the best they could," she added.

On a subreddit dedicated to Disneyland, users reacted to reports of the restroom closures.

"My cousin is there and says all restaurants and restrooms are closed," one person wrote.

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Another person chimed in, "That’s going to get bad real fast."

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One commenter described the situation as "almost unimaginable."

Though the issue was short-lived, not everyone was satisfied.

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"The entire city has no water. We left the parks and will ask for a refund," one guest wrote.

The Disneyland disruption comes weeks after another California water shortage forced the closure of public restrooms along a major highway.

The California Department of Transportation closed the northbound and southbound Gaviota Roadside Rest Areas on Highway 101 because of a water shortage. 

The closures are expected to remain in place through Oct. 1.

Franco came under fire last month after rejecting New York City startup VryfID co-founders Gabe and Aiden Einhorn for an interview by attacking their religious background.

"Not interested in working for a Jew. Thanks," Franco reportedly wrote back.

While listening to Franco's side of the story on his show, "Piers Morgan Uncensored," Morgan was shocked that Franco refused to take back or apologize for his incendiary comment despite him and his parents facing backlash.

CORNELL BOARD CLEARS PRESIDENT OF WRONGDOING AFTER CONFRONTATION WITH ANTI-ISRAEL STUDENTS

"The problem, Austin, it’s not that you said something immature or stupid or anything like that because, had you then said, ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it. I don’t mean the way it came across,’ but it’s the opposite with you," Morgan said. "You do mean it."

"Yes. That is correct," Franco responded.

"You don’t want to be around any Jewish people. That’s 15 million Jewish people. So, therefore, you are de-facto antisemitic. And that puts you in a different category to teenagers who say dumb stuff and then regret it and apologize. You've got no intention of either expressing regret or apologizing. You mean it," Morgan said.

Franco maintained that he was not antisemitic, pointing out that he had dated Jewish people and insisted that his beliefs came from his past negative experiences with members of the Jewish community at both Cornell University and his previous school, Virginia Tech. Morgan dismissed this argument and lamented his "brazen" attitude toward Jews.

"How have you been so poorly educated? Honestly, what’s happened to your parents here, your family, your friends? And what’s allowed you to develop this mindset where you’re prepared to just come on a camera like this in an interview watched by millions of people and just brazenly say, ‘I don’t want to be anywhere near Jewish people’ and not understand the enormity of what you’re saying and have no sense of remorse, no sense of shame, no sense of guilt? You don’t give a f--- do you?" Morgan said.

SOCIALIST COLORADO CANDIDATE BLAMES ISRAEL FOR 'PUTTING JEWISH PEOPLE IN GREAT DANGER'

Franco went on to attack Israel as a "genocidal country that's made up of 90% Jews that insist upon killing Palestinians and reporters and dragging America into wars abroad." He blamed it for motivating his unwillingness to work with Jews. Morgan fired back, arguing that Franco does not similarly object to working with Americans despite opposing the Trump administration's war with Iran.

"I just find it incredibly depressing that a young man, given the privilege that you’ve had, to go to a top university, could be this thick or, worse, not care about what you’re saying and the consequences to a huge number of people around the world who see a young arrogant kid who wants to brazenly espouse antisemitism in interviews like this," Morgan said.

"And shame on you, and shame on everyone that has made you like this," he added. "And you know what? I was prepared to give you a bit of a fairer hearing about the people calling for you to be canceled and unemployable and so on. You’re making yourself unemployable. I wouldn’t employ you."

After Franco's comment was first reported, Cornell University released a statement condemning antisemitism and announcing that its Office of Civil Rights had opened an investigation.

However, in undercover footage provided by the conservative watchdog group Accuracy in Media last week, Franco claimed he has not faced any repercussions from the university for his comment beyond being informed.

FEDS OPEN PROBE INTO ANTI-ISRAEL NYC TEACHERS

"As of now, they said there’s not anything going on on their back end. I think because I didn’t say anything that could be classified as hateful. There wasn’t really a leg they could go on," Franco said.

In a comment to Fox News Digital, Cornell University pointed to a statement made by the university's president, Michael I. Kotlikoff, who condemned Franco's comments but did not elaborate on any further action.

"Federal privacy law prohibits Cornell from disclosing specific information regarding our students. Despite the seriousness with which we take this matter, we are not able to make any further comment regarding the actions of this student or any public statement of the university’s response," Kotlikoff's statement said.

Franco also revealed Wednesday that, after his recent appearance on Morgan's show, his parents informed him that they would be kicking him out of their home.

"I will be kicked out of my home on August 1," he said. "Any support you can provide would be greatly appreciated, as would any advice. I have reiterated that my parents do not share my views, and it seems they no longer wish to provide me with a home to live in.

"I know the road ahead will be difficult, but this is the path I chose. I could have lived a more conventional life, as my parents did, and perhaps in a different time I would have. However, that is not the world we live in today, and because of that, I chose a different path than most.

"I do not regret anything I have done. If I were to die today, I would at least know that I did so believing in myself. Thank you, and may God be with you," Franco wrote on X.

