The Biden administration is reportedly moving forward with a plan to send Israel $1 billion worth of weapons after the White House briefly paused a shipment last week over concerns about Israel’s planned ground invasion of Rafah. 

The weapons package, according to the Wall Street Journal, will include $700 million in tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds. 

The White House has referred all questions to the State Department. 

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that the U.S. had paused a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs because ‘we do not believe they should be dropped in densely populated areas. 

Israel has portrayed Rafah as the last stronghold of Hamas, brushing off warnings from the United States and other allies that any major operation there would be catastrophic for civilians.

White House national security communications advisor John Kirby said last week that the U.S. had proposed to Israel, ‘alternative methods of defeating Hamas that do not involve a major group operation in Rafah.’ 

Kirby reaffirmed the Biden administration’s commitment to Israel, noting that the president said ‘he will continue to ensure that Israel has all of the military means it needs to defend itself against all of its enemies, including Hamas.’

‘For [President Biden], this is very straightforward: He’s going to continue to provide Israel with all capabilities it needs, but he does not want certain categories of American weapons used in a particular type of operation in a particular place. And again, he has been clear and consistent with that,’ Kirby said. 

As they audition for the role of Donald Trump’s running mate, potential vice presidential nominees are showing off their ability to help the former president raise much-needed campaign cash. 

Closed-door fundraisers with top-dollar Republican donors appear to be the latest screen test venue for those vying to land on the GOP ticket alongside Trump, joining a list that includes teaming up with the former president at his rallies and showing up at his criminal trial in New York City in support of Trump.

Four potential running mates — Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, Govs. Doug Burgum of North Dakota and Kristi Noem of South Dakota and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — will team up with the former president Tuesday night in New York City at a fundraising dinner for Trump as he aims to narrow his fundraising deficit with President Biden in their 2024 election rematch.

The gathering is being hosted in Manhattan by billionaire GOP donors Howard Lutnick, the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald; hedge fund investor John Paulson; and New York Jets owner Woody Johnson. Tickets to attend the dinner go for up to $844,600.

The fundraiser is part of a series of high-level events and small-dollar grassroots efforts the Trump campaign estimates will haul in roughly $25 million this week.

On Wednesday, Trump will team up with Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, another contender for running mate, at a fundraising luncheon in Cincinnati.

A week and a half ago, Vance, Scott, Burgum, Noem and a handful of other high-profile GOP politicians also considered potential vice presidential nominees all joined Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, at the Republican National Committee’s annual spring donor retreat.

A number of these fundraising events include major GOP donors who remain uncommitted to Trump.

‘Trump and his team are paying close attention to who is activating their donor networks on behalf of the former president. They’re less interested in who shows up to events with pre-existing Trump donors and more interested in seeing who is bringing new donors into the fold,’ a Trump ally who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely told Fox News.

Scott, who has been meeting with major contributors on behalf of the Trump campaign, told Fox News Digital last week his message to donors is that ‘four more years under Donald Trump is good for our economy. It’s good for your pocket book. But, more important, it’s good for America’s future.’

Scott, along with Burgum and Ramaswamy, ran for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination before dropping out of the race and endorsing Trump.

The former president is attending the New York City fundraiser after spending his day in court in Lower Manhattan. Trump is making history as the first former or current president to stand trial in a criminal case.

The trial is attracting potential running mates. Vance showed up at the courthouse in support of Trump Monday. Burgum, Ramaswamy and another possible contender — Rep. Bryon Donalds of Florida — were there Tuesday.

‘We’re all here today because of the circus of this trial,’ Burgum told reporters Tuesday.

Sources in Trump’s political orbit say not to expect a decision from the former president on his running mate until much closer to the Republican National Convention, which gets underway in Milwaukee July 15.

Fox News’ Kellianne Jones and Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report

President Biden’s re-election campaign said Tuesday that the president does not support ‘full-term abortions’, drawing a contrast between a stance recently taken by one of his challengers in the race for the White House.

Fox News Digital asked the Biden campaign this week whether it agrees with remarks made last week by independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who said he opposes any government restrictions on abortions, ‘even if it’s full-term.’

