Former President Trump’s campaign team says it raised more than $50 million at a Saturday evening’s GOP fundraiser in Palm Beach, Florida, smashing records for a Republican or Democratic candidate.  

‘It took three Democrat presidents to raise $25 million and one president to raise over $50 million, Donald J. Trump,’ campaign spokesperson Danielle Alvarez boasted. 

Heavy-hitters

Saturday’s fundraiser took place at a private home in Palm Beach, hosted by billionaire and hedge fund founder John Paulson. Among the 100 or so guests will be heavy-hitters like casino mogul Steve Wynn, Bigelow Aerospace Founder and President Robert Bigelow, and former U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. 

‘The response to our fundraising efforts has been overwhelming, and we’ve raised over $43 million so far,’ Paulson said in a statement. ‘There is massive support amongst a broad spectrum of donors.’

Speaking briefly to reporters as he arrived at the event with his wife, Melania Trump, the former president said, ‘this has been some incredible evening before it even starts because people – they wanted to contribute to a cause of making America great again, and that’s waht’s happened.’ 

Though the fundraiser is expected to take in tens of millions, Trump still needs to close the gap with his Democratic rival, incumbent President Biden, who is reported to have around $192 million on hand compared with just over $93 million for Trump. 

Biden event snags $26M

Biden’s campaign said he raised more than $26 million during a fundraising appearance late last month at New York City’s famed Radio City Music Hall with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. 

The president’s re-election campaign called the money raised at the star-studded event — which set a record for a single fundraiser — ‘historic.’

Trump’s event, billed as the ‘Inaugural Leadership Dinner,’ sends a signal of a resurgence for the former president and Republican Party fundraising. 

Trump initially struggled to attract big donors when he launched his campaign and some lined up to support the other Republicans who challenged him in the presidential primary. But as Trump racked up easy wins, leveled the field and became the party’s presumptive nominee, the GOP has solidified behind him.

Contributions to the event will go toward the Trump 47 Committee, according to the invitation, a joint fundraising agreement with the Republican National Committee, state Republican parties and Save America, a political action committee that pays the bulk of Trump’s legal bills. 

Big contributions

In an unusual arrangement, the fundraising agreement directs donations to first pay the maximum allowed under law to his campaign and Save America before the RNC or state parties get a cut.

Guests are asked to contribute $814,600 per person as a ‘chairman’ contributor, which comes with seating at Trump’s table, or $250,000 per person as a ‘host committee’ contributor. 

Both options come with a photo opportunity and a personalized copy of Trump’s coffee table book featuring photographs from his administration, ‘Our Journey Together.’

Three of Trump’s former rivals for the GOP nomination — South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy — are expected to appear as ‘special guests.’

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Biden’s re-election campaign announced Saturday that it raised more than $187 million in the first quarter of 2024.

In March, the campaign raked in over $90 million, up from $53 million the month before.

Additionally, his campaign announced it had $192 million in cash on hand, which it touted as ‘the highest total amassed by any Democratic candidate in history at this point in the cycle.’

In the first quarter, 96% of donations were under $200, with more than 1.1 million donors making over 1.9 million contributions, according to the campaign.

The campaign said it now has more than 212,000 sustaining donors — more than double the amount at this point in the 2020 cycle — who have pledged more than $5.2 million in monthly contributions.

The totals provided Saturday by the campaign came through all fundraising streams, which, in the past, have included Biden’s campaign, the Democratic National Committee and joint fundraising committees.

In March alone, the campaign said it received 864,000 contributions from 704,000 unique donors.

‘The money we are raising is historic, and it’s going to the critical work of building a winning operation, focused solely on the voters who will decide this election – offices across the country, staff in our battleground states, and a paid media program meeting voters where they are,’ Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the Biden-Harris 2024 campaign manager, said in a statement.

‘It’s a stark contrast to Trump’s cash-strapped operation that is funneling the limited and billionaire-reliant funds it has to pay off his various legal fees,’ she added.

The total haul for the Biden campaign in March is roughly $25 million more than that raised by former President Donald Trump’s campaign in the same month.

Earlier this week, Fox News Digital confirmed Trump and the RNC brought in $65.6 million in March and ended the month with $93.1 million in cash on hand. The figures include money raised by a number of fundraising committees.