Some cars can drive themselves, AI can have actual conversations with you, and now, a deformed raccoon that someone saw in their neighborhood is getting a theme night at a Major League Baseball game.

That's right, folks: Pack up the kids and head on out to the Seattle Mariners' Jimothy Night!

A SQUIRREL INVADES MLB GAME, JUMPS INTO OUTFIELDERS GLOVE AND CAUSES CHAOS IN HILARIOUS SCENE

If you're looking around for someone to explain to you who — or what — the hell a "Jimothy" is, allow me to do the honors.

Recently, a raccoon with some kind of genetic condition that gave it an unusually short torso has gone viral. Why? I really have no clue, but why does anything go viral? Why did kids think saying "6-7" was hilarious until very recently?

I will say the beautiful thing about Jimothy is that it's a perfect way of showing how nature works. Obviously, Jimothy's physical limitations don't prevent him from living a normal raccoon life.

Because if it did, well, there'd be no Jimothy.

BLACK BEAR CAUGHT ON VIDEO WANDERING INTO CALIFORNIA WATER DISTRICT OFFICE AFTER PUSHING OPEN FRONT DOOR

Whatever the reason is, he's very popular, and when something is popular, people jump on the bandwagon. The Mariners are doing that by dishing out Jimothy rookie cards to the first 20,000 fans who show up to their Aug. 5 game against the Detroit Tigers.

There, they will also have the chance to grab a Jimothy T-shirt.

This is wild.

I mean, minor league teams are famous for this kind of goofy stuff, but in "The Show," it always seemed like they tried to play it straight until recently.

Imagine explaining this to someone from about 20 years ago? They'd be like, "Wait, this is just a goofy raccoon that someone took a video of, and people are going nuts for it?"

Then you'd go, "Yeah, that's right."

Then they'd say, "Weird... Hey, did you ever see the 'Star Wars kid?'" Because that would be a popular video from their time.

You'd say you have, and you'd shatter their brain into a million pieces by pulling it up on your smartphone so you two can share a quick laugh.

"The legal question is, if you're pardoned, can you really claim the Fifth?" he said on "The Will Cain Show." "The Fifth Amendment is to claim immunity from self-incrimination. But if you've already been given immunity, you can't self-incriminate unless you lie.

"I don't know how you plead the Fifth Amendment to something you've already been granted immunity for."

Paul, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, is moving on a vote to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress after he refused to answer any questions about his COVID-19 pandemic response or gain-of-function research.

FAUCI PLEADS FIFTH WITH 'ZERO LEGAL JUSTIFICATION' AS CRITICS ERUPT AND DEMAND CONTEMPT CHARGES

Fauci was pardoned by former President Joe Biden in January 2025 after Biden said the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases could potentially face "unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions" by the incoming Trump administration.

Paul’s comments come days after he released more than 1,000 pages of Fauci’s personal diary entries spanning 2019 through 2022.

FAUCI'S NEWLY RELEASED COVID DIARIES REVEAL BIZARRE FIXATION ON FAME AS PANDEMIC DEATHS MOUNTED

The journals chronicle Fauci's day-to-day life during the COVID-19 pandemic, detailing his apparent obsession with newfound fame and his belief that it was "not hyperbole" to say he was "the most famous and talked about person in the country." The entries also discuss his beliefs about the origins of COVID-19.

"We saw a constellation of what he was saying privately, and then what he was saying publicly," Paul said on "The Will Cain Show." "In January of 2020, he was saying privately, ‘We now know that the earliest cases did not come from the wet market.’

"But he then argued for years and years publicly, ‘Oh no, it came from the market. It came from the wet market, because that supported a natural origin which went against the laboratory origin, which he bore some responsibility for because he funded this lab."

SLACK MESSAGES RELEASED BY RAND PAUL APPEAR TO SHOW AUTHORS OF KEY COVID-19 ORIGIN PAPER HELD PRIVATE DOUBTS

At Wednesday’s explosive hearing, Paul accused Fauci and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of misleading Congress and destroying records, which he said fractured the public’s trust over the nation’s handling of COVID-19.

Fauci, under guidance from his lawyers, did not answer a single question from Paul or others on the committee, protecting himself from self-incrimination.

When asked whether he plans to challenge the legal viability of Fauci’s pardon, Paul said he intends to prepare a brief arguing that the Fifth Amendment is not appropriate for someone who has received a pardon.

"That's why I think it needs to be pursued in court whether or not, (with) a pardon, you can continue to claim the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination when you've been given immunity. So, I think there are some really important legal questions here," Paul told Fox News.

Paul, who has referred Fauci to both the Biden and Trump Justice Department, said he was "disappointed" by the hearing and expected the former NIH head to apologize.

The Republican senator went on to criticize his Democratic colleagues over their questioning of Fauci, asking why they were not more "upset" about the government’s handling of the disease that killed more than 1 million Americans.

"They don't seem to care about the truth. I think they want to defend the government more than they want get to the truth of: Did your government actually fund something that led to a pandemic that killed a million Americans?" Paul said.