Fox News RSS Feed

The future of the West and President Donald Trump’s reputation within it through the centuries will depend on the outcome of the ongoing battle with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

America is decisively winning that battle, but it has not yet won it. In fact, the U.S. could lose the battle. If President Trump perseveres, that will not happen. If he abandons the battle, it could very well be the worst foreign policy debacle for the U.S. since the end of the Vietnam War, rivaling even that of the catastrophe of President Biden’s command to American forces to quickly depart Afghanistan in 2021.

Because of those two competing futures, it is highly likely that President Trump will persevere. And he should.

IRAN IS NOT A NORMAL NATION YOU CAN MAKE DEALS WITH; IT’S A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT

Iran is run by religious fanatics. That is the overarching reality about the defining threat Iran poses to the region and indeed the world. The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps ("IRGC") that the repressive regime cannot be "deterred" in the way other evil tyrannies can be deterred.

Xi Jinping can be deterred. Vladimir Putin can be deterred. Both have no evident desire to die, or for history to end.

Iran cannot be deterred from its mission to destroy Israel and the United States, because destruction and even defeat in this battle is not what ultimately matters the most to the theocrats atop the Islamic Republic. "Martyrdom" is itself the best result for any individual caught up in Khomeinism. "Regime survival" is a secondary goal to its leadership’s personal worldview, an extreme version of a minority branch of Islam often called "Twelver" theology.

IRAN TO EXECUTE FIRST FEMALE PROTESTER TIED TO ANTI-REGIME UNREST

The defining belief of Twelver Shi’ism is that the Twelfth Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, did not die, entered occultation (a state of concealment) in the 9th century, remains alive by God’s will and will return at the end of time as the Mahdi to establish justice and peace. A group within "Twelver" believers assert that turmoil may help usher in the Mahdi’s return.

When Iran’s first tyrant, Ayatollah Khomeini, drank the infamous "poisoned chalice" and accepted a 1988 ceasefire with Iraq in the brutal 1980-1988 war, that "Supreme Leader" did not remotely fear a popular uprising by his own people. Khomeini believed that he had time on his side for the instrument of worldwide salvation that he believed the Islamic Republic to be.

Today’s dictator, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp Commander-in-Chief Ahmed Vahidi, knows the regime is already on borrowed time. Shattered and facing a ruined economy experiencing hyperinflation that will only grow worse, the economy cannot support the 90+ million who depend on it. That means inevitable rebellion by the people followed by revolution against the IRGC.

Vahidi’s predecessor in the role of top tyrant, the now dead Ayatollah Khamenei, took the "Tiananmen Square" option when hundreds of thousands if not millions of protesters took to the Iranian streets in January of this year. Like Chinese dictator Deng Xiaoping in 1989, Khamenei ordered the murder of as many citizens as it took in January to suppress the sort of uprising that threatened the regime.

That wicked choice worked — once — in China in 1989. It worked again in January in Iran. Popular uprisings in both countries were brutally repressed.

But as countless dictators have found out, from Assad in Syria and Gaddafi in Libya to Ceausescu in Romania and Jaruzelski in Poland and Honecker in East Germany among dozens of other toppled tyrants, a regime that survives because of tens of thousands of secret police and their auxiliaries cannot stand against a people of millions much less tens of millions absent the sort of surveillance state China has built and brutally enforced.

Iran does not have that surveillance state. Vahidi knows his already badly weakened regime cannot survive years into the future. That fact means the religious mission — the prime directive of "Twelver theology" — cannot again be made subservient to "regime survival" as it was in 1988. If the regime isn’t going to survive and its leaders know that, they must act with increasing violence to serve the mission of destroying the "Little Satan" of Israel and preparing the way for the Hidden Imam.

So Vahidi and his minions will never ever agree to anything other than ruses that allow them to seek the WMD with which to destroy Israel and perhaps trigger the return of the "occulted Hidden Imam." Study what Pickaxe Mountain is and what end it must serve. It’s the last best chance for Iran to "break out" and obtain a nuclear weapon. Our heaviest and most destructive ordinance, the "bunker busters" President Trump used to obliterate Iran’s second most deeply-buried nuclear weapons facility at Fordow, may not work against Pickaxe. Bombing around the site may set back construction, but it cannot destroy the caverns and everything the Islamic Republic is building within it.

That’s the set of facts that sits before President Trump: A regime run by religious fanatics, one rich in oil revenues if allowed to resume the export of oil, and one executing its back-up plan to build nukes in a cavern so deep it cannot be destroyed by conventional weaponry.

