Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts used a public appearance Wednesday to stress the importance of an independent judiciary, doubling down on defense of the courts under fire by President Donald Trump and his allies, who have accused so-called ‘activist judges’ of overstepping their bounds.

Asked during a fireside chat event in Buffalo, New York, about judicial independence, Roberts responded in no uncertain terms that the role of the federal courts is to ‘decide cases, but in the course of that, check the excesses of Congress or the executive.’

That role, he added, ‘does require a degree of independence.’

Roberts’ remarks are not new. But they come as Trump and his allies have railed against federal judges who have paused or halted key parts of the president’s agenda. (Some of the rulings they’ve taken issue with came from judges appointed by Trump in his first term.)

The Supreme Court is slated to hear a number of high-profile cases and emergency appeals filed by the Trump administration in the next few months, cases that are all but certain to keep the high court in the spotlight for the foreseeable future.

Among them are Trump’s executive orders banning transgender service members from serving in the U.S. military, restoring fired federal employees to their jobs and a case about whether children whose parents illegally entered the U.S. and were born here should be granted citizenship. Oral arguments for that last case kick off next week.

Just hours before Roberts spoke to U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo, a high-stakes hearing played out in federal court in Washington, D.C.

There, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg spent more than an hour grilling Justice Department lawyers about their use of the Alien Enemies Act to summarily deport hundreds of migrants to El Salvador earlier this year. 

Boasberg’s March 15 order that temporarily blocked Trump’s use of the law to send migrants to a Salvadoran prison sparked ire from the White House and in Congress, where some Trump allies had previously floated calls for impeachment.

Roberts, who put out a rare public statement at the time rebuking calls to impeach Boasberg or any federal judges, doubled down on that in Wednesday’s remarks.

‘Impeachment is not how you register disagreement with a decision,’ Roberts said, adding that he had already spoken about that in his earlier statement.

In the statement, sent by Roberts shortly after Trump floated the idea of impeaching Boasberg, said that ‘for more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,’ he said.

‘The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose,’ he said in the statement. 

President Donald Trump touted his administration’s efforts to rebuild and modernize U.S. air traffic control, as the Department of Transportation rolled out its three-year plan to build a brand-new, ‘state-of-the-art’ system to address critical safety needs, while blasting former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for having ‘no clue.’ 

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Thursday unveiled the proposal, which would replace the current, antiquated Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) system and ‘enhance safety in the sky, reduce delays and unlock the future of air travel.’ 

‘Under President Trump, America is building again,’ Duffy said Thursday, upon rolling out the new proposal for a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a brand new, state-of-the-art air traffic control system.’ 

‘Decades of neglect have left us with an outdated system that is showing its age,’ Duffy said, noting that building the new system ‘is an economic and national security necessity, and the time to fix it is now.’

Under the new air traffic control system proposal, the FAA would replace infrastructure, including radar, software, hardware and telecommunications networks, to manage modern travel. 

Officials say the current system was built ‘for the past,’ but the new proposal is to build a system ‘for the future.’ 

The plan would ensure facilities are equipped with better technologies to reduce outages, improve efficiency and reinforce safety. 

‘We’re going to be buying a brand-new, state of the art system that will cover the entire world,’ Trump said earlier Thursday. 

The plan consists of four infrastructure components: communications, surveillance, automation and facilities, according to the Transportation Department. 

Officials plan, by 2028, to replace current telecommunications systems with new fiber, wireless and satellite technologies at more than 4,600 sites, 25,000 new radios and 475 new voice switches. By 2027, 618 radars will also be replaced.  

The plan also would address runway safety by increasing the number of airports with Surface Awareness Initiative to 200. Officials expect this to be complete by 2027. 

The Transportation Department also proposed building six new air traffic control centers for the first time since the 1960s. It also proposes replacing 15 towers and 15 co-located TRACONs, or Terminal Radar Approach Controls, which are facilities that manage air traffic in the airspace surrounding busy airports. 

Officials also proposed the installation of new modern hardware and software for all air traffic facilities, which would create a common platform system throughout all towers, TRACONs and centers. 

The proposal also includes the deployment of additional technologies to the Caribbean and Alaska to provide accurate, real-time surveillance and weather information for air traffic control and pilots to ensure ‘safe and efficient flights for these critical locations.’ 

Officials stressed the need for a new air traffic control system, saying the FAA is grappling with a ‘rapidly growing, complex and demanding aviation sector,’ as commercial air travel returns to pre-COVID levels. Officials also pointed to novel challenges, including drones and advanced air mobility. 

