(WASHINGTON) -- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday that the annual flu vaccine will now be optional for all U.S. military personnel, both active and reserve.  

Previously, the flu vaccine had been mandatory. The new policy is in line with a previous change of making the COVID-19 vaccine optional.

Hegseth announced the change in a video posted on social media.

"The notion that a flu vaccine must be mandatory for every service member, everywhere, in every circumstance, at all times, is just overly broad and not rational," Hegseth said.

"Our new policy is simple: If you, an American warrior entrusted to defend this nation, believe that the flu vaccine is in your best interest, then you are free to take it; you should. But we will not force you," Hegseth added.

Referring to the COVID-19 vaccine that led to the dismissal of 8,000 service members who refused to take it, Hegseth said, "Our men and women in uniform were forced to choose between their conscience and their country, even when those decisions posed no threat to our military readiness."

"That era of betrayal is over," Hegseth continued.

The flu vaccine has been required for the military since 1945, at the end of World War II, partly tied to the threat of biological warfare use by rival nations and as well as the devastation that the flu pandemic of 1918 wreaked on U.S. troops, according to a 2022 analysis from Wright State University in Ohio and the U.S. Air Force.

It's estimated that between 20% and 40% of Army and Navy personnel fell ill, with more than 26,000 deaths among U.S. soldiers.

After researchers noticed the effectiveness of the vaccine fading, the mandate was withdrawn in 1949. This was later found to be caused by abrupt and major changes to the flu virus -- and the mandate was reinstated in the early 1950s after the changes became "clearer and combatable," according to the analysis.

Compliance among military health care personnel has exceeded 95% in past years, compared to less than 75% among civilian health care personnel.

Hegseth said soldiers can take the vaccine if they so choose, calling it an attempt to "restore freedom and strength to our joint force."

While the move is framed as expanding personal choice, health experts warn it could quietly erode military readiness. 

"As a military veteran and nurse practitioner, I believe Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's decision to end the annual flu-vaccine requirement for U.S. troops is a serious lapse in judgment," Dr. Richard Riccardi, a professor and executive director of the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at The George Washington University, said in a statement.

Riccardi, who served on active duty in the U.S. Army for 31 years, said not making the flu vaccine will lead to more illnesses and, as a result, more missed duty days and more hospitalizations.

"In the military, vaccination is not political theater. It is force protection. Troops live and work in close quarters, where influenza can spread quickly and sideline otherwise healthy service members, said Riccardi. "The CDC continues to recommend annual flu vaccination for everyone 6 months and older because it remains the best way to reduce the risk of flu and serious complications.

So far during the 2025-26 season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates there have been at least 31 million illnesses, 380,000 hospitalizations and 23,000 deaths from flu.

Of those deaths, 143 have been among children, 85% of whom were not fully vaccinated against influenza, according to the CDC.

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(WASHINGTON) -- The sprawling UFC Freedom 250 event being held on the South Lawn of the White House and the Ellipse event in June are receiving the highest level of security possible, a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told ABC News.

"The 'UFC Freedom 250' event held on the South Lawn of the White House and the Fan Festival on the Ellipse on June 13-14, 2026, are designated SEAR 1 events," a department spokesperson said to ABC News. 

Other SEAR 1 events include the Super Bowl, the Chicago Marathon and the Rose Bowl Game.

In years past, the federal coordinator for the SEAR 1 events was an agent from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) or the U.S. Secret Service. This year's  Super Bowl security posture in San Francisco was led by the lead HSI agent from the San Francisco Field Office.

The event is not a National Special Security Event, which is designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security and includes events like the Presidential Inauguration and the 250 Military Parade. 

UFC Freedom 250 -- a UFC fight taking place on the South Lawn was an idea that President Donald Trump has been deeply involved in helping plan. UFC President Dana White announced that in addition to the fight, there will be a fan fest on the ellipse and events through the National Mall, including a press conference at the Lincoln Memorial.

The threat landscape has also never been more dynamic, according to law enforcement sources.

A March alert sent to law enforcement partners around the country from DHS talked about the threat of lone actors. 

"Lone offenders in the Homeland have not historically been motivated by issues related to Iran, the IRGC, or Shia violent extremism; however, the existential threat to the Iranian regime and increased US or Israeli actions could prompt some US-based violent extremists or hate crime perpetrators to attack targets perceived to be Jewish, pro-Israel, or linked to the US government or military," the bulletin says. 

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(WASHINGTON) -- Florida Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress on Tuesday afternoon, just before she was to face a House Ethics Committee sanction hearing.

The committee was set to hold a rare public hearing to determine what sanction would be appropriate for it to recommend to the full House against Cherfilus-McCormick.

Last month, Cherfilus-McCormick was found guilty of 25 House ethics violations, including acceptance of improper campaign contributions and commingling of campaign and personal funds. The congresswoman was indicted in November 2025 by a federal grand jury on charges of stealing $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds, which she is accused of laundering to support her successful 2021 congressional campaign.

Cherfilus-McCormick has denied wrongdoing, excusing the allegations as an accounting error.

In her resignation announcement, the congresswoman called the process a "witch hunt."

"By going forward with this process while a criminal indictment is pending, the Committee prevented me from defending myself," she said. "I simply cannot stand by and allow my due process rights to be trampled on, and my good name to be tarnished."

Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest read out loud the congresswoman's resignation letter after the committee briefly convened and said the committee had lost jurisdiction over Cherfilus-McCormick with her resignation.

"I will tell you that the committee has worked diligently to investigate this matter, that this was not a rush to judgment, as some would claim, that this was a very deliberate process to gather information into allegations that were extremely serious and extremely complicated," Guest said.

Ranking Democrat Mark DeSaulnier told the committee, "Nobody's happy. I don't think any of us are happy at what we've gone through, but I am extremely proud of being associated with all of you."

She is the third member of the House to resign in a week, following Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas and Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who were accused of sexual misconduct and were about to face efforts by their colleagues to have them expelled.

Expelling a member of the House is a rare occurrence. A two-thirds majority is required to remove a member.

Only six House members in U.S. history have been expelled from the lower chamber. Former New York Republican Rep. George Santos was the most recent lawmaker expelled from the House in 2023.

The committee could have recommended a range of sanctions, including expulsion, censure, reprimand, fine -- and even denial or limitation of any right, according to House rules. The House may punish its members and may expel its members by a two-thirds vote, according to Article 1, Section 5 of the Constitution.

The sanction recommendation against Cherfilus-McCormick was expected to be announced in writing after the hearing. Afterward, the panel was to break into executive session to conclude its deliberations and reach a judgment.

Before Cherfilus-McCormick announced her resignation, Florida Republican Rep. Greg Steube said he would move to force a vote to try to expel the congresswoman following the sanction hearing. Steube was expected to make the expulsion resolution privileged, which required Speaker Mike Johnson to hold a vote on the matter within two legislative days.

The speaker signaled last week that expelling Cherfilus-McCormick over her alleged crimes would be "appropriate."