Both the First Gulf War and the second war with Iraq were "perfectly executed half maneuvers," the sort of strategic hesitation in the middle of a grand plan that leads to military defeat. So too, it is often argued, was the invasion of Afghanistan.

Of many famous maxims about war from this millennium, perhaps the most famous is the one attributed to Napoleon that is featured in the subtitle: "If you start to take Vienna, take Vienna."

That maxim has never been verified as having been said by France’s military genius but is often cited because in that sentence is contained worlds of strategic thinking refined into 8 words. The sharp point is to pursue a military campaign in pursuit of a grand strategic goal to its successful conclusion. Tactical victories or defeats do not matter. Once begun, pursue the battle to its successful conclusion. Half measures or abandoned plans are lethal to a nation’s victory and survival.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

Many in legacy media are quick to note that President Donald Trump is loathe to be labeled in any way as "like" President Barack Obama. (There is no danger of comparison of the always energetic, always "on" President Trump with the infirm President Joe Biden.)

Now President Trump is assailed by almost every Democrat and some Republicans — including, no doubt, some in the West Wing — for initiating this battle with Iran. The critics argue that President Obama would never have taken the action President Trump has. The president should ignore them and resolve to "take Vienna." Nothing else will secure the country, the region and the world.

"These people are crazy," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said about the religious fanatics running Iran. "They are scum," President Trump has added.

Whatever you think those tyrants are, some of them are deeply convicted believers in an "end times" theology that would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons to destroy Israel and possibly bring the Twelfth Imam out of his "occultation." Most of the West doesn’t want to deal with the implications of a theocracy bound up in medieval theology and run by fanatics in possession of WMD. President Trump is willing to do so and has acted on it. Now he must finish the job.

Hugh Hewitt is a Fox News contributor and host of "The Hugh Hewitt Show" heard weekday afternoons from 3 PM to 6 PM ET on the Salem Radio Network, and simulcast on Salem News Channel. Hugh drives Americans home on the East Coast and to lunch on the West Coast on over 400 affiliates nationwide, and on all the streaming platforms where SNC can be seen. He is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel’s news roundtable, hosted by Bret Baier weekdays at 6pm ET. A son of Ohio and a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Michigan Law School, Hewitt has been a Professor of Law at Chapman University’s Fowler School of Law since 1996 where he teaches Constitutional Law. Hewitt launched his eponymous radio show from Los Angeles in 1990. Hewitt has frequently appeared on every major national news television network, hosted television shows for PBS and MSNBC, written for every major American paper, has authored a dozen books and moderated a score of Republican candidate debates, most recently the November 2023 Republican presidential debate in Miami and four Republican presidential debates in the 2015-16 cycle. Hewitt focuses his radio show and his column on the Constitution, national security, American politics and the Cleveland Browns and Guardians. Hewitt has interviewed tens of thousands of guests from Democrats Hillary Clinton and John Kerry to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump over his 40 years in broadcasting. This column previews the lead story that will drive his radio/ TV show today.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM HUGH HEWITT

from Latest & Breaking News on Fox News https://ift.tt/lktoMAJ
via IFTTT

Fox News RSS Feed

An Arkansas police officer drowned after entering a river to save his fiancée just hours after proposing to her, according to her mother.

Fred Marsh, 24, of the Rogers Police Department, entered Missouri’s Elk River on Saturday to help another swimmer and did not resurface, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. His fiancée’s mother identified that swimmer as her daughter. Marsh was recovered and pronounced dead Sunday after asking his fiancée, Hailey, to marry him Saturday morning.

"They had been together for three beautiful years, and they had a very beautiful, loving relationship," Sheryl Padgett told KHBS. "Even though legally he was not my son-in-law, he will forever be my son."

The pair, who had been together for three years, were out canoeing with another couple on the river near Noel, Missouri, when Hailey entered the water and began struggling against the current while trying to return to the boat.

‘HERO' MOM DIES AFTER USING LAST STRENGTH TO SAVE 4-YEAR-OLD SON FROM FLORIDA RIVER

Marsh and a fellow Rogers police officer who was with them then jumped into the water to help her, Padgett said. They were able to move her to safety, but Marsh became distressed and exhausted, went underwater and never resurfaced, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

"He saw the love of his life in distress, and he was going to help his friend and do what a good human would do," Padgett said. "He gave his life helping someone else."

Padgett said Marsh was loving, hardworking and guided by his Christian faith, emphasizing that he never hesitated when someone needed help.

