FIRST ON FOX: A legal group called on the Michigan bar to investigate and sanction ‘Squad’ Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., over her antisemitic rhetoric.

The nonpartisan Coolidge Reagan Foundation is calling on the State Bar of Michigan to probe Tlaib, who is an active attorney in Michigan, over her comments.

Dan Backer, the foundation’s counsel, told Fox News Digital that he believes people who spread ‘vile, antisemitic lies to foster hatred towards a people’ should be held accountable.

Backer said Tlaib ‘clearly violated’ the Michigan bar’s ethics code with her rhetoric and that he was initially looking into ‘some of those snot-nosed kids’ out of Harvard and Columbia law schools.

‘I was reading … what she was saying, and I was like, ‘You know, this is really outrageous. How is this OK?’’ Backer said. ‘And then I remember, ‘Well, she’s in Michigan, I wonder if she’s a lawyer.”

‘And I looked it up, and she was,’ Backer continued. ‘And so we talked about it internally. We realized that people need to be held accountable.’

Backer said the ‘fundamental problem’ that America is seeing right now is that ‘people do horrible s— and they’re never held accountable for it.’

He also said that ‘the sooner you start putting cameras on people’s faces, they stop.’

Backer noted the number of calls to the nonprofit Accuracy in Media — of which Backer is on the board — from Harvard students asking to have their name taken down from the organization’s ‘so-called doxxing truck’ for signing a letter in support of Hamas.

‘When people see accountability for their bad actions, you get less bad actors,’ Backer said. ‘I think that’s really essential, and probably this generation of whiny, little s—s has not really experienced yet.’

According to the complaint, the Coolidge Reagan Foundation’s ‘request arises from Attorney Tlaib’s false, discriminatory, and anti-Semitic comments regarding the horrific massacre and other crimes the international terrorist group Hamas ruthlessly unleashed against innocent Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023, including kidnapping, rape, beheading children, burning people alive, and murdering a baby by placing him in an oven.’

‘In response to these atrocities, Attorney Tlaib made several public statements evincing deeply discriminatory, antisemitic views that call into question her character and fitness to practice law,’ the complaint reads.

The complaint references Tlaib’s censure by the House of Representatives this month ‘for her repeated reprehensible statements’ and that Tlaib’s ‘irresponsible anti-Semitic lies and discriminatory statements — which include embracing a call for the violent destruction of Israel and concomitant genocide of Israelis, as well as reckless false accusations of genocide against President Joe Biden and the government of Israel — violate the Michigan Court Rules and Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct.’

‘The State Bar of Michigan should initiate an investigation and impose appropriate sanctions against an attorney who spreads anti-Semitic propaganda and lies in support of an officially designated Foreign Terrorist Organization,’ it continues.

Tlaib’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Tlaib has faced intense criticism over her anti-Israel and antisemitic remarks, including her promotion of the genocidal call against Jews ‘from the river to the sea.’

Tlaib posted to social media about the phrase, saying it was about ‘peaceful coexistence.’

‘From the river to the sea is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence, not death, destruction, or hate. My work and advocacy is always centered in justice and dignity for all people no matter faith or ethnicity,’ she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

However, even the Biden White House says the phrase could be considered ‘antisemitic.’

Fox Business correspondent Hillary Vaughn quizzed the Palestinian-American lawmaker, asking her if she regrets using the phrase. 

‘Congresswoman, do you regret using the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’? It’s used by terrorists to call for the genocide of the Jewish people. Do you regret using it?’ Vaughn said.

Tlaib did not respond.

Fox News Digital’s Adam Shaw and Hillary Vaughn contributed reporting.

A popular meme depicts salvos of Israel’s Iron Dome interceptors on their way to counter scores of Hamas rockets over a skyline. 

Under Israel’s interceptors, one caption reads: ‘My tax dollars.’ Under the Hamas rockets, another caption reads: ‘Somehow also my tax dollars.’

This might be humorous if it didn’t capture a tragic truth: as Israel fights to dismantle Hamas terrorists in Gaza following their barbaric Oct. 7 attacks, President Biden finds himself funding both sides of the war.

Backed by overwhelming congressional support, the U.S. has strongly invested in Iron Dome and other security cooperation with Israel over many administrations.

The Biden administration, however, decided to reverse President Donald Trump’s cuts to taxpayer-funded assistance to the Palestinians and resume the risky practice of annually sending hundreds of millions in aid, including to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip where aid is at danger of diversion.

