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Trump holds 'all the cards' after high-stakes summit with China, says Victor Davis Hanson
President Donald Trump holds "all the cards" in negotiations with Beijing, according to Hoover Institution senior fellow Victor Davis Hanson.
Hanson argued Friday that America’s energy dominance, economy and artificial intelligence growth allow Trump to negotiate from a position of strength.
"All the data show that the cards are in Donald Trump's hands," Hanson said on "The Ingraham Angle." "He can be [as] magnanimous as he wants, but he has all the cards in his hand, and they don't have any."
Trump left China Friday after a two-day summit, his first visit to the country since November 2017. The two world leaders were originally set to meet at the end of March, but the outbreak of fighting in Iran pushed the meeting back.
TRUMP HEADS TO CHINA WITH THE UPPER HAND — AND XI KNOWS IT
Hanson also pointed to factors like China’s declining birth rate, its massive dependence on foreign oil and the United States' success in keeping Beijing's influence out of the Western Hemisphere as clear indicators that Trump has the upper hand.
"China is not [going to] be a player. And if it is a player, it's [going to] be with the permission of the United States," Hanson said.
He compared modern concerns over China to past global regimes, including former American anxieties over the Soviet Union and Japan.
"China is just the latest phase that we're all supposed to be upset about, but it's [going to] meet the same fate vis-a-vis us that these other so-called superpowers experience[d]," Hanson said.
TRUMP WARNS TAIWAN NOT TO EXPECT BLANK CHECK FROM US MILITARY AFTER INTENSE XI SUMMIT
Trump expressed optimism about trade progress made during the trip, saying aboard Air Force One, "We had a great stay. It was an amazing period of time. President Xi’s an incredible guy. We’ve made a lot of great trade deals."
The president also said China offered to help move negotiations with Iran along.
Major topics, however, appear to have been left unfinished, including Taiwan and the release of political prisoner and Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai.
When pressed on the potential arms package for Taiwan, Trump said he does not want to see fighting break out with China.
"Nothing's changed. I will say this: I'm not looking to have somebody go independent," Trump told Fox News’s Bret Baier. "And, you know, we're supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I'm not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down."
But Hanson argued Trump would not abandon support for Taiwan in exchange for China’s help with Iran negotiations.
"They want stuff from us, and we don't need stuff from them," he said. "And he's not [going to] sell out Taiwan for help in Iran when he doesn't need their help."
Kimberly Williams-Paisley credits two-word phrase as the secret behind her 23-year marriage to Brad Paisley
Kimberly Williams-Paisley recently shared the secret to her 23-year marriage to country star Brad Paisley, and it’s pretty simple: "Don’t leave."
"I heard Jamie Lee Curtis say recently, the secret is ‘Don't leave.’ I thought that was really, actually brilliant," Williams-Paisley told Fox News Digital at the red carpet for the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood. "Yeah, just know there's gonna be ups and downs and don't give up. That was our secret."
While the actress and the "Whiskey Lullaby" singer are both busy with their careers, the 54-year-old said they make the most of the time they have together.
"We find time, we have to be deliberate about it," she explained. "And I mean, we're married 23 years now. And we've also, there's times when we're busier and times when we’re not. And right now I'm busier and, you know, he's about to start a tour this summer, which will make him busy. But when we have the downtime, we really make the most of it."
FREDDIE PRINZE JR. REVEALS THE SECRET BEHIND HIS 23-YEAR MARRIAGE WITH SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR
The "9-1-1: Nashville" star revealed that Paisley gave her a romantic surprise for their anniversary this year.
"He wrote me a letter that was really sweet, and that was a surprise, because he hadn't written me a romantic letter in a long time, and it meant a lot to me," she said.
KIMBERLY WILLIAMS-PAISLEY SHARES 2-WORD SECRET FOR HER MARRIAGE TO BRAD PAISLEY
Williams-Paisley also went through a health scare recently, when she was diagnosed with partial vocal cord paralysis and was unable to speak above a whisper for two years.
KIMBERLY WILLIAMS-PAISLEY'S SUDDEN HEALTH SYMPTOMS LEFT ACTRESS UNABLE TO SPEAK FOR 2 YEARS
After uncovering what the issue was following an 18-month mystery, the actress underwent multiple vocal cord surgeries and finally got an implant.