The Trump campaign’s March fundraising figure, which was first reported by Politico, is significantly more than the $62 million that Trump raised in March 2020 when he was running for re-election.

Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday said Iran is likely to retaliate against Israel for a recent missile strike that hit Tehran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the strike, which killed senior Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi. Reuters cited a Lebanese security source as the first to identify Israel as the responsible party, to which an Israeli military spokesperson responded, ‘We do not comment on reports in the foreign media.’

In an interview on CNN, Esper predicted Iran will take action against Israel, but on a limited scale to avoid wide-scale war in the Middle East.

‘They are going to act,’ Esper said Friday. ‘They’re going to feel the need, to uphold their dignity, to maintain credibility with their proxies, throughout the region, and to really meet the demands of hardliners, within the theocracy that wants to see something done.’

‘But on the other hand, they’re not going to want to make this a wider war,’ he continued. ‘They don’t want to escalate. They know that a major conflict with Israel, let alone Israel and the United States would be disastrous for Iran. So, I suspect that they will limit the attack to Israel, Israeli targets.’3

Iran has said it reserves the right ‘to take a decisive response’ after the purported Israeli strike, which killed six other Iranian military advisers in addition to Zahedi. 

A senior Biden administration official told Fox News Digital that President Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about the threat from Iran on Thursday. 

‘Our teams have been in regular and continuous contact since then. The United States fully supports the defense of Israel against threats from Iran,’ the official said. 

Two U.S. defense officials said U.S. force posture has not changed in the Middle East since before Israel’s air strike in Damascus. The U.S. is monitoring the situation given the increased rhetoric from Iran, but has not made any changes to prepare for a significant attack. 

‘Nothing has changed from a force projection standpoint,’ one official said. 

Though Israel has not taken credit for the strike on Iran’s consulate, the IDF has made several operational changes, such as canceling leave for any IDF personnel and calling up additional reservists to bolster the force’s air defense systems on Israel’s northern border, The Telegraph reported.

Israel has also suffered widespread GPS disruptions on applications, with some users shown to be in Lebanon’s capital Beirut, which Israeli outlet Haaretz reported as deliberate attempts to confuse Israeli drone threats. 

IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari reiterated the multifaceted conflict Israel is fighting, saying, ‘We are in a multi-front war. We are looking not only at Hamas but all our enemies. We look at all fronts and all threats in order to be ready for any scenario.’ 

Fox News’ Liz Friden, Fox News Digital’s Peter Aitken and Reuters contributed to this report.

South Africa’s support for the Palestinian cause is the culmination of a confused and increasingly troubling diplomatic trend for a country with whom the U.S. now questions its bilateral cooperation, critics have claimed. 

‘The South African government has fallen hook, line and sinker for Russian propaganda,’ Peter Doran, an adjunct senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and former president of the Center for European Policy Analysis, told Fox News Digital. 

‘Russia has proposed to all African countries that the United States and Western powers are colonialists, whose interests are not aligned with theirs, whereas Russia and China are benign benefactors and friends in the world,’ Doran said. 

‘The truth is that Russia stands as the 20th century’s worst colonial power. Russia has hidden that, and it doesn’t present that part of its history to South Africa, and so many African countries, especially South Africa, have fallen for Russian propaganda about colonialism,’ he added. 

Congress passed the Bilateral Relations Review Act in February, mandating President Biden to determine ‘whether South Africa has engaged in activities that undermine United States national security or foreign policy interests’ within 30 days of enactment. Rep. John James, R-Mich., introduced the bill after growing ‘greatly concerned with South Africa’s alignment with China and Russia and embracement of Hamas.’

‘It is important to show the South African people that the United States is paying attention, and I am proud that the committee passed this bipartisan legislation,’ James said. 

The bill also requires the administration to ‘comprehensively review the bilateral relationship between the United States and South Africa and report to the Congress on its findings within 120 days of enactment.’

South Africa has increasingly aligned itself with Russia and China, doubling down on its association with the BRICS economic bloc: The founding five members, which include South Africa, met in Johannesburg last year for the group’s 15th summit, where they discussed and agreed on expanding membership. 