Officials said the FAA’s current systems ‘are showing their age,’ which leads to ‘delays and inefficiencies.’ 

The Department of Transportation stressed that the current National Airspace System is ‘safe,’ but stressed that maintaining safety is necessary. 

The proposal is based on a three-year framework to reinvest in the National Airspace System, and called for an ’emergency supplemental funding increase.’ 

‘Modernization of the NAS can no longer take 10+ years to complete; it must be done now,’ the proposal states. ‘We need an immediate infusion of funding to address critical infrastructure needs.’ 

Duffy, on Thursday, said the project would take three to four years. 

‘I need help, I can’t do it by myself. And it’s going to take the help of the Congress to make that happen,’ Duffy said. ‘We need all of the money up front.’ 

Duffy said requesting the money in ‘small tranches’ over the course of several years would extend the project. 

‘Politics change, leadership changes, presidents change, interest changes, and it never gets built,’ Duffy said. ‘So I’m going to ask the Congress for upfront appropriations to give us all the money. I’ll come before the Congress every, every quarter and give them an update of how far we’ve built, how much money we’ve spent.’ 

Duffy added that if the Department of Transportation is not given the money, it would take ’10 to 15 years to build this.’ 

‘And by the time we get done with it, what we’re going to build is already going to be old technology,’ Duffy said. ‘So we want to build this in three to four years, and we can do it with the help of Congress.’ 

A report issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in March shows that the Trump administration inherited an outdated FAA system from the Biden administration with ‘severe shortcomings’ that resulted in dangerous travel conditions across the country.

After Trump’s return to the White House, the GAO advised the administration that it had made nine recommendations to the FAA under the Biden administration that remain open, and that ‘urgent attention’ is needed to remedy the safety issues left by Biden.

GAO said that under the Biden administration the FAA ‘did not prioritize or establish near-term plans to modernize unsustainable and critical systems.’

The GAO’s 2025 report said the 2023 national airspace prompted an operational risk assessment, which found that of the 138 air traffic control systems, ’51 (37%) were deemed unsustainable by FAA and 54 (39%) were potentially unsustainable.’

Trump, on Thursday, blasted the current ‘ancient infrastructure,’ saying ‘it’s buckling under the weight of more than a billion flying passengers a year and supporting hundreds of billions of dollars.’  

‘Pete Buttigieg, who was the secretary of transportation, had no clue what the problem was,’ Trump said. ‘He had no clue. Zero. Zero.’ 

Trump said Buttigieg ‘wants to run for president.’ 

‘I don’t think he’s going to do too well,’ Trump said. ‘The federal government now pays $250 million annually just to keep up the old equipment and keep it running.’

Meanwhile, Duffy on Thursday said the administration has assembled an ‘unprecedented coalition of support’ from labor to industry, stressing that support is ‘indicative of just how important it is to this administration to get done what no one else could.’  

Duffy added: ‘The American people are counting on us, and we won’t let them down.’

The rollout of the proposal comes just days after the FAA issued a ground delay for Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey due to staffing shortages, weather and construction.

‘Our antiquated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce,’ an FAA statement said. ‘As Secretary Duffy has said, we must get the best safety technology in the hands of controllers as soon as possible.’

It also comes after air traffic controller audio was made public from when radar and radio communications with planes were briefly lost at Newark Airport on April 28. 

The April 28 outage lasted roughly 90 seconds. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association confirmed the incident to Fox News Digital, writing that the FAA’s operation in Philadelphia had ‘temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them.’

Fox Business’ Grady Trimble contributed to this report. 

The White House will unveil a new nominee to serve as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, following resistance to the administration’s current pick, according to President Donald Trump. 

Trump had nominated Ed Martin, a former defense attorney who represented Americans charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol, for the role. Martin has taken on the responsibilities of the interim U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C., since January. 

However, the Senate has held up confirming Martin, amid concerns from lawmakers. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced Tuesday he wouldn’t endorse Martin. 

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, also opposed Martin’s nomination. Specifically, Durbin said Martin provided several false statements to the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

On Thursday, Trump suggested he would put forward another candidate who would receive broader backing than Martin. 

‘He wasn’t getting the support from people that I thought,’ Trump told reporters at the White House Thursday. ‘You know, he’s done a very good job. Crime is down 25% in DC during this period of time… I can only lift that little phone so many times of the day. But we have somebody else.’

‘I have to be straight. I was disappointed,’ Trump said. ‘A lot of people were disappointed. But that’s the way it works. Sometimes, you know, that’s the way it works. And he wasn’t rejected, but we felt it would be very – it would be hard. And we have somebody else that will be announcing over the next two days who’s going to be great.’ 