KIMBERLY WILLIAMS-PAISLEY REVEALS THE HEALTH CHANGES SHE MADE AFTER VOCAL CORD SCARE
"Don't give up, same advice," Williams-Paisley said she would tell others dealing with their own health struggles.
"I'm really fortunate that there was an answer for my condition, but in the meantime, looking for the answer, I wound up making a lot of healthy choices that I hadn't been making before," she explained. "I started a regular meditation practice, I started really lifting weights in earnest, I started eating better, all these things, trying to find the answer to my vocal cords, and when I did finally get the surgery and everything, I had all of the benefits of all the other things that I gained while I was trying to find the answers, and that has changed my life."
HEATHER GRAHAM'S SECRETS TO FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH AS SHE ADMITS SHE'S HAPPIER THAN EVER IN HER 50S
Williams-Paisley added that she now feels "more grounded, I feel more centered, I feel like I know myself better."
She said she realized after her ordeal that "there are blessings in any sort of challenge. Look for those."
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"I don't take it for granted," she added of her health. "Yeah, I definitely am grateful for having it."
JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT AFRAID DAUGHTER WILL WATCH ‘SUPER INTENSE’ ‘BOY MEETS WORLD’ MAKE OUT SCENE
KIMBERLY WILLIAMS-PAISLEY REVEALS ‘REALLY GOOD’ ADVICE STEVE MARTIN GAVE HER ON ‘FATHER OF THE BRIDE’ SET
Williams-Paisley also discussed working with Steve Martin and the late Diane Keaton in her breakout role "Father of the Bride," which she presented at the classic film festival.
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"It was incredible. I mean, I was 19 years old, so I was shot out of a cannon, basically," she laughed. "But they were so wonderful. They were just really supportive and showed me the ropes and, you know, explained things to me, because I really didn't know anything."
She said she was such a novice in the business that she didn’t know about hitting her mark, timing, and how to pace herself, "and they both were really wonderful to work with."
The main advice Martin gave her on set was to "get a good therapist and that was really good advice. And then Diane was someone that I could just talk to about anything, she was just very down-to-earth and easy to talk to and that helped me a lot because there was a lot to process."
"They were hilarious, especially watching Steve Martin and Martin Short together," she added. "They were so funny, and it was hard not to laugh. It was probably hard for them not to laugh. I'd love to see the outtakes from those films."
Reclusive 'Seinfeld' star Michael Richards makes rare public appearance after two-year absence from spotlight
"Seinfeld" alum Michael Richards was seen out-and-about for the first time in two years.
The reclusive '90s star was seen embarking on a casual shopping trip at Melrose Place in West Hollywood earlier this week.
Richards, 76, was spotted wearing a dark pair of pants, a dark jacket and boots during his outing. He was also wearing a pair of glasses.
Richards spoke out about his "exodus" from Hollywood during an appearance on the "Today" show in 2024. During a comedy club appearance in 2006, he made racist remarks that prompted his exit from the entertainment world.
JIM CARREY TOOK BREAK FROM HOLLYWOOD TO GET 'OUT OF PEOPLE'S FACES'
"I canceled myself out. Take an exodus. Get away from show business to see what the heck is going on inside me to have been so despicable that night, losing my cool and hurting people," Richards said at the time.
When asked how he's grown since the 2006 incident, he said that he's "probably more aware of myself," and noted that "anger" was an issue for him.
"Looking at it very closely, it's something that's always with us, certainly with me," he said. "Not as horrible as it was 18 years ago. Anger had a hold of me."
Richards also noted that he's apologized since the comedy club appearance and has come to terms with his actions.
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In 2018, Richards was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He broke back into the entertainment world in 2024 with the release of his memoir, "Entrances and Exits."
During a discussion with Jay Leno for Interview after the release of his memoir, Richards said he wanted to "review" his life.
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"Now in my 70s, having passed through a bout with cancer, I wanted to review my life, have a written account of myself for my fans and family," he said. "I don’t get out much. I’m a very private man. The book has been my way of coming out and saying hello.
"If I make a mistake, I’ll embrace it and say, 'OK, let’s get through this,' rather than trying to bulls--- myself out of it," Richards concluded.
Preakness Stakes 2026: What to know about the second leg of horse racing's Triple Crown
The 151st Preakness Stakes will take place on Saturday, but it will not take place at its usual racetrack.
For the first time ever, the Preakness Stakes will be run at a different course than the Pimlico Race Course. The racetrack, which is located in Baltimore, is under construction with hopes that it will be ready next season.