The State Department internally warned the incoming Biden administration about the ‘high risk’ that ‘Hamas could potentially derive indirect, unintentional benefit from U.S. assistance to Gaza.’ But Biden resumed aid to Gaza anyway.

In May 2021, I learned firsthand about this ‘high risk’ when I visited Israel after its 11-day war with Hamas.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and colleagues briefed me on how Hamas diverts aid using what the Palestinian terrorist group euphemistically calls ‘taxation’ and other extortive means.

It was jarring to learn how Hamas steals water pipes and other civilian infrastructure to manufacture rockets that target Israel – a brazen weaponization of aid that Hamas recently bragged about in online videos.

When Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently appeared before the Appropriations Committee, I asked him whether he could guarantee that taxpayer-funded aid to Gaza was not used to help Hamas execute the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks. He repeatedly declined to make that guarantee.

Regretfully, this isn’t the only example of Biden funding both sides of major conflicts.

Amid Israel’s war on Hamas, the U.S. has sent two carrier strike groups to the region to deter Iran and its terrorist proxies like Hezbollah.

Yet, in recent years, Biden has also enriched Iran – which seeks nuclear weapons and is the world’s biggest state sponsor of terrorism – through non-enforcement of sanctions on Iranian energy exports.

According to OPEC data, during Trump’s maximum pressure campaign, the Iranian regime’s revenue from illicit exports of crude oil and condensate totaled $19.4 billion in 2019 and $7.9 billion in 2020.  

In contrast, Biden’s non-enforcement of sanctions beginning in 2021 allowed Iran to amass over $66 billion by the end of 2022, a number that is likely to be well over $100 billion by December 2023.

These figures don’t include tens of billions in Biden-authorized sanctions relief and ransom payments to Iran since he took office

The war in Ukraine is another example.

Biden has so far provided $116 billion in aid to help Ukraine defend against Russia’s invasion. Yet the administration is also funding Putin’s war machine by allowing Russia to continue exporting oil and gas under a price cap regime.

While Western sanctions initially decreased Russian budget revenues, Russia learned to circumvent them. In fact, in 2022, Russia earned even larger annual revenues from oil than in 2021, and oil exports at times exceeded pre-war levels. 

It’s high time for Biden to end policies that allow the world’s worst regimes and terrorist groups to profit.

In the Middle East, this means fully enforcing and expanding U.S.-led secondary sanctions on Iran. 

This also means embracing policies that ensure taxpayer-funded aid to Hamas-controlled areas do not benefit Hamas or any other Palestinian terrorists.

In Ukraine’s conflict, this means fully enforcing and expanding secondary sanctions to crush Russia’s energy exports just like Trump’s maximum pressure campaign did to Iran’s.

Equally important, Biden must end his war on domestic energy production and allow our nation to lead in the international markets as we achieved during the Trump administration.

When asked why Biden refused to fully enforce sanctions and let Iran sell tens of billions in illicit oil exports, NSC spokesperson John Kirby inexplicably answered: ‘Supply and demand have to be balanced.’ 

The same logic of ‘avoiding destabilizing energy markets’ also clearly underpins the administration’s approach to Russia.

Let’s be clear: Biden’s war on domestic energy – with onerous environmental regulations, rejections of new oil leases at unprecedented rates, and threats to tax so-called ‘windfall profits’ – destabilized global energy markets and drove prices up around the globe.  

Now we see the administration turning to Russia, Iran and even Venezuela to ‘balance’ the energy markets – all while enriching our foes.

This isn’t how the leader of the free world should act. The better alternative is for energy markets is to rely on American drillers rather than terrorist killers.

Oscar Wilde once said life imitates art. Under President Biden, U.S. foreign policy more frequently imitates memes. Yet this tragedy is entirely avoidable.

President Biden and other administration officials said Tuesday that they welcomed the temporary cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas that includes the release of hostages.

Qatari negotiators helped broker the deal, which included Israel’s military agreeing to temporarily stop its airstrikes and ground invasion of Gaza for humanitarian purposes. Additionally, Hamas has agreed to release dozens of hostages in tandem and Israel has agreed to release Palestinian prisoners on a 3-to-1 ratio. Hamas leaders will release one hostage for every three Palestinians that Israel releases from its prisons.

Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken all released statements supporting the agreement between Israeli officials and Hamas terrorists amid the ongoing war in the Middle East.

The president said he welcomes the deal to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas during its ‘brutal assault’ against Israel on Oct. 7 and that he is ‘extraordinarily gratified that some of these brave souls, who have endured weeks of captivity and an unspeakable ordeal, will be reunited with their families once this deal is fully implemented.’