‘What is fundamental about the BRICS expansion is that the multipolar world is definitely emerging,’ Dr. Kinglsey Makhubela, a former South African ambassador, told Sputnik Africa. ‘There’s no longer this unipolar world that has been dominated by the United States and its allies.’

However, it mainly seems that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party has pursued this policy, with the opposition party slamming South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Naledi Pandor’s recent visit to the U.S. as a ‘dismal failure.’ 

‘Speaking with a forked tongue whilst in D.C, the Minister defended South Africa’s friendly relations with oppressive regimes such as Iran and Russia under the auspices of her government’s commitment to ‘non-alignment,’ whilst insisting that the country had a ‘moral obligation’ to act against injustice at the ICJ,’ Shadow Minister for International Relations Emma Louise Powell told Fox News Digital. 

‘The truth is, Pandor’s foreign policy positions are guided by nothing other than the ANC’s financial and political survival,’ Powell argued, claiming that ‘the bottom line is that no one is buying what Pandor and Ramaphosa are selling anymore.’ 

‘As the Official Opposition in South Africa, we have one job to do, and that is kick the corrupt ANC out of power in the May election, so that we can regain the trust of our most important international allies, and rebuild fraying trading relations with our Western partners (like the USA), whose investment into our emerging market puts food on the table for millions of South Africans,’ Powell said. 

The growing divide between the U.S. and South Africa became more apparent as each took up opposing sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict: South Africa led a case before the International Court of Justice that accused Israel of carrying out a genocide in the Gaza Strip, while the U.S. has rejected such accusations. 

Lior Haiat, a spokesperson for Israel’s foreign ministry, in turn accused South Africa as acting as ‘the legal arm of Hamas in an attempt to undermine Israel’s inherent right to defend itself and its citizens and to release all of the hostages.’ 

Foreign Minister Pandor on March 10 said authorities would arrest any South Africans who fight alongside the Israeli military, warning, ‘We are ready. When you come home, we are going to arrest you.’ She also urged citizens to protest outside the embassies of Israel’s ‘five primary supporters,’ according to the FDD. 

‘From a global perspective, the war for Ukraine has revealed, a change in international politics,’ Doran argued. ‘The old, the former era prior to 2022, in the former era, prior to 2022, countries could sit on the fence: They could play both sides. Look at India, an example of a country which plays both sides, which sits on the fence. That was a permissible environment. 

‘Today, we are no longer in a permissible environment where countries can sit on the fence and play both sides. Now is absolutely a time for choosing,’ Doran stressed. 

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the two countries share a ‘strong relationship’ based on ‘the priorities of the American people and the South African people,’ with trade growing every year, making the U.S. South Africa’s ‘second-largest bilateral trading partner.’

However, the State Department accused South Africa of falling for Russian propaganda and influence, as well as warning all African countries to remain wary of China’s interests and overtures. 

‘The United States does not seek to limit African partnerships with other countries,’ the spokesperson insisted. ‘However, Russia… manufactures and exploits insecurity to expand its presence on the African continent, threatening stability and, good governance, robbing countries of their mineral wealth, and undermining respect for human rights in the process.’

‘Ultimately, we have a strong relationship with South Africa, and because we have a strong relationship, we have had open and frank conversations about all of these issues and priorities,’ the spokesperson said, adding that the U.S. echoes ‘long-standing calls… that the PRC must respect host country laws and international obligations.’

Part of the problem derives from South Africa’s economic struggles: Already struggling with the world’s highest unemployment rate, Cape Town reported in February that unemployment increased to 32.1% in the fourth quarter of 2023 – a total of 7.9 million unemployed people. 

The International Monetary Fund in 2023 reported that South Africa had recorded ‘weak growth’ of around 0.4% between January and March, citing ‘crippling power cuts, volatile commodity prices and a challenging external environment’ as significant contributing factors. 

‘The country has faced rolling blackouts after years of mismanagement of the state-owned utility, Eskom, prompting the authorities to ease the registration process and licensing requirements for energy production to encourage private sector investment,’ the IMF wrote, adding that an ‘elevated debt level – one of the highest among emerging markets – limits the government’s ability to respond to shocks.’