"There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for anyone," Padgett said. "You didn’t have to tell him. You didn’t have to beg him. He just was willing and would jump in there and do whatever it took to help someone."

Padgett said she had lost her only son in a fatal accident four years earlier. She began calling Marsh her son soon after he started dating her daughter.

"We instantly made a connection and a bond," she said. "I called him son, and he called me mama."

A motorcade escorted Marsh’s body through Northwest Arkansas on Monday as people lined up along the route to honor him. Padgett said the response from law enforcement and the community showed the impact Marsh had made on many others.

"They made it very clear that Fred was not just their family, but so was my daughter, my family and, even more importantly, Fred’s family," Padgett said.

Marsh was in his first year with the Rogers Police Department. He graduated from the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in April and only recently started working as an officer.

NYPD OFFICER SHOT, GUNMAN KILLED AFTER ARMED BARRICADED STANDOFF IN BROOKLYN: POLICE

A GoFundMe created for Hailey by her sister to cover her lease, bills and other unforeseen expenses has raised nearly $2,000 as of Thursday morning.

"Fred was an upstanding young man- Son, Fiancée, Officer, Brother, Friend, and more to all. We are devastated and will miss him dearly," the fundraiser reads.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Marsh’s family, and Padgett said the family expects officers, former classmates, childhood friends and others from across the state to attend.

"Let’s do something in Fred’s honor," Padgett said. "Be kind to your fellow man. When Fred loved, he loved with everything he had, and he loved well."

from Latest & Breaking News on Fox News https://ift.tt/I8TqJaY
via IFTTT

Fox News RSS Feed

President Donald Trump’s sway within the GOP was on display in Arizona’s primaries Tuesday night, as his endorsed candidates powered through key Republican contests while Democrats avoided a far-left upset in one of the state’s House races.

But Trump’s influence in Republican primaries was the top storyline of the night, with his endorsed candidates powering through key contests up and down the ballot.

Rep. Andy Biggs, a former House Freedom Caucus chair who landed Trump’s endorsement, easily captured the GOP nomination for governor, topping Rep. David Schweikert and the rest of the Republican field by over 50 points.

Meanwhile, former NFL kicker Jay Feely, who received Trump’s "complete and total endorsement" in the final stretch, also won the GOP primary in Arizona’s competitive 1st Congressional District. 

TRUMP-BACKED FIREBRAND WINS ARIZONA GOP GOVERNOR PRIMARY, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN

Former Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb, another Trump-backed candidate, won the GOP primary in Arizona’s 5th Congressional District, the deep-red seat Biggs is vacating to run for governor, and Trump-backed Juan Ciscomani advanced in Arizona's 6th Congressional District after running unopposed.

Biggs’ win sets up a high-stakes general election against Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs, who cruised to renomination after running unopposed in the Democratic primary. Hobbs, a former Arizona Secretary of State, narrowly defeated then-GOP nominee Kari Lake four years ago and now heads into a second-term fight against one of Trump’s most prominent allies in Congress.

The race in Arizona's 1st Congressional District, where former NFL kicker Jay Feely came out victorious in the GOP primary Tuesday night, is a rare open seat contest as Schweikert, who has held the seat but gave it up to run for governor, created an open-seat battle in the suburban Arizona district.

The Phoenix-area district includes northeastern Maricopa County and large parts of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Fountain Hills. Feely now moves into a general election fight, where he is expected to face former state Rep. Amish Shah, who was up by almost 9 points early Wednesday morning. The Associated Press hadn't called the race as of 3AM Wednesday.

EX-NFL STAR BACKED BY TRUMP WINS BATTLEGROUND STATE PRIMARY: 'TRUE AMERICA FIRST CONSERVATIVE'

Lamb’s win in Arizona’s 5th District gave Trump another victory in a reliably Republican seat and positioned the former Pinal County sheriff to replace Biggs in Congress. Lamb, who has campaigned on "God, family, freedom" and echoed Biggs’ hard-line border message, heads into the general election as the favorite in a district that heavily leans Republican, even after his campaign faced scrutiny earlier this year over allegations involving inappropriate messages to women outside his marriage.

While Trump-backed Republicans powered through their primaries, Democrats avoided a potentially damaging left-wing upset in Arizona’s 4th District, where Rep. Greg Stanton held off progressive challenger Kai Newkirk.