‘No, the president doesn’t support full-term abortions, as he’s made clear many times. He thinks Roe got it right,’ said Lauren Hitt, a senior spokesperson for the campaign.

Following initial outreach to the Biden campaign, Fox News Digital received a statement on the matter from a Democratic National Committee (DNC) spokesperson, who claimed Kennedy ‘can’t be trusted to stand up for reproductive freedom.’

‘He’s said he would sign a national abortion ban and has repeatedly dismissed the importance of abortion rights on the campaign trail,’ DNC communications adviser Lis Smith said in the statement. ‘With reproductive freedom under attack, we need leaders who will stand strong for women. It’s clear that neither RFK Jr. nor Trump will.’

Abortion has become a major issue on the campaign trail since the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in June 2022 to overturn Roe v. Wade and return the issue to the states.

Democratic campaigns have made abortion a cornerstone of political messaging, and Biden has repeatedly hammered former President Trump over the issue.

During an April 23 speech at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida, Biden claimed it was Trump who ‘ripped away the rights of freedom of women in America.’

‘It will be all of us who restore those rights for women in America,’ he added at the time.

Some, however, take issue with Biden’s position that ‘Roe got it right,’ including SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser.

‘Roe had wide open exceptions allowing late term abortion on healthy babies as Biden and his team know full well. And pro-abortion studies show that’s the norm for late term,’ Dannenfelser wrote in a post to X.

Several Republican states have passed legislation limiting abortion, while Democrats have successfully won ballot initiatives in various states to allow for abortion procedures.

Appearing on Wednesday’s installment of ‘The Sage Steele Show,’ Kennedy was pressed about this abortion stance.

Kennedy clashed with Steele over late-term abortions, insisting they are extremely rare and that there are usually ‘extenuating circumstances’ behind those decisions.

‘I think there’s a really, really good argument, a compelling argument, that the state has an interest in protecting a fully-formed fetus. I absolutely think that that argument is very convincing. But again, I come down to the fact that I don’t trust the state,’ Kennedy said. ‘I think we need to trust the woman and I don’t think that that’s a satisfactory outcome, because there’s always gonna be instances where bad things happen.’

‘So, in other words, keeping it as is with Roe v. Wade having been overturned and leaving it up to the states to determine if and when a woman can have an abortion,’ Steele followed.

‘No, I wouldn’t leave it to the states,’ Kennedy responded. ‘We should leave it to the woman. We shouldn’t have government involved.’

‘Even if it’s full-term,’ Steele said.

‘Even if it’s full-term,’ Kennedy replied, later adding, ‘I think we have to leave it to the woman, not the state. I think we should do everything in our power to make sure that never happens and everything that we can do. But I think, ultimately, you know, nobody sets out to do that. And there are always some kind of extenuating circumstances that would make a mother make that kind of choice, a terrible, terrible choice which is, you know, you can’t overstate how bad that is. And I think, ultimately, we have to trust women.’

Kennedy’s abortion stance made headlines last year after NBC News reported that he supported limiting abortions to 15 or 21 weeks into the pregnancy. 

His campaign later clarified his position, alleging he misunderstood the question, saying in a statement, ‘He does not support legislation banning abortion.’

Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.

A group of House Republicans wants to award former President Trump the Congressional Gold Medal.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is leading a Congressional resolution to bestow the honor on Trump ‘in recognition of his exceptional leadership and dedication to strengthening America’s diplomatic relations during his presidency,’ according to legislative text obtained by Fox News Digital.

It is backed by six fellow House Republicans, including House GOP Deputy Whip Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania, and Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Randy Weber of Texas and Mike Waltz of Florida.

‘President Trump’s fearless leadership reestablished America as a respected and admired global power,’ Luna told Fox News Digital. ‘It is time we recognize a president who put our country first and secured global peace through bold diplomacy. Despite the liberal media’s attempts to spread fear, America and the world were undoubtedly safer under President Donald Trump. One of our duties in Congress is to honor those who have contributed significantly to our nation, and that’s why I’m introducing this legislation.’

