As President Donald Trump continues to express anger at NATO European allies for their lack of help in the war with Iran, he’s making clear...

Trump ‘right to be outraged’ by Europe’s betrayal on Iran, says former Thatcher advisor

As President Donald Trump continues to express anger at NATO European allies for their lack of help in the war with Iran, he’s making clear their behavior comes at a cost.

In the weeks during the war and since the ceasefire, the president has hit back not just with words but with definitive actions against several of those countries.

On Saturday, Trump said that he would withdraw more than the initial 5,000 U.S. troops from Germany as stated by the Pentagon, after Berlin’s leader denigrated the American effort to stop Iran’s regime from building a nuclear weapon.

TRUMP WEIGHS PULLING US TROOPS FROM GERMANY AMID CLASH WITH CHANCELLOR OVER IRAN WAR

A day earlier he said about Germany that "We're gonna cut way down. We're cutting a lot further than 5,000." The Trump administration previously announced a contraction of 5,000 troops in Germany after the country’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Iran’s regime "humiliated" Trump.

In an apparent state of panic, Merz walked back his attack on Trump and his Iran strategy on Sunday. The chancellor wrote on X: "The United States is and will remain Germany‘s most important partner in the North Atlantic Alliance. We share a common goal: Iran must not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons."

Trump ratcheted up his troop reduction number against Germany amid his comments about downsizing U.S. boots on the ground in Spain and Italy because they failed to aid America in the war against Iran. The president’s anger at Western European countries has been simmering for weeks and could lead to profound changes in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

TRUMP CRITICIZES SPAIN AMID IRAN, NATO RIFT AS PM SANCHEZ FACES QUESTIONS OVER POLITICAL MOTIVES

Nile Gardiner, the director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital, "The lack of support for the United States has been nothing less than treacherous. I think the president has the right to be outraged by the lack of support from key European allies."

He said, "There is a very deep-seated cultural appeasement in Europe toward the Iranian regime that goes back many decades, and a flat-out refusal to accept the reality of the immense dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran. European leaders are sleepwalking toward destruction with this perilous path they have taken.

TRUMP IS RIGHT ABOUT NATO’S WEAKNESS — THE REAL QUESTION IS HOW DOES AMERICA FIX IT

"The lack of support for the United States is how far Europe has gone toward losing its moral compass. Iran is a genocidal regime that threatens to wipe Israel off the map." He noted that the Islamic Republic has killed huge numbers of its population.

Gardiner, a former advisor to Lady Margaret Thatcher said, "If you listen to European leaders, it's as if the U.S. is the villain here."

Merz, speaking last week in Marsberg, criticized the U.S. approach to Iran, saying Washington was being "humiliated by the Iranian leadership" and expressing hope the conflict would end "as quickly as possible."

Gardiner said of Merz’s remarks, "Comments like these actually help the propaganda of the Iranian dictatorship. It is astonishing that a German chancellor would make these kinds of remarks at a time of war… and the German chancellor is giving comfort to the Iranian regime. It is disgusting."

Numerous Fox News Digital press queries sent to Merz’s spokesman Stefan Kornelius were not returned.

Before his announcement on the troop withdrawal from Germany, and in response to a question about reducing U.S. troops in Spain and Italy, Trump responded, "I mean, they haven't been exactly on board. Yeah, probably. Yeah, I probably will… Italy has not been of any help to us. And Spain has been horrible. Absolutely horrible."

Spain’s socialist prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has taken a belligerent stand toward the U.S. and Israeli military campaign against the Iranian regime, forbidding the U.S. from using its military bases in Spain to refuel aircraft or prepare for military action. He has decried the campaign as illegal while staying quiet on the regime’s murder of thousands of protesters and its increased drive to produce ballistic missiles and acquire nuclear weapons-grade enriched uranium.

Gardiner said, "The Spanish have been the worst by a long way. At least the Germans and Italy have allowed the use of its own bases. The Spanish have refused to cooperate in any way with the war."

Trump told the Italian daily Corriere della Sera last month about the country's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni,  "I'm shocked at her. I thought she had courage, but I was wrong."

The Europe expert, Gardiner, sees a wide gulf between how mainly Western European countries and the United States view the preservation of Western civilization, freedom, democracy and liberty.