Though he initially insisted that Democrats would not help Republicans expel Cherfilus-McCormick, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Monday that Democrats would convene a caucus meeting to determine how they'll handle the the bipartisan Ethics panel's recommendations.

After her resignation, Steube called on the Department of Justice to put Cherfilus-McCormick in prison.

"This is a victory for our institution and the great state of Florida," Steube wrote on X. "Thank you to everyone who stayed involved and kept the pressure on. Now it's on the DOJ to put her in prison."

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(RICHMOND, Va.) -- Voters in Virginia head to the polls Tuesday to vote on a redistricting ballot measure referendum that could have major implications for the midterm elections.

The referendum will decide if the Democratic-controlled legislature should be allowed to redraw the state's congressional map. That would allow the legislature to implement a map that would reconfigure four congressional seats to favor Democrats, which could have major implications for control of the U.S. House after November’s midterm election.

Democrats have said they need the measure in Virginia to pass in order to continue to counter previous mid-decade redistricting that benefited Republicans in Texas and other states. But Republicans have called it a power grab in a state that is relatively split even politically, and say it sidelines a redistricting commission voters previously approved. 

Surrogates for both sides of the measure have been campaigning in full force ahead of election day, and President Donald Trump weighed in on Monday night in a rally held by telephone.

“This referendum is a blatant partisan power grab… if it passes, Virginia Democrats will eliminate four out of five congressional seats [held by Republicans in Virginia], so you're going to get just wiped out in terms of representation in Washington,” Trump said on Monday.

But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., a strong proponent of the measure, said earlier Monday that the redistricting was because of Trump, who encouraged Texas and other states to redistrict in 2025.

“We believe that it's the voters of Virginia and the people of this country who should decide which party is in the majority… not Donald Trump and his extreme MAGA sycophants in state legislative bodies across the country who were ordered by Donald Trump to gerrymander the national congressional map as part of the effort to rig the midterm elections,” he told reporters on Monday.

During mid-decade redistricting in 2025, nine seats were redrawn to benefit Republicans, while six seats were redrawn to benefit Democrats. If Democrats add four seats to their count, then Democrats might only net one new seat if all seats flip as expected in November. But Florida is also set to consider mid-decade redistricting, which is expected to help Republicans bolster their count.

In the Virginia election, the Democratic-supported side of the measure far outfundraised and outspent the main group supporting a “no” vote, according to campaign finance filings, although both sides raised and spent millions. As of April 10, Virginians for Fair Elections, the flagship organization campaigning in favor of redistricting, has raised over $64 million, while Virginians for Fair Maps Referendum Committee, the largest organization campaigning against redistricting, has raised under $20 million.

While Democrats framed many of their arguments in favor of the redraw as meant to counter Trump, the president himself did not campaign for the “no” side in person and did not engage much with the election until the day before Election Day. 

Former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, asked by ABC News outside of an anti-redistricting campaign event in Leesburg, Virginia, on Monday if he thinks Trump or national Republicans should have gotten more involved with the race, downplayed the need for that, saying that the opposition to redistricting could go across party lines.

“I think what we've seen is that, first of all, it's been a grassroots effort across the Commonwealth,” Youngkin told ABC News. “There are so many [vote] ‘no’ signs around the Commonwealth… and at the heart of it, that's Virginians standing up, not just Republicans.”

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(WASHINGTON) -- The bipartisan House Ethics Committee on Monday released a rare statement encouraging anyone who may have experienced sexual misconduct by a House member or staffer to contact them, the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights or the Office of Employee Advocacy.

"There should be zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, harassment, or discrimination in the halls of Congress, or in any employment setting," the committee said in a lengthy statement. 

"The greatest hurdle the Committee faces in evaluating allegations of sexual misconduct is in convincing the most vulnerable witnesses to share their stories," the statement read. "Accordingly, the Committee’s practice has been to release only the information that is necessary to hold Members accountable for misconduct and address public reporting that impacts the integrity of the House."

The statement comes after allegations of sexual misconduct led to the resignations of California Democrat Eric Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzales last week. 

Gonzales and Swalwell were about to face efforts by their colleagues to have them expelled from the House. The House Ethics Committee had announced investigations into both men, which ended when they resigned.

Gonzales dropped his reelection bid earlier this year after admitting to a relationship with a staffer who later died by suicide. Gonzales said he "made a mistake" and "had a lapse in judgement."

Swalwell suspended his campaign for governor of California amid the accusations against him, including allegations of sexual assault, which he's denied. Swalwell's attorney, Sara Azari, last week said the allegations are "false."

The committee said that since 2017, it has initiated investigations in 20 matters involving sexual misconduct by a lawmaker. 

"The Committee has also investigated several Members for their handling of allegations of sexual misconduct by their senior staff," the statement read. 

In its history, the committee has conducted 28 sexual misconduct investigations. Several members who were being investigated resigned and even some were cleared.

The panel noted that it does not handle sexual harassment lawsuits or have "any involvement in settlements of such claims." 

"The Committee has taken the position that conduct that falls short of legal definitions of sexual harassment or assault under federal or state statutes can still be a violation of the Code of Official Conduct, which imposes a higher standard on Members of the House," the statement read. "The Committee has also consistently publicly announced its investigations into publicly reported allegations of sexual misconduct and has announced any findings in those matters."

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(WASHINGTON) -- After announcing the Strait of Hormuz is "completely open" and saying a deal can soon be secured with Iran, a triumphant-sounding President Donald Trump told ABC News he believes he can trust the Iranians.

"I think they've had it," Trump said in a phone interview on Friday. "I think they've had enough. That can happen to anybody. Even people like you and I can say, 'I've had enough.'"

Trump said that the United States will be working with Iran to remove their enriched uranium, what he calls "nuclear dust," and that it will be brought to the United States.

The president said it will be done with the Iranians in a "very peaceful manner."

Trump also told ABC News the Iranians will be receiving no money for the exchange, saying that reports of a $20 billion payment are "fake news." 

Trump said this will all be resolved "very soon," and that the U.S. blockade on ships coming to and from Iran will not come down until the agreement is finalized.

When asked if he thinks he can trust the Iranians to fulfill their commitments here, Trump said yes.

On his negotiating team, Trump told ABC News, "Steve [Witkoff] and Jared [Kushner] will be going out, and maybe J.D. [Vance]. Haven't spoken to J.D. about that yet."

The president said talks would take place in "Islamabad only. I'm not interested in going to countries that didn't help." Trump said a second round of talks could happen as soon as this weekend, though no formal announcement has been made.

"They want to make a deal. They want to make some money, you know. ... They're not making any money as long as I have the blockade," Trump said.

Trump also said NATO called him, though he didn't say specifically who, and offered to help.

"NATO called me and said, 'Is there anything we can do?' And I said, 'Yeah, stay away,'" he said.

The president also spoke at length about Lebanon. On Thursday, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a 10-day ceasefire. The Israeli military action in Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militia group, had been an obstacle in talks between the U.S. and Iran.

Trump said that's a separate peace deal, and he reiterated what he has said on his social media platform: "I am going to prohibit him [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] from bombing Lebanon."

When asked how, Trump said he'll tell Netanyahu "he cannot do it."