Newkirk challenged Stanton from the left, making the race a test of whether the left-wing energy that has shaken Democratic primaries elsewhere could break through in Arizona. Stanton’s win blunted that narrative, at least for one night, and spared Democrats from having to defend a more polarizing nominee in a battleground Sun Belt district.

The result gave establishment Democrats a needed win after a cycle in which progressive challengers have increasingly pressured incumbents over issues including Israel, ICE, health care and corporate influence.

from Latest & Breaking News on Fox News https://ift.tt/jbJ3eI4
via IFTTT

Fox News RSS Feed

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the United States remains willing to negotiate with Iran but warned there "will be consequences" if Tehran continues to violate its commitments.

Speaking at the ASEAN Summit in the Philippines, hours after U.S. forces completed their 11th consecutive night of strikes against Iranian military targets, Rubio said Washington remains open to diplomacy but questioned whether Iran is negotiating in good faith.

"The problem we're having right now is they're not serious about talks. If they're serious, we're serious," Rubio said. "If they're not, then we will do what is necessary to protect our interests and also the interests of our allies."

STEVE FORBES URGES TRUMP TO KEEP THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ OPEN AT ALL COSTS

Rubio said Iran has demanded the right to control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, arguing Tehran has no legal authority to do so and warning that allowing it would set a dangerous international precedent.

"If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation-state can decide that they are going to control an international waterway and, if you don't pay them, blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous precedent, which will repeat itself in other parts of the world, including in this region," Rubio said.

Rubio argued the "fundamental principle of freedom of navigation" is at stake.

US CLAWS BACK KEY CONCESSION TO IRAN AFTER FRESH ATTACKS ON COMMERCIAL SHIPS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ

"If that is threatened, then I think the global economy is threatened, and the rules which have underpinned 150 years of international trade and commerce are also threatened, and that cannot be allowed to happen," he said.

Rubio's comments came after the U.S. and Iran passed the halfway point of the 60-day negotiating window established under a June 17 memorandum of understanding covering Iran's nuclear and missile programs, sanctions and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite the agreement, the two countries have appeared closer to a broader conflict than a diplomatic breakthrough, with Iran repeatedly attacking commercial vessels in the strait while U.S. forces continue striking Iranian military targets across the region.

TRUMP'S 60-DAY IRAN DEAL REACHES HALFWAY MARK AS CEASEFIRE COLLAPSES INTO ESCALATING WAR

While President Donald Trump has declared the ceasefire "over," he said Tuesday that Iran wants to "desperately meet."

Rubio echoed the president's remarks, saying Washington remains prepared to negotiate while making clear military force remains an option.

"The United States remains open and willing to engage in positive negotiations and talks so long as the commitments that are made are kept," he said. "When those commitments are not kept, which is what’s happened in this particular case, then there will be consequences. And that has to happen."

Rubio said maintaining the threat of military action is necessary to prevent Iran from disrupting one of the world's most important shipping lanes.

"If these consequences didn't exist, then today we would be living in a world where a significant percentage of the energy supply in this region and 20% of the world's energy supply is being held hostage by a rogue regime," Rubio said.

Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

from Latest & Breaking News on Fox News https://ift.tt/pPIMzTb
via IFTTT

Fox News RSS Feed

Two Democratic candidates remained locked in a battle as of early Wednesday morning to claim their party’s nomination in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District for a chance to face former NFL kicker Jay Feely.

Former television news anchor Marlene Galán-Woods and former state Rep. Amish Shah, the two frontrunners, fell shy of capturing enough of the vote to win the nomination outright by early Wednesday morning.

The winner of the primary will go on to have a rare opportunity to flip a seat in the Canyon State and, more broadly, potentially decide the balance of power in Washington, D.C. Feely, who received President Donald Trump’s "complete and total endorsement" in the final stretch of the race, won his GOP primary late Tuesday night.

TRUMP-BACKED FIREBRAND WINS ARIZONA GOP GOVERNOR PRIMARY, SETTING UP HIGH-STAKES SHOWDOWN

The seat could very well decide whether Republicans hold on to a slim majority in the House of Representatives or whether Democrats break a Republican governing trifecta come the November midterms.

Although the district has favored Republicans since 2020, incumbent Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., has only narrowly hung on to the seat in the past two cycles, beating out Shah in a 51.9% to 48.1% victory in 2024.

Schweikert announced that he would not pursue reelection last year, announcing that he would instead pursue a gubernatorial bid. Trump-backed Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., won his primary and was ahead of Schweikert by over 50 points early Wednesday.