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Trump’s decision to replace Martin came amid a May 20 deadline to confirm the former defense attorney and ‘Stop the Steal’ organizer. That’s because if the Senate fails to confirm a U.S. attorney nominee within 120 days, federal district court judges may select an interim U.S. attorney, according to the Department of Justice. 

Judge James Boasberg is the current chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Boasberg has become intertwined in several key cases against the Trump administration and has attracted scrutiny from the White House for blocking deportation flights in March.

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report. 

The Trump administration on Thursday targeted Iranian oil with a new slate of sanctions – a move that increases pressure on the Islamic Republic amid talks between U.S. and Iranian officials to make a deal to prevent nuclear proliferation, Fox News Digital has learned. 

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control increased pressure on Iran’s export of oil Thursday, designating the ‘teapot’ refinery Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group Co., Ltd., and three port terminal operators in Shandong province, China, for their role in purchasing or facilitating the delivery of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil. 

The ‘teapot’ refineries purchase the majority of Iranian crude oil exports, according to the Treasury Department. 

The Treasury Department on Thursday is also imposing sanctions on several companies, vessels and captains they say are responsible for facilitating Iranian oil shipments as part of Iran’s so-called ‘shadow fleet.’ The companies and vessels are all China-based. 

‘As part of President Trump’s broad and aggressive maximum pressure campaign, Treasury today is targeting another teapot refinery that imported Iranian oil,’ Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. ‘The United States remains resolved to intensify pressure on all elements of Iran’s oil supply chain to prevent the regime from generating revenue to further its destabilizing agenda.’

The sanctions come following President Donald Trump’s executive order, which targets Iran’s petroleum and petrochemical sectors – as well as another executive order targeting those that provide support to the National Iranian Oil Company. 

Thursday’s sanctions are the latest round targeting Iranian oil sales since the president, in early February, issued a national security memorandum that instituted a campaign of ‘maximum economic pressure on Iran.’ 

As for Iran’s ‘shadow fleet,’ Tehran relies on obscure ship management companies to manage its fleet of tankers that ‘mask’ Iran’s petroleum shipments to China using ship-to-ship transfers with sanctioned vessels. 

The Treasury Department on Thursday took action to increase pressure on that ‘shadow fleet’ of actors by designating ships as ‘blocked property.’

Any violation of U.S. sanctions may result in the imposition of civil or criminal penalties on U.S. or foreign persons, the Treasury Department said. 

The imposition of sanctions comes as the United States and Iran prepare for a fourth round of nuclear talks. U.S. and Iranian officials are set for the next round of talks to take place in Oman in the coming days. 

Trump is scheduled to travel to the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Vice President JD Vance recently previewed the next round of talks, saying Wednesday the U.S. was negotiating toward a ‘complete cessation’ of Tehran’s nuclear program. 

The Trump administration has said the flawed 2015 Obama-era Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear feal, did not prevent Iran from building an atomic bomb, with Vance adding that the agreement had ‘incredibly weak’ enforcement regarding inspections. 

Vance said he didn’t believe it ‘actually served the function of preventing the Iranians from getting on the pathway to nuclear weapons.’  

Vance also said the Trump administration believes that there were some elements of the Iranian nuclear program that were actually ‘preserved’ under the JCPOA. 

‘Yes, there weren’t nuclear weapons. Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapon,’ Vance said, arguing the deal ‘allowed Iran to sort of stay on this glide path toward a nuclear weapon if they flip the switch and press go.’ 

‘We think that there is a deal here that would reintegrate Iran into the global economy,’ Vance said ahead of the talks. ‘That would be really good for the Iranian people, but would result in the complete cessation of any chance that they can get a nuclear weapon. And that’s what we’re negotiating toward. And as the president has said, that’s Option A.’ 

If Option A is ‘very good for the Iranian people,’ Vance said, then Option B ‘is very bad.’ 

‘It’s very bad for everybody,’ Vance said. ‘And it’s not what we want, but it’s better than Option C, which is Iran getting a nuclear weapon. That is what is completely off the table for the American administration. No ifs, ands or buts.’ 

As for Trump, he said during a recent interview on NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’ that he would only accept ‘total dismantlement’ of Iran’s nuclear program. 

China is eager to hash out a trade deal with the U.S., according to President Donald Trump. 

Trump’s remarks come as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is poised to launch trade negotiations with China in Switzerland on Saturday amid a steep tariff battle between Washington and Beijing.  