Regarding Lebanon, Trump said that he is going to involve the president of Syria in the final deal, and that he's going dealing with Hezbollah.

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(WASHINGTON) -- Data collected by the State Department that has not previously been made public indicates that the number of people receiving treatment through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has remained steady despite dramatic cuts to foreign aid funding under the Trump administration, according to an internal department memo sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and seen exclusively by ABC News. 

The memo, which is marked sensitive but unclassified, says that even though overall spending on the initiative fell by roughly 30%, 20.6 million people living with HIV in more than 50 countries received anti-retroviral treatment through U.S. government programs during the 2025 fiscal year -- the same number government data shows were receiving the therapy in 2024. 

However, the memo did not provide information on the number of individuals who had received testing and counseling services through PEPFAR, which was 84.1 million in 2024. Global health experts estimate that figure could have fallen by more than 15 million in 2025, due in part to an interruption to some testing programs during the Trump administration's freeze on most foreign aid in early 2025. 

But Jeremy Lewin, the State Department's senior official for foreign and security assistance, reports that the data collected in 2025 shows progress towards other Trump administration goals, including ending mother-to-child transmission of HIV. 

Lewin wrote to Rubio that the number of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers who began pre-exposure prophylaxis through PEPFAR more than doubled. He said it climbed from 43,000 in 2024 to 103,000 in 2025, " showing early progress on any early focus area of yours and President Trump's." 

Additionally, Lewin said the 2025 data demonstrates "an important shift toward country self-reliance," indicating that treatment programs for 3 million people with HIV/AIDS were now being managed by national governments rather than organizations working on behalf of PEPFAR. 

Lewin said the department expected to see "further progress" toward country self-reliance as it further shifts toward its new global health strategy based on bilateral agreements that mandate a level of co-investment from participating nations. 

In a letter outlining the plan in September 2025, Rubio said that the U.S. would enter pacts with 71 countries by the end of the year and establish detailed implementation plans with those nations by the end of March 2026 -- a timeline the administration has fallen behind. 

In his memo, Lewin said that as of April 7, the U.S had now "signed 30 compacts with nearly $20.6 billion dollars in both U.S. and partner co-investment commitments," adding that the current data "does not yet show the impact of these historic deals."

The Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy will confidentially brief members of Congress on the 2025 PEPFAR data before releasing it to the public on Friday, according to the memo.

Since it was launched by former President George W. Bush in 2003, PEPFAR has saved 25 million lives globally, supported 7 million orphans and vulnerable children, and enabled 5.5 million babies to be born HIV-free, according to the State Department. It's credited as the largest commitment by any country to fight a single disease in history.

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(WASHINGTON) -- In the dead of night at 2:09 a.m. on Friday, the House passed a bill to extend FISA through April 30 by unanimous consent, after Republicans tanked procedural votes on the controversial warrantless surveillance law. 

The short-term extension buys GOP leaders more time to continue negotiations amid Republican infighting over the program that was set to expire on Monday.

The program allows the federal government to collect communications of foreigners abroad without a warrant, including when those people are interacting with Americans. 

According to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the U.S. government believes it's a vital tool for protecting the country against "hostile foreign adversaries, including terrorists, proliferators, and spies, and to inform cybersecurity efforts."

The Senate approved a 10-day extension of FISA by voice vote Friday morning, giving Congress more time to negotiate reforms on the bill. 

President Donald Trump has urged Republicans to back the measure and hosted a group of hardliners at the White House Tuesday night to find a path forward as the law is set to expire on Monday. 

"I am asking Republicans to UNIFY, and vote together on the test vote to bring a clean Bill to the floor. We need to stick together when this Bill comes before the House Rules Committee today to keep it CLEAN!" Trump wrote on social media on Wednesday.

"Our Military Patriots desperately need FISA 702, and it is one of the reasons we have had such tremendous SUCCESS on the battlefield," Trump added. "It has already prevented MANY such Attacks, and it is very important that it remain in full force and effect."

Despite opposition from some GOP hardliners, House Speaker Mike Johnson was this week still trying to determine a path forward to muscle through an 18-month clean extension of the program.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters Friday that Congress can no longer afford to "go dark" on the issue, amid the pushback from some Democrats and hardline Republicans. 

"We can't wait around for long," he said. "We've got to pivot and figure out what can pass."

CIA Director John Ratcliffe attended the House Republican closed-door conference meeting on Wednesday and also advocated for a clean extension of the program. 

Some Republicans, who oppose a clean extension of the surveillance tool and demand reforms like a warrant requirement, were not convinced to change their position following the meeting. 

Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris of Maryland said "no" when asked if progress was made on FISA during the meeting.

"They have to deal with the FISA court's objection to the warrantless searches," Harris said.

There has been a continued debate over Section 702 because it sometimes allows the government to collect Americans' communications without a warrant.

"Discussions are ongoing still," Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona said leaving.

Rep. Keith Self of Texas, who attended the White House meeting on Tuesday night, said he does not believe a clean extension will pass. 

"We'll see ... but, I don't think the clean extension will pass," he said.

After the meeting, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise suggested some "minor changes" could be made to the legislation to appease the holdouts but did not divulge specifics.

"FISA has been important for our country's national security," Scalise said. "We've put some important much needed reforms in place the last time it was up for reauthorization and what President Trump has asked is that now we reauthorize it with those reforms in place, and that's what we're working to do. So, we're having some final conversations. Not all of our members are quite there yet." 

Rep. Chip Roy of Texas said several Republicans "want to see further reforms" to the program. 

"We feel like we need improvements. Obviously, we want greater protections for citizens with respect to warrants," he said. "We want to make sure that there's greater penalties, for example, for government officials who abuse their authority and power." 

Scalise said Ratcliffe explained to Republicans how FISA is being "used in the real world to stop bad things from happening."

As he was leaving, Ratcliffe said the meeting "went great."

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(WASHINGTON) -- Former President Barack Obama, in a video shared exclusively with ABC News, called on Virginians to vote in favor of a redistricting measure that could give Democrats a boost in the 2026 midterms if it passes.

"By voting yes, you can push back against the Republicans trying to give themselves an unfair advantage in the midterms," Obama said in the video shared with ABC News. "By voting yes, you can take a temporary step to level the playing field. And we're counting on you."

Over a million Virginians have voted early already, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, in an April 21 statewide referendum that will decide if the Democratic-controlled legislature should be allowed to redraw the state's congressional map.

That would allow the legislature to implement a map it already advanced that would reconfigure four congressional seats to favor Democrats, which could be decisive in the midterm elections for the U.S. House of Representatives given Republicans' current slim majority.

Democrats -- including Obama, who previously starred in an advertisement for the "yes" side -- have argued that it's a necessary counterweight to mid-decade redistricting in 2025 that redrew nine seats to favor Republicans.

Republicans and other opponents of the redistricting gambit, which is also still facing a court challenge even as the election was allowed to proceed, have slammed the move as unfair to a large swath of Virginia voters. President Donald Trump received 46% of the vote in Virginia in the 2024 election.