"Europe has lost both its ability and its will to fight. The United States is clearly willing to fight to defend Western civilization and the free world. Much of Europe has given up on this, especially Western Europe. It is an appeasement mindset cojoined with weakness and pacifism and also a growing acceptance by European leaders of mass migration and Islamification."

He added, "Europe has fundamentally changed over the last 20 years beyond recognition, and yet Europe’s ruling elites accept it seemingly as a fact, with some notable exceptions."

Trump took the United Kingdom and France in March to task for their postion on the war against Iran.

"The Country of France wouldn’t let planes headed to Israel, loaded up with military supplies, fly over French territory," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"France has been VERY UNHELPFUL with respect to the ‘Butcher of Iran,’ who has been successfully eliminated! The U.S.A. will REMEMBER!!!," he wrote.

Trump also wrote, "All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you."

"Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT."

"You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!"

Gardiner said the crisis over the Iran war shows that Europe has surrendered. The big Western Europeans have embraced "defeatism," and "they do not care. It is as simple as that. And future generations will have to pay the price for the course Europe is taking now," he said.

Fox News' Brittany Miller and Solly Boussidan contributed to this report.



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Election officials in Fulton County, Georgia, asked a federal judge to reject a U.S. Department of Justice effort to obtain identifying deta...

Fulton County pushes back on DOJ effort to obtain election workers' names

Election officials in Fulton County, Georgia, asked a federal judge to reject a U.S. Department of Justice effort to obtain identifying details for people who worked on the 2020 election in the county.

The Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections (FBRE) filed a 27-page motion Monday asking the Georgia federal court to quash a grand jury subpoena issued by the DOJ.

The motion to quash called the subpoena "an unprecedented and harassing grand jury subpoena" and characterized it as the DOJ's "latest effort to target and harass the President’s perceived political enemies — this time election officials, poll workers, and volunteers in Fulton County whom Donald Trump continues to disparage as he perpetuates his false claim that they 'stole' the 2020 election."

The subpoena, according to the FBRE motion, requests that the Board send information for thousands of poll workers and county employees to an out-of-district U.S. attorney and an FBI agent. The motion argues that the probe be quashed on grounds that it cannot result in criminal prosecution "because, among other things, the statutes of limitations have expired for any purported 2020 crimes."

GEORGIA'S FULTON COUNTY FILES MOTION SEEKING RETURN OF 2020 ELECTION MATERIALS SEIZED BY FBI

Trump lost the state of Georgia by a razor-thin margin in 2020, prompting Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to announce a recount by hand. The Nov. 18, 2020, recount confirmed that former President Joe Biden won the state by 11,777 votes.

The subpoena represents the latest from the Trump administration in an effort to investigate alleged voter fraud in Georgia.

In January, the DOJ filed a lawsuit against Raffensperger to compel him to produce an unredacted statewide voter registration database.

FBI'S FULTON COUNTY WARRANT SOUGHT ELECTION RECORDS, VOTER ROLLS FROM 2020 ELECTION

Five days later, FBI agents conducted a search at the Fulton County Election Hub and Operation Center as part of a probe related to the 2020 election.

The FBI also filed search warrants in February revealing a probe into missing ballots and chain-of-custody problems in Georgia's biggest county.

FBRE's pushback claims, in part, that Trump's efforts amount to "arbitrary fishing expeditions."

Trump officials, meanwhile, defend their efforts as necessary to ensure election integrity.

"Interference in U.S. elections is a threat to our republic and a national security threat," Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard said in a letter to Congress in February.

Fox News Digital reached out to spokespeople for the White House, the DOJ, the DNI, the FBI and for the chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners but did not immediately receive a response.



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Dolly Parton's health comes first. On Monday, the legendary country star—who has faced several health setbacks over the past year—took...

Dolly Parton cancels Las Vegas residency as health issues force her to step back from stage performances

Dolly Parton's health comes first.

On Monday, the legendary country star—who has faced several health setbacks over the past year—took to social media to share "some good news and a little bad news" about her condition, explain how it will affect her career moving forward and open up about why she chose to cancel her upcoming Las Vegas residency.