‘Scott’s going to be going to Switzerland, meeting with China,’ Trump told reporters Thursday at the White House. ‘And you know, they very much want to make a deal. We can all play games. Who made the first call, who didn’t make them? It doesn’t matter. Only matters what happens in that room. But I will tell you that China very much wants to make a deal. We’ll see how that works out.’

The Trump administration announced widespread tariffs for multiple countries on April 2, following criticism that other countries’ trade practices are unfair toward the U.S.

The administration later adjusted its initial proposal and announced on April 9 it would immediately impose a 145% tariff on Chinese goods, while reducing reciprocal tariffs on other countries for 90 days to a baseline of 10%. China responded by raising tariffs on U.S. goods to 125%.

Bessent said Tuesday that negotiations between the U.S. and China had not started, after China said Friday that Beijing was open to holding talks if the tariffs were rescinded. 

Trump told reporters on Air Force One Sunday he wants a ‘fair’ trade deal with China, claiming discussions with Beijing were in the works on multiple issues.  

Trump has voiced support for tariffs for decades. The White House has called for tariffs to address the nation’s 2024 record $1.2 trillion trade deficit, and said the tariffs will bring back U.S. manufacturing jobs. 

Bessent cautioned in April that the tariffs could cost China up to 10 million jobs, and said it’s incumbent upon Beijing to remove current tariffs on U.S. imports. 

‘I think that over time we will see that the Chinese tariffs are unsustainable for China. I’ve seen some very large numbers over the past few days that show if these numbers stay on, Chinese could lose 10 million jobs very quickly,’ Bessent told reporters at the White House on April 29. ‘And even if there is a drop in the tariffs that they could lose 5 million jobs.’

‘So remember that we are the deficit country,’ Bessent said. ‘They sell almost five times more goods to us than we sell to them. So the onus will be on them to take off these tariffs. They’re unsustainable for them.’

Bessent also told lawmakers Tuesday that the U.S. has launched discussions with various countries, and indicated that major trade deals could be announced ‘as early as this week.’ 

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin met for formal talks on Thursday for the first time since President Donald Trump exacerbated the U.S.-China trade war last month. 

In a statement at the top of the meeting, Xi pledged to stand by his anti-Western ally against ‘power politics’ and ‘bullying on the international stage.’

‘Eighty years ago, the peoples of China and Russia made tremendous sacrifices to secure a great victory, contributing an indelible chapter to the cause of world peace and human progress,’ Xi said, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

‘Today, in the face of unilateralist backflows and acts of power politics and bullying on the international stage, China will join Russia in shouldering our special responsibilities as major countries and permanent members of the U.N. Security Council,’ he added. 

The pair met on what is considered Victory Day in Europe, which marks the beginning of the end of World War II, when the Allied nations accepted the surrender of Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945, though Russia celebrates the anniversary one day later. 

Japan did not surrender until September 1945, though Xi and Putin convened for a joint celebration which will take place in Moscow’s Red Square on Friday and will include a large contingent of Chinese troops. Leaders from 20 nations, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula de Silva, will also reportedly be in attendance.

While Xi appeared to take direct aim at the U.S., which under Trump has slapped 145% tariffs on all Chinese exports, Putin’s language was more toned down when he said, ‘We are developing our ties in the interests of both our peoples and not aimed against anyone.’

Putin and Xi first expanded their relationship just ahead of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which resulted in the West’s attempt to isolate Moscow in retaliation for the deadly war. 

Russia, China, Iran and North Korea have since deepened ties in an alliance that has increasingly concerned Western partners, though the Trump administration has looked to step away from these divisions in what some have argued could weaken U.S. ties with Washington’s long-standing allies. 

Putin said the ties strengthened during its war years were ‘one of the fundamental foundations of modern Russian-Chinese relations’.

‘Together with our Chinese friends, we firmly stand guard over the historical truth, protect the memory of the events of the war years, and counteract modern manifestations of neo-Nazism and militarism,’ he added in reference to one of his long-debunked claims used to justify his illegal invasion of Ukraine. 

According to Russian news outlet TASS, both Xi and Putin pledged to help play a role in the Trump administration’s push to form a new nuclear agreement with Iran. 

While both were key players in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Trump abandoned in 2018, it remains unclear how they intend to participate in this round of negotiations facilitated by Oman. 

‘The parties intend to play an active creative role in the settlement around the Iranian nuclear program, emphasizing that it will contribute to maintaining the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, peace and stability in the Middle East,’ the readout said. 

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s questions regarding any potential China-Russia involvement in the talks.

In a surprising twist of fate, Marco Rubio has gone from bitter presidential rival to President Donald Trump’s go-to guy. 