"Virginia is a very purple state, and there's a wide variety of voices in Virginia," U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, a Republican whose district is redrawn by the proposed new map, told ABC News. "And for one political party to come in and assume that it's their way or the highway, and to force that down Virginians' throats -- this will come back to bite them."

The "Yes" side has fundraised and spent millions more on advertisements than the "No" side, according to campaign finance filings and an analysis by AdImpact. It's also been bolstered by celeb power from figures such as Kerry Washington, John Legend and Pusha T.

Yet polling has still shown a close race, despite the seeming momentum behind the "Yes" efforts. A Washington Post-Schar School poll conducted in late March, after early voting had begun in the state, found that 52% of likely voters in the referendum supported the move, while 47% were opposed -- a result just outside the poll's margin of error.

Why does it appear so close? J. Miles Coleman, a political expert and analyst at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told ABC News that could be in part because for Democrats, the stakes may not seem as high as they are for Republicans.

"For Democrats, it would be nice to have these four extra seats out of Virginia if this map gets passed," he said. "But I just think probably something driving enthusiasm on the Republican side is that, from their point of view, this vote probably seems more existential ... they lost their statewide seats last year in a drubbing. They could very well stand to lose a lot of their federal representation."

But Obama, in the video shared with ABC News, framed the stakes as having national importance.

"By voting yes, you have the chance to do something important -- not just for the Commonwealth, but for our entire country," Obama said in the video.

(The video also serves as a way for Obama to reaffirm his support for the ballot measure, after allies of his harshly criticized mailers that used old quotes from Obama about redistricting to portray him as against the initiative.)

Some Democrats are not onboard.

Outside of an early polling site in Virginia on Thursday, Geoff Warrington, who works in tech and identified himself as a Democrat, told ABC News he had chosen to vote no because he believes it is "relatively unfair to essentially have redistricting temporarily to reallocate seats to sway an election."

But for some Democratic "yes" voters, the referendum is a way for Democrats to be able to strike back while being locked out of power in the White House and Congress.

"I mean, the Republicans have been playing dirty, so I think the Democrats are good to play dirty," Adan Hernandez, an engineer, told ABC News at a separate early voting site in Virginia on Thursday.

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(WASHINGTON) -- The acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Todd Lyons, who presided over the agency amid President Donald Trump's controversial immigration crackdown, is planning to leave his post later this spring.

Lyons said he was leaving his role to spend more time with his family, according to his resignation letter reviewed by ABC News.

"My sons are both reaching a pivotal point in their lives and my wife and I wish to spend as much time as possible with them," the letter reads. "This was not an easy decision, but I believe it is the right one for me and my family at this time. I am confident that ICE will continue to fulfill its vital responsibilities with integrity and professionalism."

Lyons thanked the president for allowing him to serve.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced the move in a statement on Thursday and said Lyons' last day would be May 31.

"Director Lyons has been a great leader of ICE and key player in helping the Trump administration remove murderers, rapists, pedophiles, terrorists, and gang members from American communities," Mullin said in the statement. "He jumpstarted an agency that had not been allowed to do its job for four years. Thanks to his leadership, American communities are safer."

The statement went on to say: "We wish him luck on his next opportunity in the private sector."

As acting director, Lyons oversaw the largest expansion of ICE in U.S. history with funding through the massive tax and policy bill Trump championed last year, known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill."

During Lyons' tenure, the Trump administration sent ICE officers into cities across the U.S., including Chicago, Los Angeles and Minneapolis, as part of stepped-up federal immigration enforcement efforts that aimed to fulfill one of Trump's key campaign pledges.

Democrats, immigration advocates and local officials decried ICE tactics, including allegations of racial profiling and aggressive tactics. Scrutiny of ICE intensified after the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis in January at the hands of immigration officers.

Members of the Trump administration praised Lyons' leadership of the agency. In a statement, Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, said: "Todd has served selflessly as a highly respected and effective acting Director of ICE," pointing to what he called a "record number of removals" in the first year of Trump's second term, "despite unprecedented challenges."

In appearances on Capitol Hill before lawmakers, Lyons has faced fierce criticism from Democrats, who have denounced the agency's tactics and a rising number of deaths of detainees held in ICE custody.

The announcement of Lyons' departure came the same day he appeared before a House subcommittee for a budget hearing, requesting $5.4 billion to sustain enforcement operations around the country and another $2.8 billion for Homeland Security Investigations.

"Despite routine villainization, ICE personnel are working around the clock to carry out President Trump’s commonsense agenda to make Americans safe again, restore order to our communities, and implement law-and-order policies," Lyons said in his prepared testimony.

DHS funding remains snarled amid an ongoing partial government shutdown stemming from a dispute on Capitol Hill between Democrats and Republicans over changes to ICE tactics and policies.

Lyons started his service in the Air Force, then with a local police department in Florida before then joining what would become ICE in the late 1990s. He previously served as the head of the Boston ICE field office before becoming acting director.

The announcement of Lyons' departure comes more than a month after Trump fired former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

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(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump's proposed 250-foot-tall "triumphal arch" at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was given initial approval on Thursday by the Commission of Fine Arts, a federal agency, but revisions were requested to address the panel's design concerns.

Five members on the commission, now made up entirely of Trump appointees, voted in favor of moving along with the project. The panel's other two members were not present for the hearing.

The towering arch Trump wants to build near Arlington National Cemetery would be more than twice as tall as the Lincoln Memorial and taller than France's Arc de Triomphe.

Protesters gathered outside the National Building Museum, where the commission has its office, and held up signs that read: "Stop Arch Insanity," "No Trump Arch," and "No Vanity Arch."

The commission's vote came after Thomas Luebke, its secretary, said nearly 1,000 public comments were submitted online and that "100% of the comments were against the project."

Luebke said many of the comments characterized the project as "a waste of money and misuse of funds" and others said "that it would obstruct historic views and disrupt the landscape, it was inappropriate imperial or political symbolism, that the design was gaudy, oversized, incompatible, and that it was disrespectful to Arlington National Cemetery and military sacrifice."

James McCrery, the commission's vice chair and the initial architect behind Trump's massive White House ballroom project, voiced a laundry list of concerns that he wants the architects of the arch to address.

McCrery opposed a planned 250-foot underground pathway for visitors to access the arch, saying building under the capital is "a really, really unfortunate thing."

"Sometimes it's absolutely necessary," McCrery told Nicolas Charbonneau, the architect behind the arch. "Here, I think it's not absolutely necessary at all."

McCrery also took issue with proposed lion statues at the base of the arch, arguing they were not culturally American symbols.

"They're not of this continent," McCrery said. "They're noble, they're courageous, and they're strong, they're all those things, but maybe there are alternatives."

And McCrery called on the architects to "open these arches and air them out" so they don't obstruct views of other Washington landmarks.

Zachary Burt, the community outreach manager for the D.C. Preservation League, voiced his opposition to the arch during Thursday's meeting.

Burt said the arch "threatens the solemn vista" between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial and that its proposed size "risks overshadowing the revered landmarks that Americans hold in the highest regard."