‘I thank Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani of Qatar and President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt for their critical leadership and partnership in reaching this deal,’ Biden wrote. ‘And I appreciate the commitment that Prime Minister Netanyahu and his government have made in supporting an extended pause to ensure this deal can be fully carried out and to ensure the provision of additional humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of innocent Palestinian families in Gaza. I look forward to speaking with each of these leaders and staying in close contact as we work to ensure this deal is carried through in its entirety. It is important that all aspects of this deal be fully implemented.’
 
Biden continued his statement by saying he has ‘no higher priority’ than ensuring American hostages around the world are safely released.

‘That’s why – from the earliest moments of Hamas’s brutal assault – my national security team and I have worked closely with regional partners to do everything possible to secure the release of our fellow citizens,’ Biden wrote. ‘We saw the first results of that effort in late October, when two Americans were reunited with their loved ones. Today’s deal should bring home additional American hostages, and I will not stop until they are all released. Today’s deal is a testament to the tireless diplomacy and determination of many dedicated individuals across the United States Government to bring Americans home.’

Harris said in her statement that she welcomes ‘the commitment that Israel has made to support an extended pause to ensure this deal can be fully carried out and to ensure additional humanitarian assistance reaches civilians in Gaza’ and that ‘the flow of aid must substantially increase and civilians must be protected.’ She also called on Hamas to ‘release all the remaining hostages.’
 
‘President Biden and I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans, and we welcome that today’s agreement means some Americans should be coming home,’ Harris wrote. ‘As I have told families of Americans held hostage: as they advocate for the release of their loved ones, they are not alone. We will not waver in our commitment to these Americans.’

The office of Israel’s prime minister confirmed that at least 50 women and children taken hostage by Hamas will be released during a four-day pause in the fighting.

In a statement Tuesday night, Blinken wrote that he cannot imagine what the hostages have endured the past few weeks and that he is thankful they will soon be reunited with their loved ones.

‘Today’s outcome is the result of tireless diplomacy and relentless effort across the Department and broader United States government,’ Blinken said. ‘I appreciate the leadership and ongoing partnership of Egypt and Qatar in this work. I also thank the government of Israel for supporting a humanitarian pause that will facilitate the transfer of hostages to safety and allow additional humanitarian assistance to reach Palestinian civilians in Gaza. While this deal marks significant progress, we will not rest as long as Hamas continues to hold hostages in Gaza.  My highest priority is the safety and security of Americans overseas, and we will continue our efforts to secure the release of every hostage and their swift reunification with their families.’

Approximately 14,000 people have been killed in Gaza and Israel since Hamas launched its largest attack against Israel in decades on Oct. 7, leading to a military response from Israeli forces. Thousands more have been wounded, and many others have been taken hostage by Hamas and raped, tortured and murdered. About 10 Americans in the region remain unaccounted for.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog also released a statement about the agreement with Hamas, saying ‘[the] reservations are understandable, painful, and difficult, but given the circumstances I back and support the decision of the Prime Minister and the Government to move forward with the deal to release hostages.’

‘This is a moral and ethical duty that correctly expresses the Jewish and Israeli value of securing the freedom of those held captive, with the hope that it will be the first step in returning all the hostages home,’ Herzog wrote. ‘The State of Israel, the IDF, and all the security forces will continue to act in every way possible to achieve this goal, alongside the restoration of the absolute security of the citizens of Israel.’

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) launched attacks against Sen. Krysten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., on Monday in a new ad.

The 30-second ad labeled Gallego as ‘rotten Ruben Gallego’ and said he had ‘abandoned his wife when she was nearly nine months pregnant, then married a D.C. lobbyist.’

Then, it slammed Sinema – a former Democrat now registered as an Independent – claiming she ‘voted with President Biden’s agenda 100% of the time,’ including the administration’s progressive energy initiatives and the COVID-era American Rescue Plan.

‘Deadbeat Dad, or liberal Democrat? Arizonans deserve a better choice,’ the ad, titled, ‘A Choice,’ concluded.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, NRSC spokesperson Mike Berg said, ‘Divorcing your wife when she is nearly nine months pregnant is a low-life move that really speaks to Ruben Gallego’s character.’ 

Gallego divorced his wife, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, in 2016. Politico reported a source close to Gallego said he and his ex currently have joint custody of their 6-year-old son.

In a 2016 post, Gallego and his wife both announced the divorce on their Facebook pages. 

‘It is painful when any marriage ends, and it is not something that I ever wanted or expected,’ Kate wrote. Gallego shared her post and added ‘Kate and I hope to keep this a private matter and appreciate your respect for our privacy.’