"I'm here to give you an update on a few things going on in my life," Parton started the video. "First, it is concerning my health. And I have some good news and a little bad news. But the good news is, I'm responding really well to meds and treatments and I'm improving every day."

DOLLY PARTON'S SISTER OFFERS HEALTH UPDATE ON COUNTRY ICON AFTER FANS WORRY OVER HER CALL FOR PRAYERS

As for the bad news, Parton — who originally postponed her Las Vegas residency due to health issues in September — said she hasn't quite reached her ability to perform at the level she'd like.

"It's going to take me a little while before I'm up to stage-performance level because some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit swimmy-headed, as my grandma used to say," she quipped. "And of course I can't be dizzy, carrying around banjos, guitars, and such on five-inch heels... not to mention all those heavy rhinestone outfits, the big hair, my big personality."

In an effort to better explain her current health journey, Parton described herself as an "old classic car."

"Once restored it can be better than ever, but when they raised the hood on this old antique they realized that I need to rebuild my engine, that my transmission is slipping, my oil pan is leaking, and my muffler is busted, and my shocks and pistons need to be replaced," she said. "Because you know, as well as I know, that I can't lose my spark."

DOLLY PARTON FORCED TO SKIP HALL OF FAME HONOR AS DOCTORS TELL HER TO 'TAKE IT EASY'

"I know I'm still crazy, but they didn't mention nothing about my mental health," she added.

Parton went on to say that she's always had issues with kidney stones, which eventually caused her "immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack."

"They're working real hard on rebuilding and strengthening those," she said.

DOLLY PARTON FANS CAN NOW BOOK STAYS AT HER UPCOMING HOTEL IN NASHVILLE

The country legend acknowledged that while her light sense of humor regarding a heavy topic can be "silly," she's trying her best to keep "everything light and airy."

"They say that a happy heart is like good medicine," she said. "You think I might be over medicating myself right now? But the truth is, I am still working."

"I still do videos, I still record, I run up and down to Dollywood every now and then. And I'm working hard on getting my museum and my hotel open in Nashville later this year. And I am spending a lot of time writing and reworking on my Broadway musical. It's called 'Dolly, a true original musical. And that's gonna be opening later in New York this fall or early winter."

DOLLY PARTON UNABLE TO WRITE NEW SONGS AFTER LOSING HUSBAND OF NEARLY 60 YEARS

Parton, then, announced her plans to pull the plug on her Las Vegas residency. According to Ticketmaster, Parton's six shows in September have been canceled.

"I am truly sorry that I'm gonna miss all of you that had tickets to see me in Las Vegas," she said. "Well, you get on to Vegas. You have a big time. And hopefully, sometime you'll come up to New York and maybe see my show. And I'll see you somewhere down the line."

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Over the past year, fans have expressed concern for Parton since the death of her husband Carl Dean, who died March 3, 2025, at age 82 after 58 years of marriage.

"I just want you to know also that a lot of you have been concerned about me and Carl and you were so great about that," she said in the video. "But after going through a year first, I mean the holidays, and especially our wedding anniversary and the day of his death, March 3rd, you know, that was hard for me. I will always love him and I'll always miss him, but you would be surprised at how much your love and concern meant to me during that time."

Parton concluded the video by reassuring fans that she has a great medical team.

"I have great doctors and I'm doing really well and they assure me that everything I have is treatable," she said. "So I'm going with that and I just want you to know I thank you for standing by me and that I will always love you."



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The defense team for Cole Allen , the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner shooting suspect, withdrew a motion to remove him from ...

Cole Allen's defense lawyers say he has been removed from suicide watch

The defense team for Cole Allen, the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner shooting suspect, withdrew a motion to remove him from suicide watch after learning the restriction had already been lifted, calling the request moot and asking the court to cancel Monday’s hearing. 

In a filing, Allen’s attorneys said they had recently learned he is no longer on suicide status at the D.C. Jail, rendering their earlier motion unnecessary and prompting a request to vacate the May 4 hearing. 

Allen’s attorneys have asked the court to cancel Monday’s hearing, though it remains scheduled pending the judge’s decision.

Suicide watch involves 24-hour lockdown in a "safe cell."