Lisa Fuller, who said she was a lifelong Washington-area resident, grew emotional recounting crossing Arlington Memorial Bridge as a kid as she argued the arch would obstruct views of the cemetery.

"I first walked across that bridge with my dad after John Kennedy died. We started at the Lincoln Memorial. My father told me all about it, and then we walked across, and we saw the Eternal Flame," Fuller said.

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(WASHINGTON) -- Prosecutors from the U.S. attorneys office in Washington were turned away Tuesday after they made an unannounced visit to the Federal Reserve, where they allegedly requested a tour of renovations that have attracted scrutiny from the Trump administration, sources familiar with the matter confirmed to ABC News.

The unusual visit prompted immediate backlash from an attorney for Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, who wrote a letter to D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office, citing the recent ruling from a federal judge that blocked subpoenas to the bank after determining DOJ's criminal probe was driven by President Donald Trump's political animus towards Powell.

Robert Hur, who formerly served as special counsel who investigated former President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents and now represents Powell, warned DOJ in the letter reviewed by ABC News that future efforts to initiate contact with Fed representatives should be negotiated through legal counsel.

"As you know, Chief Judge [James] Boasberg has concluded that your interest in the Federal Reserve's renovation project was pretextual. Should you wish to challenge that finding, the courts provide an avenue for you; it is not appropriate for you to try to circumvent it," Hur said. "I ask that you commit not to seek to communicate with my client outside the presence of counsel."

According to Hur's letter, attorneys from Pirro's office, Carlton Davis and Steven Vandervelden, and a case agent showed up at the Fed's headquarters, stating they wished to "check on progress" and that they asked for a "tour."

A source said they were then told they could not access the site without preauthorized clearance from Fed management and were given the contact information for the Fed's legal counsel, after which the three left the area.

"Any construction project that has cost overruns of almost 80% over the original construction budget deserves some serious review," Pirro said in a statement on X after the prosecutors were turned away. "And these people are in charge of monetary policy in the United States?"

Pirro publicly vented her frustrations about Boasberg's ruling that effectively blocked her office from investigating Powell, which she has vowed to continue appealing despite threats from Republican Sen. Thom Tillis to block any confirmation of Powell's replacement until the criminal probe is resolved.

The probe centered on Powell's testimony to Congress last year about cost overruns in a multibillion-dollar office renovation project.

Trump on Wednesday again threatened to fire Powell if he does not step down when his term as chair ends May 15.

"I'll have to fire him, OK, if he's not leaving on time -- I've held back firing him. I've wanted to fire him, but I hate to be controversial, you know, I want to be uncontroversial," Trump said in an interview with Fox Business' Maria Bartiromo.

Legal experts have questioned if Trump has the authority to fire Powell. His attempt to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook last year is currently awaiting a decision at the Supreme Court.

The confrontational visit also comes as Pirro's name has repeatedly been floated as a potential permanent replacement for Pam Bondi as the next attorney general.

Powell rebuked the investigation in a video message in January as a politically motivated effort to influence the Fed's interest rate policy.

Pirro, at a press conference in March, denied that politics played any role in her probe of Powell and the focus was whether public money has been wasted as a result of the Fed's renovations, and potential false statements to Congress by Powell about the operations.

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(WASHINGTON) -- Wednesday is Tax Day, the last day of this year's tax season, and the average refund for filers is up 11% compared to last year's filing season, according to new Treasury Department data.

The average refund this filing season is "over $3,400," the Treasury Department data said.

The data, which is as of Tuesday, also showed that "over 53 million filers claimed at least one of President Trump's signature new tax cuts," which includes provisions from Trump's sweeping legislation that was passed last year.

Treasury has also announced that more than 5 million filers have opened so-called Trump Accounts for children who were eligible under the law. 

“Treasury and the IRS have worked tirelessly to ensure our tax system works for the people it is meant to serve," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a press release on Wednesday. "From the shop floor to the kitchen table, taxpayers are feeling the difference of the largest tax cuts in our nation’s history, and millions of Americans are keeping more of what they earn and seeing their paychecks go further than ever before." 

Over 25 million filers have claimed No Tax on Overtime, with an average deduction of over $3,100, the department's data noted, while more than 30 million seniors have claimed the Enhanced Deduction for Seniors, with an average deduction of over $7,500.

The data also showed that more than 105 million filers have claimed the permanently doubled standard deduction -- the specific dollar amount that reduces the amount of income on which people are taxed.

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(WASHINGTON) -- Olivia Troye, a former aide to Vice President Mike Pence who was among the highest-profile Trump administration officials to become a vocal critic of the president during his first term, is launching a bid for Congress as a Democrat in Virginia.

Troye served as Pence's homeland security adviser but spoke out against President Donald Trump over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, and has since become a fierce critic of Trump. She also spoke at the 2024 Democratic National Convention as one of the Republicans supporting then-Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential bid.

"They sent MAGA after me. Tried to bankrupt me. Threatened to kill me. They thought they could silence me. They obviously don't know me very well," Troye said in a video released by her campaign.

"In 2024, nothing could keep me from telling the truth on the stage of the Democratic National Convention. Because I believe in fighting for what's right -- for those who can't fight for themselves. That's why I'm a Democrat and that's why I'm running for Congress." 

A press release from her campaign says that Troye is set to run in the "new proposed seventh district" in Virginia. That refers to the district lines in a new congressional map proposed by Democrats; voters are deciding in an April 21 statewide ballot measure vote in Virginia if the Democratic-controlled legislature should be allowed to implement it. 

The current 7th district is represented by Democratic Rep. Eugene Vindman, although under the proposed map Vindman would be in the new 1st district. Troye's campaign says she is working on helping the measure pass, but would not mount a primary challenge to Vindman if it does not. 

Multiple other notable candidates such as former Virginia First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe, former federal prosecutor JP Cooney, and state Delegate Dan Helmer are also running for the proposed 7th district.

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(WASHINGTON) -- President Donald Trump said Monday that a U.S. naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz has begun, a new development in the now seven-week war after peace talks failed over the weekend.

Taking questions from reporters outside the Oval Office, Trump was asked what he hoped to achieve from the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports: Is it to force Iran back to the negotiating table or to reopen the critical waterway and bring down oil prices?

"Maybe everything," Trump responded. "Both of those things, certainly, and more."

"We can't let a country blackmail or extort the world, because that's what they're doing," he continued. "They're really blackmailing the world. We're not going to let that happen."

Earlier Monday, Trump threatened any Iranian ships that come close to the new U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, writing they will be "ELIMINATED."

Trump said while Iran's navy has been "obliterated" by U.S. attacks, any smaller ships that near the U.S. barricade will be wiped out "using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea."

"It is quick and brutal," Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform.

Iran has warned of consequences if the security of Iranian ports is threatened, with a spokesman for the country's joint military command saying "no port in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman will be safe."

There are many outstanding questions about how the U.S. blockade will work and what impact it will have on the conflict.

Trump first said the U.S. would block "any and all Ships" trying to enter or leave the strait, through which roughly 20% of the world's oil and gas supplies typically passes.