South Africa has also showed support for Russia and China by abstaining from condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and parroting blame of NATO for provoking the conflict. The country also hosted Russian and Chinese naval forces for an exercise that occurred on the anniversary of the invasion. 

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has also expressed support for Iran, long known as a sponsor of Hamas – as well as almost two dozen Islamic extremist groups – calling Iran a ‘true and reliable friend.’ Iran has also looked to join BRICS as one of the countries that helped almost double the group’s membership in the first of several planned expansions. 

The South African Foreign Ministry did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

House Republican leadership is blasting President Biden after he suggested the U.S. could curb its support for Israel if it did not do more to protect civilians in Gaza.

‘There’s only one group of people who stand to benefit from conditions to Israel aid, and that is Hamas. Once again, Joe Biden is empowering barbaric terrorists by undermining our strongest ally in the Middle East,’ House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital on Friday.

Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone on Thursday as the president faced growing pressure from the left to do more for civilians in Gaza. The White House said Biden ‘made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers’ and that ‘U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps.’

House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital when asked about the possibility of President Biden curbing military aid to Israel, ‘It is completely unacceptable for Joe Biden to demand that our most precious ally Israel surrender to Hamas terrorists.’

‘Israel has every right to defend itself. House Republicans will continue to fight so that they have the resources needed to complete their mission,’ Stefanik said.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for clarification on Biden’s comments and a response to the House GOP leaders’ criticism. 

Progressives have for months pushed Biden to curb military aid to Israel, accusing the Middle Eastern country of running afoul of U.S. policies on humanitarian support with its campaign in Gaza. More Democrats joined that wave in the wake of an Israeli military airstrike that killed seven humanitarian aid workers in central Gaza this week. 

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said on the Democrat-friendly program ‘Pod Save America,’ ‘From a moral perspective and from a political perspective, I hope very much that what he’s saying today really does indicate a change in policy.’

But Republicans and some moderate Democrats have argued that the U.S. weakening its support for Israel is a victory for Hamas. GOP lawmakers blasted Biden after the White House said he urged Netanyahu to call ‘an immediate cease-fire…to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians.’

‘The president’s ultimatums should be going to Hamas, not Israel,’ Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., wrote on X on Thursday. ‘Hamas resisted a ceasefire, brought about needless bloodshed, and refuses to release Israeli and American hostages. Biden should not undercut our ally amidst an existential threat by conditioning our support.’

Republicans in the Senate similarly hit back at Biden on social media.

‘Today, Hamas launched another salvo of rockets toward civilians in Israel while President Biden declared he wants to change policy toward Israel. We all want the peace and protection of civilians, but you cannot pacify terrorists,’ Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said on X.

Sen. John Barrasso, R–Wyo., said President Biden ‘needs to support Israel’s fight to protect its people and defeat terrorists.’

‘He will fall on the wrong side of history if he turns his back on our ally,’ he said.

Israel has been at war with Hamas in Gaza since shortly after Oct. 7, when militants from the terrorist group invaded southern Israel and killed more than 1,200 people — mainly civilians.

The Palestinian death toll since Oct. 7 is over 30,000, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between fighters and civilians.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) temporarily suspended its controversial rule requiring private companies to disclose carbon emissions data after it was met with a slew of lawsuits. 

The rule, which was finalized in March, was immediately met with litigation by a cohort of 25 GOP attorneys general, along with energy companies Liberty Energy and Nomad Proppant Services, and business groups including the Chamber of Commerce, Texas Alliance of Energy Producers and Domestic Energy Producers Alliance.

Last month, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals granted a brief administrative stay of the rule while the various lawsuits were consolidated. The groups asked the 8th Circuit to force the SEC to block its rule. On Friday, the SEC voluntarily agreed to temporarily suspend its rule while the litigation continues on the merits. 

‘The mandate is part of Biden’s radical green scheme to influence investments based on climate change theories instead of returns,’ Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said Friday, adding that ‘it would’ve cost Missouri businesses millions of dollars per year.’ 

‘It would’ve required businesses to disclose climate-related risks, including higher insurance rates from weather disasters, and release a plan to adapt to climate agenda recommendations,’ Bailey said.

‘Our message to Joe Biden: you cannot implement this insane climate mandate without an act of Congress. Constitution 101: Separation of powers,’ Bailey stated on X.