UNABOMBER INVESTIGATOR REVEALS LIKELY BREAKING POINT OF ALLEGED WOULD-BE TRUMP ASSASSIN

Prior to Sunday afternoon's developments, Allen's attorneys had argued that the restriction violated his rights.

"Such restrictions deprive Mr. Allen from accessing resources like a jail tablet, which would permit him to communicate with loved ones outside of the jail," the defense motion states. "Similarly, because Mr. Allen is not permitted to retain personal items while in the cell, it is counsel’s understanding that he cannot review documents that counsel leave with him, thus hindering his ability to assist in his own defense."

The defense argued in the motion that being kept on the suicide precaution "is unnecessary" and violates Allen's due process rights "by depriving him of dignity" by forcing him to be escorted to the shower, strip searched when leaving or entering his cell, and required to wear a padded vest while in the cell.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told CNN on Sunday that prosecutors would bring the case before a grand jury this week and suggested they’re working toward securing an indictment with additional charges.

COLE ALLEN'S CROSS-COUNTRY TRAIN MUSINGS SHOW 'SCATTERED' MINDSET OF ACCUSED WOULD-BE TRUMP KILLER: EXPERT

Allen, a 31-year-old California computer scientist, is accused of opening fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on April 25 after allegedly rushing a Secret Service checkpoint while armed with multiple weapons.

Allen now faces federal charges, including the attempted assassination of the president, with more expected.

Fox News' Jake Gibson, Bill Mears and Fox News Digital’s Stepheny Price contributed to this report.



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Earlier this year, more than 25 million Americans began receiving letters from a company most of them had never heard of. The sender was Con...

DIY identity protection vs paid services: What works in 2026

Earlier this year, more than 25 million Americans began receiving letters from a company most of them had never heard of. The sender was Conduent Business Services, a contractor that processes benefits records and human resources data for state Medicaid programs, employer health plans and government agencies. Between October 2024 and January 2025, ransomware operators pulled names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, home addresses, medical diagnosis codes and health insurance claim numbers out of Conduent's systems. In February 2026, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called it the largest data breach in U.S. history.

The letters ended the way most of these letters end, with an apology, a phone number and an offer of one year of free credit monitoring. Once your data is already out, can you realistically protect your identity on your own, or has it become something most people are better off outsourcing?

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Federal law and tools from the Federal Trade Commission cover more ground than many people realize. None of these cost anything. When used together, they close the most common entry points fraudsters target.

Start by freezing your credit at all three bureaus. A freeze blocks new accounts from being opened in your name. It has been free at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion since 2018. You can lift it temporarily when you need to apply for credit.

Next, get an Identity Protection PIN from the IRS at irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin. This six-digit code blocks fraudulent tax returns filed using your Social Security number. The IRS issues a new one each year.

You should also check your credit reports regularly. Equifax, Experian and TransUnion now offer free weekly access through AnnualCreditReport.com. Checking once every few months can help you catch suspicious activity early.

It also helps to bookmark IdentityTheft.gov. The site creates a personalized recovery plan, generates the affidavit creditors require and provides prefilled dispute letters.

Another simple step is opting out of prescreened credit offers. This removes you from mailing lists lenders use for unsolicited credit and insurance offers. You can do this online at OptOutPrescreen at optoutprescreen.com, which is run by the major credit bureaus. The process takes just a few minutes. Choose a five-year opt-out for a quick fix, or print and mail the form for a permanent opt-out. Once processed, you should see fewer "pre-approved" offers in your mailbox. 

Finally, turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for every financial, government and benefits account. Even if someone steals your password, they cannot access your account without the second factor.

For many people, these steps create a strong baseline.

The do-it-yourself approach works until something goes wrong. That is where the gap becomes clear.

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center's 2025 Consumer Impact Report, the average victim spent more than 200 hours and $1,343 out of pocket recovering from identity theft. About one in five reported losses above $100,000. Many also reported significant emotional stress.

The financial impact adds up quickly at a national level. A February 2026 report from the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee estimates identity theft tied to major data broker breaches has cost Americans more than $20 billion over the past decade. That estimate includes incidents like Equifax, Exactis, National Public Data and TransUnion.

Free tools also have clear limits. They will not monitor the dark web for your data or remove your personal details from data broker sites. They also cannot contact creditors or dispute fraudulent accounts on your behalf.