U.S. Central Command, however, said the blockade will be enforced against any ships entering Iranian ports or coastal areas but clarified its forces "will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports."

Abroad, some U.S. allies have said they won’t back Trump’s Hormuz blockade.

"We're not supporting the blockade," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told BBC radio in an interview Monday morning.

French President Emmanuel Macron said France and the U.K. will instead organize a "peaceful multinational mission" aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the strait.

Trump on Monday was asked if he expected other countries to assist in the U.S. naval blockade.

"We don't need other countries, frankly. But they've offered their services," Trump said, though when asked Trump did not list any specific countries. "We'll let it be known, probably tomorrow."

At home, Trump faces potential political backlash over rising gas prices. Americans are now paying on average more than $4 for a gallon of gas, according to data from AAA.

Trump, in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, conceded that energy prices may not fall by the November midterm elections, and that they could even be "maybe a little bit higher."

The U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz comes after peace talks between the U.S. and Tehran in Islamabad on Saturday ended with no resolution. Vice President JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation, said the U.S. needed a firm commitment from Iran that it would not seek a nuclear weapon.

Trump on Monday echoed that the sticking point was the enrichment question.

"Iran will not have a nuclear weapon," Trump said. "And we agreed to a lot of things, but they didn't agree to that. And I think they will agree to it. I'm almost sure of it. In fact, I am sure of it. If they don't agree, there's no deal. There'll never be a deal. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon."

Trump on Monday said the "right people" in Iran still want to reach an agreement.

"We've been called this morning by the right people, the appropriate people, and they want to work a deal," Trump said.

ABC News' Zoe Magee and Nicholas Kerr contributed to this report.

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(WASHINGTON) -- An AI-generated image that President Donald Trump posted Monday on his social media platform that depicted him as a Jesus-like figure and drew criticism from some of the president's religious backers was removed roughly 13 hours after it was posted.

Trump posted the image late Sunday night amid a flurry of posts and shortly after lashing out at Pope Leo XIV for his calls to end the war in Iran, saying, "Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy." He later added: "I don't want a Pope who thinks it's OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon."

At an unscheduled news conference at the White House Monday afternoon, Trump acknowledged he posted the image, but said he thought it depicted him as a "doctor."

"Well, it wasn't a picture, it was me," the president said. "I did post it, and I thought it was me as the doctor and it had to do with Red Cross as a Red Cross worker there, which we support."

The post triggered a backlash from a number of Trump's MAGA supporters.

Riley Gaines, a popular conservative activist and staunch ally, said she "cannot understand" why Trump would post the image and that "a little humility" would serve the president well. 

"Why? Seriously, I cannot understand why he'd post this. Is he looking for a response? Does he actually think this?

Either way, two things are true. 

1) a little humility would serve him well 

2) God shall not be mocked" Gaines said in a post on X.

Megan Basham, a prominent Christian influencer in the MAGA movement, wrote on X: "I don't know if the President thought he was being funny or if he is under the influence of some substance or what possible explanation he could have for this OUTRAGEOUS blasphemy. But he needs to take this down immediately and ask for forgiveness from the American people and then from God."

And former Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, once one of Trump's staunchest allies in Congress before breaking with him over the Jeffrey Epstein files and the war in Iran said of the image, "This comes after last week's post of his evil tirade on Easter and then threatening to kill an entire civilization. I completely denounce this and I'm praying against it!!!"

Trump did not apologize for the post or admit fault for apparently misinterpreting the photo when asked about the image and the backlash and instead blamed the media.

"Only the fake news could come up with that one," he said.

He later added, "So I just heard about it, and I said, ‘How did they come up with that? It's supposed to be me as a doctor, making people better, and I do make people better and make people a lot better."

Trump said he would not apologize to the pope despite being called to do so by one of his closest Catholic allies, Bishop of Diocese of Winona-Rochester Robert Barron who attended an Easter lunch at the White House with Trump last week. 

"No, I don't, because Pope Leo said things that are wrong," Trump said. "So, there's nothing to apologize for. He's wrong. And the other thing is, he didn't like what we're doing with respect to Iran, but Iran is a -- wants to be a nuclear nation so they can exterminate the world? Not going to happen."

On Saturday night during Leo's prayer vigil inside St. Peter's Basilica, the pope said, "Enough of the idolatry of self and money! Enough of the display of power! Enough of war!" and added, "True strength is shown in serving life."

The first American pope said in response to Trump's threat to destroy the Iranian civilization: "Today, as we all know, there has also been this threat against the entire people of Iran. And this is truly unacceptable!"

"Attacks on civilian infrastructure is against international law, but that it is also a sign of the hatred, the division, the destruction the human being is capable of," he said.

Leo has repeatedly addressed the war in the Middle East since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28 and called on leaders to "come back to the table, let's talk. Let's look for solutions in a peaceful way."

Trump has removed a post from his social media platform before. Earlier this year when a White House staffer shared a video that included images depicting former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as monkeys, the post was deleted from the president’s social media platform, but he refused to apologize when asked about the video saying he didn’t see the portion of the video with the Obamas before it was posted.

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(SAN FRANCISCO) -- Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell announced he is suspending his California governor's race campaign after accusations made by a former staffer to the San Francisco Chronicle that he sexually assaulted her, which the congressman has denied.

It comes amid a growing push from his party to not only get out of the race, but to resign from Congress.

"I am suspending my campaign for Governor. To my family, staff, friends, and supporters, I am deeply sorry for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past," Swalwell wrote in a post to X Sunday night.

"I will fight the serious, false allegations that have been made — but that’s my fight, not a campaign’s," he wrote.

On Monday, the bipartisan House Ethics Committee announced it had started an investigation into the allegations.

In a statement, the committee said it would gather information on whether he had violated the House Code of Conduct or other standards of conduct "with respect to allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including towards an employee working under his supervision.”

“will gather additional information regarding the allegations that Representative Eric Swalwell violated the Code of Official Conduct or any law, rule, regulation, or other applicable standard of conduct in the performance of his duties or the discharge of his responsibilities, with respect to allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, including towards an employee working under his supervision.”

The San Francisco Chronicle published the account of a woman, who it did not identify, who says she was hired at the age of 21 to work as an intern in Swalwell's district office.

She claims Swalwell began pursuing her and sent her a nude photo. In 2019, she went out for drinks with Swalwell and woke up naked the next morning in Swalwell's hotel bed and "felt the effect of vaginal intercourse," according to the article.

The woman alleges that five years later, at a gala in New York, when she was no longer working for him, Swalwell pursued her while she was inebriated and forced himself on her, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

In the wake of the accusations, at least three other women have detailed allegations of inappropriate conduct by Swalwell. ABC News has not been able to corroborate all of the alleged accounts, including those reported by The San Francisco Chronicle and CNN.

ABC News spoke with Ally Sammarco, who accused the lawmaker of sending her inappropriate messages and an unsolicited nude picture of himself in 2021.

Sammarco, a social media content creator who said she was 24 at the time she met Swalwell, told ABC News that she was working on Terry McAuliffe’s race, as he was running to be governor of Virginia, and was looking for a job on Capitol Hill.