In a letter to the 8th Circuit, the SEC said that the stay order ‘reaffirms the Commission’s ‘view that the Final Rules are consistent with applicable law and within the Commission’s long-standing authority,’’

‘As the Commission explains, particularly given the procedural complexities of this litigation, a stay will facilitate this Court’s orderly resolution of petitioners’ challenges and will avoid potential regulatory uncertainty ‘if registrants were to become subject to the Final Rules’ requirements during the pendency of the challenges to their validity,’’ the letter sent Friday states. 

Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird reacted to the SEC’s announcement Friday, calling the rule ‘Biden’s most outrageous climate mandate for businesses yet,’ and called the SEC’s stay of the rule a ‘huge win.’ 

Under the leadership of Chairman Gary Gensler, whom President Biden appointed to the role, the SEC approved the climate disclosure rules on March 6 in a 3-2 vote after nearly two years of heated deliberations.

The SEC has said that the rules reflect ‘investors’ demand for more consistent, comparable, and reliable information about the financial effects of climate-related risks.’ 

And Gensler said they will further guarantee companies ‘produce more useful information than what investors see today.’

Fox News Digital’s Thomas Cattennacci contributed to this report. 

The Central Intelligence Agency is denying whistleblower claims that it ‘stonewalled’ an IRS interview with Hunter Biden’s ‘sugar brother’ Kevin Morris, saying the agency ‘did not prevent or seek to prevent IRS or DOJ from conducting any such interview.’ 

A whistleblower approached House Republicans last month claiming that the CIA blocked an interview with Morris conducted by the IRS as part of the federal investigation into Hunter Biden. 

According to the whistleblower, in August 2021, when IRS investigators on the Hunter Biden federal investigation were preparing to interview Morris, the CIA ‘intervened to stop the interview.’ 

The whistleblower alleged that the CIA summoned two Justice Department officials to the CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia, for a briefing regarding Morris. 

The whistleblower claimed that Morris ‘could not be a witness in the investigation.’ 

The allegations were laid out in a letter sent to CIA Director Bill Burns last month by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky.

But the CIA this week said the allegation is ‘false.’ 

‘Without confirming or denying the existence of any associations or communications, CIA did not prevent or seek to prevent IRS or DOJ from conducting any such interview,’ James Catella, the CIA’s director of the Office of Congressional Affairs, wrote in a letter to Jordan and Comer. ‘The allegation is false.’ 

The CIA said that, as a general matter, and ‘without specific reference to the issue about which you have inquired, CIA facilitates the Department of Justice’s access to national security information in the context of investigations and prosecutions in a variety of circumstances.’ 

‘For example, CIA engages with DOJ to enable prosecutors to understand national security information that may arise in the course of an investigation and to assess their discovery obligations,’ Catella wrote. 

‘CIA cooperates with law enforcement partners and does not obstruct U.S. law enforcement investigations or prosecutions,’ he continued. ‘To the extent your letter seeks information about any ongoing federal law enforcement investigation or prosecution, the Department of Justice is the responsible agency.’ 

But a spokesperson for the House Judiciary Committee pushed back against the CIA’s denial. 

‘The allegation is not false,’ Russell Dye, the spokesperson for the House Judiciary Committee, told Fox News Digital. 

The House Judiciary Committee also told Fox News Digital that they will continue to investigate the allegations brought forth by the whistleblower, and said that the committee stands ‘completely behind the whistleblower, who will prove it all to be true and the CIA to be wrong.’ 

Morris loaned Hunter Biden approximately $6.5 million — over $1 million more than originally estimated and discussed — his attorney revealed in a letter earlier this year. 

Morris, who was subpoenaed to testify as part of the impeachment inquiry, testified that he loaned Hunter Biden at least $5 million and began paying his tax liability. Morris and his attorney were estimating during the interview, a source told Fox News, and promised to follow-up with exact figures loaned to the first son. The attorney followed up to note Morris had given an additional $1.6 million to Hunter Biden. 

Morris, on Oct. 13, 2021, gave Hunter Biden a loan for approximately $1.4 million. According to the letter, Hunter Biden was to repay the loan, with $500,000 paid by Oct. 1, 2026 and the remaining $417,634 by Oct. 1, 2027, plus interest.