Instead, you handle every step yourself. IdentityTheft.gov gives you a roadmap, but you still have to make the calls, file the paperwork and follow up repeatedly.

SSA IMPERSONATION SCAMS ARE GETTING MORE PERSONAL

For anyone whose data was exposed in a breach like Conduent or National Public Data, free tools alone leave real gaps. That is where paid identity protection services come in.

These services run continuous scans for your name, Social Security number, email and bank accounts on the dark web, as well as across data broker and people search sites that resell your home address and family ties. They submit opt-out requests on your behalf and repeat the process when your information shows up again. When fraud happens, many services assign a case manager who works with credit bureaus, banks and creditors to help resolve the issue.

Some plans also include identity theft insurance and dedicated fraud resolution support, which can help cover certain losses and reduce the time it takes to recover.

Paid services have limits. No service can prevent every breach, and even the best monitoring only helps shorten recovery time. The do-it-yourself approach can still work if you are comfortable managing your own checklist. However, for families, for anyone already exposed in past breaches and for those who want less hands-on involvement, adding a paid service on top of free protections can make the process easier to manage.

See my tips and best picks on Best Identity Theft Protection at CyberGuy.com

Most people can handle the basics of identity protection on their own, at least at first. Free tools cover the biggest risks and help block common types of fraud. However, the situation changes once your data is exposed in a major breach. At that point, monitoring, cleanup and follow-up can turn into a long and frustrating process. That is where paid services can make a real difference. They reduce the workload, track exposure across more sources and step in when fraud happens. Still, no service eliminates risk completely. The decision comes down to how much time you want to invest and how much support you would need if something goes wrong. For many households, a layered approach works best. Start with the free protections, then decide if adding a paid service fits your situation.

If your identity were stolen tomorrow, would you have the time and patience to fix it yourself?  Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com

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President Donald Trump signed a 45-day extension for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Thursday night after t...

Trump signs stopgap FISA extension after Senate blocks long-term renewal

President Donald Trump signed a 45-day extension for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Thursday night after the Senate rejected the three-year extension passed by the House, the White House confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., warned House leaders Tuesday that including a provision in the FISA extension to permanently ban the Federal Reserve from issuing central bank digital currencies (CBDC) would make it "dead on arrival" in the Senate. As Thune suggested, the three-year extension ultimately failed to pass the Senate due to opposition from Democrats.

As a temporary measure, the Senate approved a 45-day extension of the controversial national security law by unanimous consent. Trump subsequently approved the short-term renewal. 

TRUMP-APPROVED PLAN TO AVERT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN SCUTTLED BY SENATE

Once the 45-day period ends, Congress will be forced to begin the FISA extension process all over again.

FISA allows the federal government to compel phone and internet providers to provide information about foreigners using their platforms without a warrant, including communications with American citizens. 

Civil libertarians long have argued that the law undermines the privacy of Americans and potentially violates the Fourth Amendment. Those working in law enforcement and intelligence agencies, meanwhile, maintain that FISA is an indispensable tool in thwarting terrorism, drug trafficking and ransomware attacks.  

HOUSE PASSES FISA RENEWAL IN BIPARTISAN VOTE, PUTTING PRESSURE ON SENATE BEFORE LOOMING DEADLINE

More than 20 Republicans maintained their opposition to the FISA extension, even with the CBDC ban attached. 

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES ERUPT OVER SENATE GOP, WHITE HOUSE DEAL AMID SAVE ACT FIGHT

"We should all be standing up for the Fourth Amendment," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said during a debate over the extension Tuesday. 

Republican leadership included the CBDC ban to appease conservative holdouts concerned that a government-issued digital dollar could expand federal visibility into Americans’ transactions.



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Former President Barack Obama was lambasted for rebuking a new Supreme Court ruling against race-based redistricting in Louisiana, just day...

Obama ripped for SCOTUS hot take after support for Virginia 'gerrymander'

Former President Barack Obama was lambasted for rebuking a new Supreme Court ruling against race-based redistricting in Louisiana, just days after cutting ads for a Virginia effort to transform that state's map into a 10-1 Democratic advantage.