Notably, it is also co-sponsored by House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good, R-Va., who had a rocky relationship with some members of Trump’s orbit earlier this year.

Good originally endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president before backing Trump when the former dropped out. He has since emphatically thrown himself behind the ex-president’s re-election bid.

‘President Trump did more in four years on behalf of the American people than any president in my lifetime. He secured our border, achieved historic peace in the Middle East, and implemented policies that helped our economy prosper,’ said Good. ‘The last three years of a failed Biden administration have only served as a stark contrast to President Trump’s record.’

Meanwhile, Ogles hailed Trump’s ‘contributions to the American heritage and stalwart defense of the American way of life’ and Weber said ‘every patriotic American knows our country was unequivocally better off four years ago under his stewardship.’

It is highly unlikely that the Democrat-controlled Senate will take the bill up, but it is more evidence that Trump remains the de facto leader of the GOP.

Alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award in the U.S.

The National Republican Congressional Committee unveiled an ad Tuesday morning signaling the six-month mark until the November election and accusing House Democrats of failing on a variety of top issues.

‘Under extreme House Democrats, the country is in crisis,’ the new ad released on Tuesday starts out. ‘The border is a disaster. The economy is failing. And lawlessness is the new normal.’

The ad continues, ‘Yet amid Democrats’ extremism, Republicans fight for our freedoms. We are six months out from the most important election of this lifetime. Fight for freedom. Fight for America. And vote on Nov. 5.’

NRCC rapid response director Macy Gardner told Fox News Digital in a statement that ‘extreme Democrats will plunge our country into an unprecedented level of chaos if we don’t kick them out of office in November.’

‘Fortunately, House Republicans continue to fight tooth and nail to halt Biden’s border, crime, and inflation crises.’

A spokesperson for the DCCC fired back in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying, ‘Facts matter.’

‘We’ve seen record job growth over the last two years, inflation has come down significantly, and it’s Republicans who defend violent insurrectionists and their wannabe dictator in chief as they stand trial,’ Viet Shelton said. ‘Only Democrats are fighting to lower health care costs, make the ultra wealthy pay their fair share, support a bipartisan border security deal, and protect reproductive freedom for everyone, everywhere.’

‘The defining traits of this House Republican majority have been dysfunction, chaos, and a steady sprint to the far-right at all costs – and voters are sick and tired of it,’ he added.

Democrats continue to hold a major cash advantage in the race for control of the House of Representatives, Fox News Digital reported last month, as Republicans attempt to grow their slim majority in the chamber this November.

A bright spot for Republicans, however, is that the NRCC’s current cash-on-hand deficit is smaller than it was at the same point in the 2022 and 2020 election cycles. In March 2022, the DCCC had $18.5 million more cash on hand than the NRCC, but Republicans gained nine seats that November. That difference was a massive $31.9 million in 2020, but Republicans still went on to gain 13 seats.

‘House Republicans remain in a strong position to grow the majority. Meanwhile, extreme House Democrats continue to support dangerous open borders, pro-crime and pro-inflationary policies that doomed their majority in the first place,’ NRCC spokesman Will Reinert told Fox News Digital in April.

Fox News Digital’s Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reportedly defended Hamas on Monday, claiming that more than 1,000 members of the terrorist group from Gaza are being treated at hospitals in his NATO nation. 

At a joint press conference in Ankara, Turkey, Erdogan took issue with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis having categorized Hamas as a ‘terrorist organization.’ 

‘If you call Hamas a ‘terrorist organization,’ this would sadden us,’ Erdogan said, according to Reuters. 

‘We don’t deem Hamas a terrorist organization,’ he reportedly said. ‘More than 1,000 members of Hamas are under treatment in hospitals across our country.’ 

The press conference followed a two-hour face-to-face summit with the Greek prime minister. 

‘I do not see Hamas as a terror group,’ Erdogan said at the press conference, according to The Associated Press. ‘I see it as a group of people trying to protect their own land.’