A few days later, Morris loaned Hunter Biden $2.6 million, with directions to repay the loan by Oct. 1, 2029. That loan, according to Morris’ lawyer, ‘was used to pay, among other debts, Mr. Biden’s tax debt to the IRS.’

On Oct. 17, 2022, Morris loaned Hunter Biden $640,355 to be repaid by Oct. 15, 2027. In December 2022, Morris loaned Hunter $685,813.99, to be repaid by Oct. 15, 2027.

A year later, Dec. 29, 2023, Morris loaned Hunter approximately $1.2 million to be repaid by Oct. 15, 2028, with all interest paid by October 2029.

Special Counsel David Weiss charged Hunter Biden with nine federal tax charges, which break down to three felonies and six misdemeanors for $1.4 million in owed taxes that have since been paid. 

Weiss charged Hunter in December, alleging a ‘four-year scheme’ in which the president’s son did not pay his federal income taxes from January 2017 to October 2020 while also filing false tax reports.

Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Weiss also indicted the first son on federal gun charges in Delaware last year. Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to those charges as well. His attorneys are attempting to have that case dismissed.

The White House said it remains committed to ensuring a Hamas surrender and has engaged in conversations with intermediary countries, including Qatar and Egypt, to achieve that end.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said it delivered that message ‘forcefully’ to counterparts in Qatar and Egypt, which have acted as mediators in the ongoing Middle East conflict. U.S. officials’ continued push for a surrender underscores the delicate balance the White House is seeking to achieve as it works to end hostilities.

‘We’ve been clear publicly, as well as privately, that this conflict could end today if Hamas would just lay down their arms and that if Hamas cared about the lives of the Palestinian people, they would do that,’ the National Security Council spokesperson said.

White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said President Biden wants Hamas to surrender and pointed to examples of the president and other officials saying so in the past. Biden remarked during his State of the Union address last month that the conflict would end if Hamas stood down, released its hostages and handed over those responsible for the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel.

Yet, the White House asserts that it is actively working to achieve a Hamas surrender even as Biden intensifies pressure on the Israeli government. In a phone call Thursday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden called for an immediate cease-fire, saying it is ‘essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians.’ 

According to a readout of the call released by the White House, Biden further stated that U.S. policy would hinge on Israel’s response to humanitarian concerns in Gaza. 

Earlier this week, seven World Central Kitchen aid workers were killed by Israeli airstrikes, adding to growing concerns about the humanitarian situation on the ground in Gaza. Israel’s bombardment of Gaza targeting Hamas is now in its fifth month – part of its response to terrorist attacks committed by the militant group on Oct. 7, 2023 – which resulted in more than 1,200 civilian deaths and has been called ‘Israel’s 9/11.’ 

‘It’s a signal that the U.S. government is losing patience with the approach that the Israeli government has taken in Gaza, and that there may be some appetite in the Biden administration to put tighter controls on how its military and other resources are being used by the Israeli government,’ Ian Hurd, the director of Northwestern University’s Weinberg College Center for International and Area Studies, told Fox News Digital.

‘I think there’s a longer-term shift going on with global support, and the Netanyahu government may be miscalculating the strength of its military backers.’

Hurd added that focus should be placed on Israel’s actions in Gaza, rather than Hamas’ actions or response to U.S. pressure.

Jonathan Schanzer, senior vice president for research at the nonpartisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Biden’s actions and decision to reprimand Netanyahu will embolden Hamas, characterizing the White House as an ‘inadvertent ally of Hamas.’ He also argued Biden hasn’t called for a Hamas surrender forcefully enough.

‘Why would Hamas make a deal for hostages right now, when it’s the U.S. that is putting significant pressure on the Israelis, and they’re holding the Israelis back from finishing off Hamas? Why would they want to make any concessions?’ Schanzer said. ‘They’re holding all the cards right now, and some of the cards have just been handed to them by the administration.’

‘There’s a weird equivalence thing going on here, where the administration is beating up on its allies and ignoring the crimes of its adversaries and enemies,’ he continued. ‘And one does get a sense here that politics is a major factor.’

Fox News Digital’s Michael Lee contributed to this report.