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against Louisiana's 2024 mid-decade redistricting that produced a serpentine district represented by Rep. Cleo Fields of Baton Rouge, calling it an "illegal" racial gerrymander, while Obama argued the decision weakened a Voting Rights Act provision prohibiting race-based discrimination.

"Today’s Supreme Court decision effectively guts a key pillar of the Voting Rights Act, freeing state legislatures to gerrymander legislative districts to systematically dilute and weaken the voting power of racial minorities — so long as they do it under the guise of ‘partisanship’ rather than explicit ‘racial bias’," Obama said.

"Unless it’s Virginia. In that case, it’s great to have a 10-1 gerrymander," Bush White House press secretary Ari Fleischer replied in a post on X.

SPANBERGER FACES ‘BAIT-AND-SWITCH’ BACKLASH IN FINAL HOURS BEFORE REDISTRICTING REFERENDUM

Fleischer was joined by former North Carolina Congressman and ex-Trump aide Mark Meadows, who addressed Obama to say his rebuke was "beneath you."

Former DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin also weighed in, remarking that, to the former president, "disenfranchising millions of voters and forcing 45% of Virginians to be represented by one congressional district and 55% represented by 10 is now 'standing up for Democracy.'

"Is that 'equity'? What a farce."

Obama went on to slam the current makeup of the Supreme Court and its conservative majority, saying its decision in the case is another example of "abandoning its vital role in ensuring equal participation in our democracy and protecting the rights of minority groups against majority overreach."

Other critics noted Obama has been mum on his own home state's gerrymandered map, which features several zigzagging districts connecting disparate neighborhoods and suburbs of Chicago, while other Democratic strongholds form serpentine districts around the interior of the state to connect cities like Champaign, Springfield and Moline with other Democratic areas.

Other critics noted how Democrats control every congressional district in New England, plus Hawaii, citing reported figures that all of those states have Republican populations between 32% and 48%, but none of those voters have like-minded representation in Washington.

The 44th president added that setbacks like that can be overcome, calling on Americans who respect "democratic ideals" to vote in record numbers to outweigh any electoral changes brought on by the court's decision.

In his own reading of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, Justice Samuel Alito said that when "correctly understood, [it] does not impose liability at odds with the Constitution, and it should not have imposed liability on Louisiana for its 2022 map."

Just days earlier, Obama was front and center in the largely Democratic-led "Vote Yes" campaign in Virginia, where the commonwealth’s Democratic legislative majority and Gov. Abigail Spanberger backed a voter referendum to implement their own mid-decade redistricting that would favor their party for at least the next four years.

DEMOCRATS WIN VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING FIGHT, THREATENING REPUBLICAN HOUSE MAJORITY

The approved map would transform Virginia’s 6-5 Democratic congressional majority into a likely 10-1 split by redrawing rural districts to include Washington, D.C., suburbs or the Richmond-Petersburg metro area, which proponents like Obama said is needed to restore fairness on a national level.

"By voting yes, you have a chance to do something important, not just for the commonwealth but for our entire country. By voting yes, you can push back on the Republicans trying to give themselves an unfair advantage in the midterms," Obama said.

Obama claimed in a pro-Yes ad that supporters could "level the playing field."

CARVILLE AND CO-HOST LAMENT THAT TRUMP SPARKED A REDISTRICTING WAR, MAKING BOTH PARTIES LOOK CYNICAL

While largely a Democratic concern, and as newly drawn districts in Louisiana and Alabama favored Democrats, Virginia's "yes" campaign did have support from a handful of non-Democrats such as anti-Trump former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.

Like Louisiana’s map, Virginia’s plan has been subject to dueling litigation, including a recent move by a circuit judge in Tazewell County in the western mountains to place a hold on certification of the "Yes" vote, while the state Supreme Court considers a case over the referendum’s legislative process and legitimacy.

In a statement, Fields said Wednesday’s high court decision "dismantled" decades of settled law and was not a "neutral reading" of the Voting Rights Act.

"Today's majority has resurrected exactly that standard — and the practical effect is to make it far harder for minority communities to challenge redistricting maps that dilute their political voice," Fields said.

Fox News Digital reached out to Obama for comment on criticisms.

Fox News' David Spunt contributed to this report.



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