Greece, like most Western states, considers Hamas a terrorist organization, but Erdogan repeated his reference to the group as a ‘resistance organization.’ The leaders were meeting for the fourth time in the past year in a bid to strengthen a normalization process.

A Turkish official who spoke on condition of anonymity later told Reuters that Erdogan meant to refer to Palestinians from Hamas-controlled Gaza, not members of Hamas. 

‘President Erdogan misspoke, he meant 1,000 Gazans are under treatment, not Hamas members,’ the official reportedly said. 

In November, the Turkish government said it planned to evacuate some wounded or sick Gazans, mostly cancer patients, as well as Turkish nationals, Turkish Cypriots and their relatives. 

Turkey and Greece, which are NATO members, have been at odds for decades over a series of issues, including territorial claims in the Aegean Sea and drilling rights in the Mediterranean, and have come to the brink of war three times in the last half-century. A dispute over energy exploration rights in 2020 led to the two countries’ warships facing off in the Mediterranean.

They agreed last December to put their disputes aside and focus on areas where they can find consensus. The list of items on the so-called positive agenda includes trade, energy, education and cultural ties. Since that summit in Athens, the regional rivals have maintained regular high-level contacts to promote fence-mending initiatives, such as allowing Turkish citizens to visit 10 Greek islands without cumbersome visa procedures.

Stressing the ties between the two countries, Mitsotakis said the deal allowed Turks and Greeks to ‘get to know each other, which is an important step.’ Similarly, Erdogan referred to the Turkish-Muslim minority in Greece’s Thrace region as a ‘friendship bridge between the two communities.’

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is expected in downtown Manhattan on Tuesday morning to show solidarity with former President Trump during his criminal trial.

A spokesperson for Johnson told Fox News Digital early on Tuesday that he would be in New York City for the trial, making him the latest Trump ally in Congress to appear beside the ex-president in the Manhattan Criminal Court. 

He is also expected to speak with reporters outside the courthouse after attending the trial.

Johnson is slated to be there at the same time as Vivek Ramaswamy, the former 2024 Republican primary candidate-turned-possible Trump running mate choice.

The former president’s trial is related to accusations that he falsified business records to cover up a payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 election.

Johnson, who has long been a Trump ally but has grown significantly closer to him since becoming speaker in October, has criticized the prosecutions against Trump, including the Manhattan case, as inherently political.

‘One of the things that is also in jeopardy right now is our judicial branch, and it’s our system of government itself. And I don’t think we can say often enough here, how much that has been abused under this administration with local prosecutors, state prosecutors, and at the federal level, who are using lawfare,’ Johnson said during a press conference last week. 

‘They’re using our judicial system to get the most out of that, and I think the most egregious one is what is being done to Donald Trump right now.’

On the Manhattan trial specifically, Johnson said, ‘That case should never have been brought.’

‘That case is being orchestrated by Democrats, supporters of President Biden, who are trying to make a name for themselves,’ Johnson said.

Trump appears to have played a critical role in helping Johnson keep his job as speaker amid an ouster threat led by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., by showing public support for the Louisiana Republican even as one of his top supporters and campaign surrogates called for his firing.

Other Trump allies in Congress who have made appearances at the Manhattan courthouse so far include Sens. JD Vance, R-Ohio, Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Rick Scott. R-Fla.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron reportedly discussed with former President Trump – the presumptive Republican presidential nominee – a potential peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. 

According to a source who spoke to The Sunday Times, Cameron met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida last month and told the former president that new U.S. aid would help Ukraine hold its front lines and give Trump the ‘best possible conditions’ to attempt to secure an agreement with Russia. 

The source reportedly said that Cameron asked Trump: ‘What are the best conditions in which you as president can make a deal in January? It’s both sides holding their lines and paying a price for that.’

That contradicts the United Kingdom’s position that a peace agreement would be a Ukrainian matter, and Cameron has said publicly that ‘peace comes through strength, not through appeasement and weakness.’ 

Asked about the report Monday afternoon, a spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Britain’s ‘position has not changed’ and that ‘Putin must fail.’ 