At the start of the new administration, current and former officials speculated Rubio would be one of the first Cabinet officials shown the door, as his America First credentials were called into question given his previously hawkish foreign policy views. 

Instead, Rubio has only continued to find favor with the president – so much so that he now holds an unprecedented four different roles within the administration.

‘When I have a problem, I call up Marco. He gets it solved,’ Trump quipped earlier this month. 

First, Rubio glided into the secretary of state role with a 99-0 Senate confirmation. Then, Trump and his team dismantled USAID and merged it under Rubio’s State Department leadership, naming him acting director. The secretary was subsequently tapped to lead the National Archives in an acting capacity, and as of last week, he’s also replaced Mike Waltz as acting national security advisor.

‘This is an expression of trust,’ said Andrew Tabler, a former senior official at State and the National Security Council (NSC). ‘It’s a sign that the president likes Secretary Rubio, despite the odds.’ 

Trump has suggested the interim arrangement could last up to six months, and while that may be an expression of the president’s confidence in Rubio, some are questioning whether one person can effectively juggle four high-profile roles.

‘Marco Rubio is very talented but no one can do that,’ said Joel Rubin, former senior State Department official. 

Henry Kissinger was the last person to serve as both secretary of state and national security advisor, holding both roles for over two years from 1975 to 1977. But that was half a century ago, and threats facing the nation have only multiplied. 

Rubin, who served under both Democratic and Republican administrations, called the workload ‘not fair to the individual, not fair to the taxpayer, and not fair to President Trump, who needs strong, independent advice from a national security advisor.’

‘The president has assembled an incredibly talented team that is fully committed to putting America and Americans first,’ a senior State Department official said in response to an inquiry on Rubio’s many duties. ‘Secretary Rubio looks forward to serving as his interim national security advisor while ensuring the mission-critical work at the State Department continues uninterrupted.’

The national security advisor is traditionally the president’s closest aide on matters of war, peace and global crisis – physically located near the Oval Office and ready to brief the president at any moment. That proximity is hard to maintain when the same person is flying overseas for diplomatic missions.

‘If he has to fly off to Pakistan to stop a nuclear war, then the president’s national security advisor, who usually is sitting right next to him, is not there.’

The reshuffling follows a broader shake-up inside the National Security Council, which lost Waltz, deputy advisor Alex Wong, and a number of staffers in early April. That thinning of personnel, several sources said, has only compounded the stakes.

‘There are major national security issues in three different theaters. Europe, Middle East and Asia. One’s a hot war, one is a half-hot war, and it’s really getting tense in Asia,’ said one former NSC official. ‘The president’s national security team needs to be filled out, and many people at State and DOD still need to be confirmed.’

National security advisor ‘is one of the president’s closest relationships,’ said Michael Allen, former special assistant to the president and senior director at NSC. ‘The national security advisor needs to be near the president all the time. Or at least able to brief the president all the time. So this is more duties for Rubio and they’re already short-handed.’

Still, Allen said the president’s personal comfort with his top national security aide may outweigh structural concerns – for now.

‘If the president feels like he needs Rubio there, then this is a good solution,’ Allen said. ‘At least for the short to medium term.’

Yet others say Rubio’s promotion might be more symbolic than operational, particularly in a White House where influence doesn’t always match job titles.

‘I think it’s not, ‘Can Marco Rubio do four jobs?’ It’s, ‘Is he allowed to do his one job – which is Secretary of State?’’ said Mark Feierstein, a former senior official at USAID. ‘Foreign counterparts may see him as pleasant in meetings, but they don’t necessarily believe he can deliver.’

Feierstein pointed to the dismantling of USAID, the rise of informal advisors like Stephen Miller, and the proliferation of special envoys like Steve Witkoff who bypass Rubio entirely. ‘You’ve got loads of people who report directly to Trump or others. So now it’s just chaos,’ he said.

Even Rubio’s ideological positioning raises questions. A staunch foreign policy hawk during his time in the Senate, Rubio has in recent months presided over a foreign policy apparatus that includes outreach to Russia and dramatic State Department budget cuts – moves he may once have opposed.

‘He’s decided to accommodate,’ Feierstein said.

But Rubio’s ability to meet voters where they are – and serve as the president’s happy warrior – may be the key to his longevity. Sparring with voices like Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Vice President JD Vance on foreign policy would only cause further headaches for the president. 

Tabler, for his part, remained optimistic. ‘Rubio is energetic, he knows the issues. He’s been working on foreign policy for years,’ he said. ‘It’s a positive sign. But how long one person can do that job – and under what circumstances – is up to him.’