VULNERABLE REPUBLICAN WINS GOP PRIMARY IN ARIZONA TOSS-UP DISTRICT DEMS AIM TO FLIP BLUE

"I’ve grown to believe Washington is unsavable. I do believe Arizona is savable," Schweikert told Axios.

This isn’t the first time Amish Shah and Marlene Galán-Woods have competed against each other for their party’s nomination, having clashed in the Democratic 2024 primary for the district.

At that time, Shah narrowly defeated Galán-Woods before advancing to the 2024 general election, where he lost to Republican Rep. David Schweikert, who has represented the Phoenix-area seat since 2013 despite Democrats investing heavily to flip the district blue.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS' CAMPAIGN ARM DRAWS PROGRESSIVE FURY FOR TRYING TO 'TIP THE SCALES' IN KEY HOUSE PRIMARY

He is seeking a second consecutive nomination after arguing he remains the strongest candidate to challenge Feely in the general election. Galán-Woods, meanwhile, is expected to emphasize her background as a longtime Arizona television journalist and her ability to appeal to independent and suburban voters.

Galán-Woods is making another bid for the nomination with support from several national Democratic organizations, which view Arizona's 1st District as one of the party's best pickup opportunities in 2026.

The winner will go on to the general election on Nov. 3.

from Latest & Breaking News on Fox News https://ift.tt/DXohtVI
via IFTTT

Fox News RSS Feed

President Donald Trump has a good story to tell on the economy; he should be telling it, because it’s a sure bet the liberal media will not.

Consider the big picture: unemployment is low, real wages are rising, the stock market is high, investment is booming and inflation, though above the Federal Reserve’s target, came down last month, and will recede again once oil prices stabilize. (Inflation, most recently at 3.5%, and at 2.6% excluding volatile food and energy, is also significantly below the 4.95% recorded on average under President Joe Biden.)

More good news: the conservative Committee to Unleash Prosperity reports that during the first 16 months of Trump’s current term, real incomes for the lowest 25% of earners increased almost $2,100, while they actually shrank under Biden.

BESSENT CREDITS TRUMP IMMIGRATION POLICIES WITH HELPING RETURN JOBS TO AMERICANS AS WAGE GAINS RESUME

Additionally, the Bank of America Institute writes that "total credit and debit card spending rising 6.3% year-over-year (YoY) in June - the strongest growth in over four years." Importantly, the Institute further reports that "gaps in wage and spending growth across income groups narrowed."

Wait! Income inequality is actually shrinking under Trump? Yes – but you sure won’t hear that from Bloomberg or CNBC – they’re too busy convincing voters that Republicans are hell-bent on pumping up the wealthy at the expense of, well, everybody else.

Sure, we have challenges, as always, and especially with the cost of living being too high and housing too expensive for many Americans. But, overall, the economy is in pretty good shape.

FOX NEWS POLL: MOST RATE THE ECONOMY NEGATIVELY, INCLUDING HALF OF REPUBLICANS

That’s not what most people think. A new survey from CNBC shows "61% of the public is pessimistic about the current state of the economy and about the outlook for the future." A Washington Post-Ipsos poll puts the president’s approval rating on the economy at a dismal 33%.

Why the disconnect? I blame the incessant negativity of the Trump-hating media and also the inability of many Republicans to articulate the benefits of lower taxes and lighter regulations, the president’s signature agenda. If your own team can’t sell your successes, you’re in trouble.

For instance, GOP candidates should be talking up the Trump accounts. Over 6 million children have already signed up for these deferred investment accounts, of which 1.4 million qualify for a $1,000 contribution from the Treasury.

Dell CEO Michael Dell who, with his wife Susan, donated $6.25 billion to the program, said, "What the research shows us, pretty clearly, is that when a kid has even a small account in their name, they start to see themselves differently, and that shows up in graduation rates, in homeownership, in the businesses they start. That’s not just a financial outcome — it’s a mindset shift."

What could possibly be more transformational than giving millions of American children the opportunity to invest for the future and introducing them to the magic of compound interest? This is the best of Trump: inventive, inclusive and pragmatic.

The president signed an executive order in April also creating a new low-cost "TrumpIRA," which Trump described as offering every American worker "the same type of retirement accounts that federal employees enjoy." According to one analysis, some 40% of full-time workers and the vast majority of part-time workers lack access to retirement savings through their employers. As of next year, when the program begins, that should change.

This is a game changer; the more people who have skin in the American economy, the better for our country.