She says she sent the congressman a direct message on Twitter in August of 2021, asking about his upbringing growing up in a Republican family. 

She says they spoke about the race in Virginia, and then Swalwell gave Sammarco his personal cell number, where she says he started to ask her “more personal questions.”

In September 2021, she says they began messaging on Snapchat, where she said he offered to help send her resume and find a job. He invited her to his office on Capitol Hill, according to text messages reviewed by ABC News. 

She says he initially said she could meet his staff, but when she arrived, she said he escorted her in his office, and she "didn't meet anybody but him.”

Sammarco told ABC News that sometime in October of 2021, Swalwell allegedly sent her an unsolicited picture of his penis. 

She said the alleged photo made her feel “gross” and that he was “pushing a sexual agenda.”

In a video posted to social media late Friday evening, Swalwell called allegations made against him "flat false. They're absolutely false."

"They did not happen. They have never happened, and I will fight them with everything that I have," he said.

Swalwell did not address the allegations in detail in the video statement.

Fellow Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, also from California, called the allegations against Swalwell “sick and disgusting.”

Rep. Eugene Vindman, D-Va., told CNN's "State of the Union," "The accusations are absolutely heinous, and his admissions betraying his family are deplorable. So Eric Swalwell needs to resign. He needs to drop out of the race.”

Vindman emphasized the need to hold leaders accountable, regardless of party or stature. 

“And we have grown far too accustomed to having our senior leaders, our elected officials, uh, fall far below what we expect their behavior to be morally, ethically ... And Representative Swalwell needs to go,” Vindman said.

The top three House Democrats, including Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have called on Swalwell to end his bid for governor.

"Following the incredibly disturbing sexual assault accusations against Congressman Eric Swalwell, we call for a swift investigation into these incidents and for the Congressman to immediately end his campaign to be California's next Governor," Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark and Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said in a joint statement released Friday.

Pressed Sunday on whether Swalwell should resign, Jeffries told CNN's Jeff Zeleny, “Our statement for the moment speaks for itself. We’ll reconvene in Washington early next week and we'll have more to say.”

In his Friday video, Swalwell said the allegations "come on the eve of an election where I have been the frontrunner candidate" and cited his career as a public servant and prosecutor who went to court for sexual assault victims, he said.

"I do not suggest to you in any way that I am perfect or that I am a saint," he said. "I have certainly made mistakes in judgment in my past. But those mistakes are between me and my wife and to her I apologize deeply for putting her in this position."

Fellow Democrats started calling for Swalwell to drop his gubernatorial campaign shortly after news of the allegations broke.

In a statement, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: "This extremely sensitive matter must be appropriately investigated with full transparency and accountability. As I discussed with Congressman Swalwell, it is clear that is best done outside of a gubernatorial campaign."

Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., who chaired Swalwell's campaign for governor, announced that he was stepping down from the campaign and referred to the accusations as "the ugliest and most serious accusations imaginable."

"I cannot in good conscience remain in any role with this campaign, and I am stepping down from it effective immediately," Gomez said. "The congressman should leave the race now so there can be full accountability without doubt, distraction, or delay."

Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona, who had in recent days defended Swalwell from online rumors of misconduct, posted Friday that he was withdrawing his endorsement and said that he "regret[s] having come to his defense on social media."

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., also said he is pulling his endorsement "immediately" and called on Swalwell to withdraw.

Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida said Saturday that she plans to force a vote next week to expel Swalwell if he does not resign.

"Eric has an option. I am going to bring this vote next week. If Democrats want to protect this type of garbage, I wouldn’t recommend it, but they are going to put on the board for that. I am tired of this," Luna said on Fox News.

Swalwell added that he is willing to pursue legal action to combat the accusations. 

"I will defend myself with the facts and where necessary bring legal action. My focus in the coming days is to be with my wife and children and defend our decades of service against these lies," Swalwell said. 

In the wake of the Chronicle's reporting, several of Swalwell's Democratic opponents in the governor's race, including San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, and former State Controller Betty Yee have also called on Swalwell to drop out of the race.

The two frontrunners in the race, billionaire businessman Tom Steyer and former Congresswoman Katie Porter, expressed support for the alleged victim but stopped short of calling on Swalwell to drop out of the race.

Earlier this week, Swalwell's campaign told ABC News that Swalwell has not received any complaints and has not asked anyone to sign non-disclosure agreements.

"This false, outrageous rumor is being spread 27 days before an election begins by flailing opponents who have sadly teamed up with MAGA conspiracy theorists because they know Eric Swalwell is the frontrunner in this race," campaign spokesperson Micah Beasley said in a statement provided to ABC News on Tuesday. 

"In 13 years, no one in Eric Swalwell's Congressional office has ever been asked to sign an NDA. Ever," Beasley said. "In 13 years, not a single ethics complaint by any staff in his office or any other office has ever been lodged. Ever."

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office is investigating allegations against Swalwell, a source familiar with the investigation said Saturday.

"We urge survivors and anyone with knowledge of these allegations to contact our Special Victims Division at 212-335-9373," the Manhattan DA’s office said. "Our specially trained prosecutors, investigators, and counselors are well-equipped to help you in a trauma-informed, survivor-centered manner."

Swalwell's campaign has not responded to a request for comment. An attorney representing Swalwell said "no comment" on Saturday.

House ethics rules prohibit sexual relationships between members and interns or staffers but the House cannot investigate an incident occurring more than three terms of Congress ago.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the allegations against Swalwell. 

-ABC News' Aaron Katersky, Victoria Arancio and Oren Oppenheim contributed to this report.

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(ALGIERS and LONDON) -- Pope Leo XIV on Monday responded to criticism from President Donald Trump, telling reporters while traveling to Algeria that he has "no fear" of the White House.

"I have no fear of the Trump administration, nor speaking out loudly about the message of the Gospel," the pontiff said on Monday, as he began a dayslong visit to four African nations. "That's what I believe in. I am called to do what the church is called to do."

The pope on Saturday called for an end to conflict, without explicitly mentioning the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. "Enough of war," Leo said during a peace vigil in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

The pope also suggested "delusion of omnipotence" is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran, imploring the country leaders to come to a peace agreement.

Trump on Sunday night posted on social media calling the pope "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy."

The pope, who was born in Chicago and is the first American to lead the Catholic Church, was elevated to his position in May 2025, a few months into Trump's second term. The president at that time congratulated Leo, saying on social media that it was "such an honor" for an American to become pope.

The pontiff has voiced concern about several armed conflicts, repeatedly calling for peace, including mentioning the civil war raging in Sudan, the Russia-Ukraine war and the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. He has called for peace in Iran and the broader Middle East since the beginning of the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran.

The pontiff has been a strong messenger for global peace since the start of his papacy last May.

He has repeatedly called for the parties involved to engage in negotiations, including saying on March 1 that he was making "a heartfelt appeal to all the parties involved to assume the moral responsibility of halting the spiral of violence before it becomes an unbridgeable chasm." He has said that "God does not bless any conflict."