Big-money donors are beginning to coalesce around former President Donald Trump after he has become the presumptive GOP nominee as he attempts to close the cash-on-hand gap with President Biden, who recently set a high-dollar fundraising record.

This weekend in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump will take part in what is being billed as an ‘Inaugural Leadership Dinner’ that includes several Republican high-profile donors and signals the beginning of a major push to cut into Biden’s cash-on-hand lead.  

The event will be led by hedge-fund billionaire John Paulson and will be co-chaired by hedge fund tycoon Robert Mercer and his daughter Rebekah, oil tycoon Harold Hamm, hotelier Robert Bigelow and casino mogul Steve Wynn.

Bigelow and Hamm had previously funneled money to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in his ill-fated presidential run against Trump in the primary. Hamm previously donated to former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign as well. 

Scott Bessent, founder of the investment firm Key Square Group and former chief investment officer at George Soros’s Soros Fund Management, will also be co-hosting the event. Bessent has been rumored to be a potential cabinet nominee in a second Trump administration.  

The event will also be attended by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Strategas Jason Trennert, one of Wall Street’s top thought leaders.

Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts and New York Jets co-owner Woody Johnson are also expected to be involved along with Wilbur Ross, Trump’s former secretary of commerce. 

The event tops out at the ‘Chairman Level,’ which costs $824,600 and includes seating at the former president’s table. 

‘Now that President Trump won the primaries, defeating all 10 contenders by a landslide, I think it’s time for Republicans to unite behind him,’ Paulsen recently told Bloomberg. ‘For that reason, I’m hosting this inaugural event to galvanize the broad support there is for the president.’

The event comes after President Biden raised at least $26 million in a star-studded event with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Many expect Trump’s fundraising haul to eclipse that record-setting figure and possibly raise around $43 million.

On April 10, Trump will hold a fundraising luncheon in the swing state of Georgia with former Georgia Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler. Top GOP donors are expected to attend, including Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, poultry industry executive Tommy Bagwell, beverage sector executive Don Leebern III and Buckhead advocate Bill White.

On that same day, Trump will be holding a fundraiser in Orlando, Florida, with attorney Dan Newlin.

‘President Donald J. Trump has again created a fundraising juggernaut among Republicans. While he has been the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party for less than a month, the RNC and Trump campaign are one unified operation and focused on victory,’ Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement this week.

We’re raising funds and making strategic investments to get out the vote and protect the ballot. We are going to win BIG in just 31 weeks,’ Whatley predicted.

Fox News Digital confirmed Trump and the RNC brought in $65.6 million in March and ended the month with $93.1 million in cash on hand. The figures include money raised by a number of fundraising committees.

The Biden campaign reported raising $53 million in February, ending the month with $155 million on hand. 

While Trump trails with cash on hand, The New York Times reported in February that Trump leads Biden when it comes to small-dollar donors who gave less than $200.

Former First Lady Melania Trump is finally getting back on the campaign trail, according to reports.

Melania, wife of former President Donald Trump, will reportedly be attending a fundraiser for the Log Cabin Republicans later this month, multiple publications have reported.

The group is the most prominent pro-LGBT Republican advocacy group in the country. It would be Melania’s first public fundraising event in months. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Log Cabin Republicans and representatives for the Trump campaign for confirmation but did not receive a response.

The Log Cabin Republicans’ event will roll out the group’s ‘Road to Victory’ — a voter-targeting program planned for swing states. 

Melania made her first public appearance of the 2024 election cycle last month when she briefly joined her husband to cast votes in Florida.

The pair were photographed outside the Morton and Barbara Mandel Recreation Center in Palm Beach before casting their votes in the sunshine state’s Republican primary election.

Reporters pressed Melania for information on her role in her husband’s 2024 campaign, to which she responded, ‘Stay tuned.’

Trump has previously expressed hesitancy to involve his family in his re-election campaign, citing the mental and emotional toll his first campaign and presidency brought.

‘It’s funny, she was a very successful model, very, very successful, and yet she was a private person. She’s going to be out a lot. Not because she likes doing it, but she likes the results,’ he said during the interview. ‘She wants to see this country really succeed. She loves the country.’

Melania Trump has been largely absent from public life since the passing of her mother, Amalija Knavs, in January of this year.