Berg said the committee plans to run more ads ‘exposing the truth’ about Gallego – who could likely become the Democratic nominee in the race – until Election Day. 

The ad comes as an internal NRSC polling showed Sinema currently drawing support from more Republican voters than Democrat voters, according to a source familiar with NRSC strategy.

Sinema has not announced whether she will run for re-election yet, but Republican strategists are on the offense. 

‘National Democrats are fighting a lose-lose civil war over who they’ll make their standard bearer: Rotten Ruben Gallego or liberal rubber stamp Kyrsten Sinema,’ NRSC spokesman Tate Mitchell said in a statement.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Gallego and Sinema for comment. 

In a fundraising email, Gallego’s campaign called the ad ‘baseless’ and a ‘deeply personal attack.’

‘If attacks like these go unanswered, Kari Lake could get the edge on us,’ the release said.

According to reporting by Politico, Gallego’s memoir details how PTSD from his service as a U.S. Marine in the Iraq War led to the destruction of his marriage.

The stakes are high as Arizona’s Senate seat race could potentially shift the majority leadership in the upper chamber if a Republican is elected.

American media personality and businesswoman Paris Hilton gave separate shoutouts online to the Republican and Democratic senators who are supporting the bipartisan Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act.

‘To the 10 republican senators co-sponsoring the #StopInstitutionalChildAbuseAct, thank you,’ Hilton posted Monday on X. ‘I am beyond grateful for you this holiday season.’

Hilton tagged Republican Sens. John Cornyn, Shelley Capito, Katie Britt, Thom Tillis, Tommy Tuberville, Susan Collins, Markwayne Mullin, Cynthia Lummis, Roger Marshall and Pete Ricketts in her post. 

The bicameral bill, authored by Cornyn, Tuberville, Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Earl Carter, R-Ga., was introduced April 27. It aims to provide stronger oversight for residential youth treatment programs to identify and prevent child abuse.

In another post, Hilton thanked the seven Democrats for co-sponsoring the bill, which is now in committee. 

Hilton, an advocate of the bill since its inception, alleged in a New York Times video op-ed series last year that she was a victim of sexual abuse as a teenager in the ’90s, when she attended a boarding school in Utah. 

She said she was the victim of a ‘parent-approved kidnapping’ when she was a misbehaving 16-year-old, with two men dragging her out of her home and into a congregate-care facility.

‘Very late at night, this would be around like three or four in the morning, they would take myself and other girls into this room and they would perform medical exams,’ Hilton said in the interview. ‘It wasn’t even with a doctor, it was a couple of different staff members, where they would have us lay on the table and put their fingers inside of us.’

Hilton later said she realized as an adult it was sexual abuse.

In an interview with Fox News earlier this year, Hilton said she was ‘doing everything I can in my power to fight for these children because these are children who come from families that can’t help and support them, and children from the juvenile justice system, foster care system.’ 

‘And they have no voice,’ she said.

Fox News’ Madeline Coggins contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, led a group of GOP lawmakers who raised the alarm in a letter Tuesday claiming the Biden administration ‘suddenly’ reassigned a director in the Department of Energy. 

The letter, sent to DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm, states that on Oct. 17, Steven Black, the director of the Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence (DOE-IN), was abruptly reassigned to a ‘senior adviser’ role within the Energy Department without explanation.  

‘We are also aware that a study conducted by an outside contractor, which the Department has had in its possession since April, outlines disturbing findings as to the state of counterintelligence across the Department, to include the national laboratories,’ Risch wrote. 

‘As you are well aware, the Department of Energy and the research it supports, especially at the national laboratories, is among the most important national security work undertaken by this country,’ the letter continued. ‘The findings in the contractor study, which Congress requested, are deeply concerning.’

The letter – which was signed by Republican Sens. John Barrasso, Marco Rubio, Steve Daines, Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy, Tom Cotton, Jerry Moran, John Cornyn and James Lankford – said if Black presided over the DOE-IN during a time when there were ‘serious shortcomings with regard to counterintelligence,’ then Black shouldn’t be in any office with national security assignments. 

Barrasso is a ranking member of the Energy and Natural Resources committee and Rubio is the Committee on Intelligence’s vice chairman.

The senators are requesting answers regarding why Black was abruptly reassigned after 11 years and whether the contractor study influenced this decision, and seeking clarity on his new role within the department. 

It also seeks information about when the department received the study in April and its stance on the conclusions. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Department of Energy for comment.