Leo said on Monday that his comments "are certainly not meant as attacks on anyone and the message of the Gospel is very clear, 'Blessed are the peacemakers.'"

"I will not shy away from pronouncing the message of the Gospel, of inviting all people to look for ways of building bridges for peace and reconciliation, of looking for ways to avoid war any time that's possible," Leo continued. "To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is and I'm sorry to hear that."

Trump early on Monday had called for the pope to focus on "being a Great Pope, not a Politician."

"It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!" Trump wrote on his social media network.

Responding to a question from reporters hours later, Leo said of the apparent tensions with Trump, "I do not look at my role as being political ... I don't want to get into a debate with him. I don't think that the message of the Gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing."

"I will continue to speak out loud against war, looking to promote peace, promoting dialogue, multilateral relationships among the states to look for just solutions to problems," he said. "Too many people are suffering in the world today. Too many innocent people are being killed. And I think someone has to stand up and say, 'There's a better way to do this.'"

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(WASHINGTON) -- Congress returns from its two-week recess early this week -- thrusting lawmakers back into the debate surrounding the Iran war as the President Donald Trump's strategy faces continued scrutiny.

House and Senate Democrats plan to force separate votes in both chambers on Iran war powers resolutions this week. These resolutions would call on the president to terminate the use of U.S. armed forces in hostilities against Iran or any part of the Iranian government or military unless a declaration of war or authorization to use military force is enacted.

Previously these efforts have narrowly failed, but as the conflict drags on and lawmakers continue to face questions about the president's actions, additional Republicans could decide to support the efforts.

Expulsion votes possible for four lawmakers
The House could move as early as this week to expel several members of Congress.

Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida said she will force a vote to expel Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., next week amid allegations of sexual assault. Texas GOP Rep. Tony Gonzales could also face a similar vote after he admitted to having an affair with a former staffer. And Florida Democrat Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick is expected to face an expulsion vote, likely following a House Ethics Committee sanction hearing on April 21. The congresswoman was indicted on charges of stealing $5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds, which she is accused of laundering to support her 2021 congressional campaign.

Expelling a member of Congress -- which is a rare occurrence -- requires a two-thirds majority vote, a higher threshold than the simple majority needed to pass most legislation. Only six lawmakers in U.S. history have been expelled, including George Santos in 2023.

As the expulsion resolutions stack up, Democrats are also clamoring for the expulsion of Florida Republican Rep. Cory Mills, who has faced his own allegations of misconduct.  

Speaker Mike Johnson has previously been opposed to expulsion efforts and has argued that lawmakers deserve due process.

Awaiting Johnson's next move on DHS funding
Lawmakers return as the Department of Homeland Security's partial shutdown drags on -- hitting Day 66 on Monday when the Senate returns to session.

The partial shutdown is the longest in U.S. history.

Johnson has not yet acted on the Senate's DHS funding bill, which stripped out funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

It's not clear what Johnson's next move will be to attempt to reopen the agency, as he balances threats to the gavel against an arduous path to fully fund DHS' breadth of agencies via reconciliation. 

The Senate plans to move forward with a narrow budget reconciliation bill to fund ICE and CPB for the next three years with Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham leading the charge, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.

Trump said on Friday that he met with senators Graham and John Barrasso to discuss the matter.

"Reconciliation is ON TRACK, and we are moving FAST and FOCUSED in keeping our Border SECURE, and getting funding to the Department of Homeland Security and the Justice Department to continue our incredible SUCCESS at MAKING AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!" Trump wrote on his social media platform on Friday.

While reconciliation is a lengthy process that sidesteps the filibuster, Trump has demanded that the bill land on his desk by June 1 -- an enormous challenge for Republicans navigating small margins in both chambers.

As the next legislative blitz approaches, House Republicans get a smidgeon of relief with the arrival of Rep.-elect Clay Fuller, who won a special election in Georgia's 14th Congressional District earlier this month to fill the seat once occupied by Marjorie Taylor Greene. Fuller is expected to take the oath of office during the House's first vote series on Tuesday, April 14.

The addition means that Johnson can afford to lose two GOP votes with all members voting and present.

Cabinet members defend their budgets
Trump's FY2027 budget requests also take center stage as several Cabinet secretaries and administration officials are slated to testify before lawmakers including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Director of the United States Office of Management and Budge Russ Vought, United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Secret Service Director Sean Curran and more. 

Bipartisan backlash over Bondi
While first lady Melania Trump brought the saga around convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein back into the headlines, the GOP-led House Oversight Committee is not slated to hold any depositions this week as part of their ongoing investigation into Epstein. The Department of Justice said former Attorney General Pam Bondi will not appear for a closed-door deposition with the committee on Tuesday, April 14 -- which has prompted bipartisan backlash from lawmakers on the committee. The next scheduled deposition is expected April 30. 

Conservatives present challenge for Johnson on FISA
House Republican leadership are also aiming to put a clean extension of FISA Section 702, known as the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, on the floor for a vote sometime this week. The federal law sets out rules and procedures for gathering foreign intelligence through electronic surveillance, physical searches, pen registers and more.

Johnson and Trump have publicly backed a clean extension through October 2027. However, several House conservatives do not support a clean extension -- presenting Johnson a challenge to pass the bill relying on help from Democrats, who are mostly reluctant to help Republicans and Trump accomplish anything legislatively.

Once the House passes FISA legislation, the Senate will need to take up the measure by April 20 -- when the law is set to expire.

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(WASHINGTON) -- Republican Sen. Ron Johnson said Sunday he was not surprised that peace talks between the U.S. and Iran stalled over the weekend, and that securing U.S. goals in Iran could be a "long-term project."

"I'm not surprised at all," Johnson told ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Martha Raddatz. "The ayatollahs, even though they have been so degraded in terms of their capabilities, nobody thought this would be easy. They've been preparing for this for 47 years."

Peace talks between the U.S. and Iran in Islamabad ended over the weekend after Vice President JD Vance said Iran would not agree not to seek a nuclear weapon, a key sticking point for President Donald Trump and his administration.

But just before the peace efforts failed, Trump told reporters that he did not care if the U.S. made a deal with Iran, saying that the U.S. would win either way. But as the fate of the war remained uncertain Sunday, Johnson said that the job was not finished in Iran.

"We will not have won until we have completely defanged the Iranian regime," Johnson said. "There's multiple ways of potentially doing it. Short-term, long-term there are multiple avenues we can approach here. But we have not yet finished the job."

Johnson later added that he did not think preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon would require ground troops, but he also emphasized the need to remove Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, which others have speculated would require ground troops.

Another sticking point for both countries was control over the Strait of Hormuz, critical to the world's oil traffic. Iran's blockade of the strait has sent global oil prices skyrocketing, leading to higher gas prices in the U.S.

Johnson raised the possibility Sunday that the U.S. could block oil coming from the strait from going to China or Russia, as reports have emerged saying the two countries may be helping Iran in the war.

On Sunday morning, Trump announced on his social media platform a blockade of all traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

"Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz," Trump wrote.

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