The midterm elections are just over three months away. They will decide whether the Trump agenda can move forward or be buried under a blitzkrieg of vindictive investigations and impeachment hearings. Nothing in these remaining weeks will matter more than the state of the economy and how voters regard their own financial circumstances.

The House and the Senate are both in session this week, and not due to reconvene until mid-September. This is the moment to not only talk up recent economic successes, but also to deliver a splashy final policy assault, to convince voters that the GOP has more to offer.

Instead, Republicans appear on the cusp of passing a meager $95 billion reconciliation bill that mostly funds defense needs and helps farmers. So narrow is that legislation that some GOP House members are talking about a possible fourth reconciliation bill, to include other unaddressed priorities.

Why are Republicans playing defense? Why aren’t they taking what may be their last chance to create a bill that offers much-needed relief on housing, for instance? Many have proposed indexing the capital gains tax on home sales to inflation, to loosen up supply. Many older people, especially, cannot afford to sell their long-held homes because of the taxes they would owe. Why not fix that?

Why, in short, are Republicans in a defensive crouch?

Democrats, in charge of the most expensive cities and states in the U.S., are laughably telling voters they are the party concerned with "affordability." They also have, despite four years under Biden when inflation soared to 40-year highs, convinced voters that Republicans cannot be trusted to produce an economy that makes their lives easier.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

Democrats argue that the GOP’s tax cuts have benefited only the wealthy. That is not true. The Big Beautiful Bill’s features like an expanded child tax credit and standard deduction, "No Tax on Tips" and "No Tax on Overtime" benefited millions of working-class Americans. Families making between $15,000 and $30,000 saw tax cuts of 21%, the most of any income group, while the share of revenues coming from the top 10% actually rose.

That is a solid win for working people in the U.S. Republicans need to hit the campaign trail armed with those facts, and also with proposals that build on those gains.

To paraphrase James Carville, it is always – always – the economy, stupid.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM LIZ PEEK

from Latest & Breaking News on Fox News https://ift.tt/HRyLNsn
via IFTTT

Fox News RSS Feed

The Justice Department is reviewing whether Harvard University accepted foreign donations that improperly favored students from China and other countries over American students.

The department said Monday that Harvard’s foreign-funding disclosures raised concerns that some donors imposed nationality-based restrictions on financial aid. Officials are examining whether those arrangements violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which bars federally funded institutions from discriminating based on national origin.

"Every American student should have an equal opportunity to compete for college scholarships, grants, and other kinds of financial aid and benefits," Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said in a statement.

"Schools cannot take federal dollars and then turn around and accept money from foreign sources to give financial aid that deliberately excludes American citizens — doing so is illegal, and we will stop it wherever we find it," she continued.

KEY TRUMP AGENCY PUTS TOP UNIVERSITIES IN CROSSHAIRS OVER ALLEGED RACE-BASED DORM PROGRAMS

The DOJ said some China-based donors directed Harvard to use their money for aid programs benefiting students from particular countries. The department alleged that complying with those restrictions could disadvantage students of other nationalities, including Americans.

Officials stressed that the review remains ongoing and that the department has not reached any conclusions. The DOJ also did not identify the specific scholarships or donors under examination.

Harvard denied that its financial aid policies violate federal civil rights law.

"Harvard follows the law for required reporting of donations and, consistent with our legal obligations under Title VI, does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin in allocating financial aid," the university said in a statement.

DOJ SUES UCLA OVER ALLEGED ‘JUDENREIN’ CONDITIONS DURING ANTI-ISRAEL ENCAMPMENT

Federal law requires colleges and universities to report foreign gifts and contracts worth at least $250,000. The DOJ said a Civil Rights Division audit of those disclosures found that Harvard had reported nearly $4.5 billion in foreign funding — more than any other American university — including over $630 million from China, its largest foreign source.

The university provides need-based institutional aid to international students, while federal grants and other government assistance are generally limited to eligible US students. Harvard also uses private scholarship and employment funds to support students from outside the country.

Some private gifts have been designated for students from specific nations. In 2014, SOHO China co-founders Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin donated $15 million to support Chinese students at Harvard. The DOJ has not said whether that gift is part of its review.

The inquiry adds another front to the Trump administration’s broader conflict with Harvard. Federal officials have also scrutinized the university over alleged antisemitism, admissions practices and its treatment of foreign students.

A federal judge previously blocked the administration from cutting billions of dollars in research funding from Harvard as related litigation continues.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

from Latest & Breaking News on Fox News https://ift.tt/gNQ1nFJ
via IFTTT