‘It is crucial, now more than ever in this conflict, that Putin is sent a very clear message that we will support Ukraine for as long as is necessary,’ the spokesperson said. ‘I’ve seen some anonymous source briefing. We do not recognize those reports.’ 

Reporters also pressed Sunak about the report in central London on Monday. 

‘I haven’t seen this Sunday Times article, so forgive me for that,’ Sunak said, according to Politico. ‘But what I can tell you is that you we have led when it comes to Ukraine.’

‘Investment in Ukraine’s security is investment in our security. Our NATO allies are already worried about the prospect of if Putin succeeds, that they’ll be next –  with all the consequences that would bring,’ he added.

Cameron said last month the meeting ‘was entirely in line with precedent with government ministers meeting with opposition politicians,’ adding that he and Trump discussed a ‘range of important geopolitical subjects’ and that a victory for Ukraine is ‘vital for American and European security.’ 

In a statement in April, Trump’s campaign said the meeting was held ‘to discuss several issues impacting both countries,’ including upcoming elections in both Britain and the United States, the implications of Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, the need for NATO allies to meet their commitments on defense spending and ‘ending the killing in Ukraine.’

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The White House on Monday pushed back on reports from the Times of Israel and Washington Post that it is offering ‘sensitive intelligence’ to Israel on the whereabouts of Hamas leaders, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declines to engage in a full-scale invasion of Rafah.

President Biden has in recent days warned Israel against incurring into the southern Gaza city, threatening to halt munitions shipments if an invasion commences.

Four people familiar with the situation told the Washington Post the administration is offering intel on Hamas tunnels and the hideouts of its leaders if Israel pulls back.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a National Security Council spokesperson said the U.S. continues to help the IDF target Hamas leadership.

‘[T]hat work continues on an ongoing basis. We’re not holding anything back,’ the official said.

‘We believe [Hamas chief Yahya] Sinwar should and indeed must be held accountable for the horrors of the October 7 attack.’

Former Trump National Security Council official Victoria Coates told Fox News Digital late Monday that intelligence sharing is the ‘bedrock of our security partnership with Israel.’

‘It’s unique and extremely sophisticated, and if one partner is not fulfilling their obligations, it calls the whole thing into question,’ Coates said.

‘So, if the administration has information on Hamas leadership, which… still holds eight Americans — five alive and three dead in Gaza — and isn’t sharing that with the Israelis and hasn’t shared it with the Israelis, this is deeply troubling.’

Coates, who is now the Heritage Foundation’s national security and foreign policy institute vice president, said that, if true, the report depicts the Biden administration as playing a ‘political game’ versus a battle for the survival of the Jewish State.

When asked about allegations that the Biden administration has been playing politics with the Israel issue, Coates indicated Biden’s need to win the youth vote, which she described as more in favor of the Palestinians than any other U.S. age bloc.

‘That’s what elected Biden in 2020 and staved off the red wave in 2022. So they know they need the 18-to-24 group. And what’s been revealed over the last six months is that group is strongly pro-Palestinian, if not overtly pro Hamas,’ she said.

‘And so I think that’s actually the demographic they’re pandering to.’

Ric Grenell, who served as both Trump’s intel chief and ambassador to Germany, called the president’s behavior an ‘impeachable offense.’

‘Let’s be clear, Joe Biden is using U.S. intelligence as a weapon to first demand help from Israel to win Michigan — when he should be providing every piece of intel we have in order to bring the American hostages held by Hamas home,’ Grenell said on X, formerly Twitter.

Meanwhile, Fox News radio host Guy Benson called the report, ‘surreal.’

According to the Post report, Biden and senior aides have also offered to help construct food delivery systems and shelter for Palestinians evacuated from Rafah. 

The White House has tried to sway the Israelis to conduct only targeted strikes within Rafah versus the tack threatened by Jerusalem, as well as hope more granular intelligence assistance to Israel could dissuade them from major offensives.

In an interview with CBS News on Sunday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. government retains the same objectives as the Israelis.

‘We want to make sure that Hamas cannot govern Gaza again,’ Blinken said.