This year’s Preakness Stakes will be run at Laurel Park, which is just outside of Washington, D.C., and is about 20 miles south of the Pimlico Race Course.
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The Preakness Stakes will also be without the Kentucky Derby winner, Golden Tempo, meaning there will not be a chance to witness a potential Triple Crown this year.
Fourteen 3-year-old horses will run 1 3/16 miles, competing for a $2 million purse.
Taj Mahal, who is trained by Brittany Russell, and Incredibolt, who is trained by Riley Mott, are both 5-1.
Great White, who is trained by John Ennis, is at 7-1. Ocelli, who is trained by D. Whitworth Beckman, and Iron Honor, who is trained by Chad Brown, are both 8-1.
The weekend had a tragic beginning, as on Friday, Hit Zero collapsed and died after crossing the finish line in its first career race.
Hit Zero, who was trained by Russell, came in last place after being the favorite to win. After crossing the finish line, Hit Zero began coughing, dropped to its knees, put its head down and passed away.
Fans of horse racing hope to avoid any more tragedies during the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Fourteen horses are racing, which is the most the race has seen in 15 years. This is the second time in the last 40 years that the first- or second-place finisher from the Kentucky Derby is not racing in the Preakness Stakes.
CHERIE DEVAUX REFLECTS ON MAKING KENTUCKY DERBY HISTORY AS FIRST FEMALE TRAINER TO WIN THE RACE
Just three of the horses in the Preakness Stakes ran in the Kentucky Derby: Ocelli (finished third), Robusta (finished 14th) and Incredibolt (finished sixth). Great White was scheduled to run in the Kentucky Derby but was scratched.
On the heels of Cherie DeVaux becoming the first female trainer to have her horse win the Kentucky Derby, Russell seeks to become the first woman trainer to win the Preakness Stakes.
Taj Mahal, Russell’s horse, has won all three of the races he has competed in at Laurel.
Where: Laurel, Maryland
When: May 16, 2026
Projected post time: 6:50 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Purse: $2 million
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Test your pop culture: From Hollywood to the Heartland
The Pop Culture Quiz is your weekly test of what’s making headlines and breaking the Internet, from the Heartland to Hollywood.
This week’s quiz spotlights country stars and celebrity confrontations.
Can you get all 5 questions right?
For more Entertainment articles, visit www.foxnews.com/entertainment
To try your hand at more quizzes from Fox News Digital, click here.
Bill Maher offers a stark warning for Democrats coddling antisemites, calls out ‘woke idiots’ in the party
HBO host Bill Maher blasted Democrats Friday, saying liberals have failed to condemn antisemitism, calling out a seething swath of hatred as Israel celebrated its 78th birthday.
"There is a frothing anxiousness for the literal extermination of this one group [Jews] and, Democrats, where are you?" Maher said in his "Real Time" rebuke.
"If any other minority group was being talked about this way, you'd break out the kente cloth and have ten benefit concerts, but because you see that so many of your brainwashed-by-TikTok constituents now have an unfavorable view of Israel, you indulge them when you should be correcting them." he added.
"You don't tell your woke idiots that Israel isn't a colonizer or an apartheid state or committing genocide and that, if you brats had to spend a week anywhere in the Middle East other than Israel, you would understand what liberalism is not."
Maher offered a warning to the left, "Let me just say this to all who ask me, ‘Why are you harder on the Democrats than you used to be,’ until you fix this whole issue, stop asking me."
During the "Real Time" segment, Maher criticized media figures and aspiring politicians on both the left and right for rhetoric he said fuels hostility toward Israel and Jewish people.
The HBO host observed, "People say the left and the right can't agree on anything these days. Well, there is this one thing they agree on." Maher then proceeded to call out both liberal and conservative figures who have indulged in anti-Israel or antisemitic comments.
Other criticisms from U.S. college professors and right-wing voices came into focus as well.
MORNING GLORY: THE RETURN OF ANTISEMITISM SHOULD SHOCK AND APPALL AMERICANS
"Israel was founded on the idea that antisemitism made a Jewish state [necessary] because Jews would never be safe without one. Can you honestly listen to this rhetoric and not see why that turned out to be true?" Maher said, reacting to the statements.
"If you don't have the right-wingers on your side and you don't have the progressives, what do you have?"
CARVILLE WARNS DEMOCRATS ANTI-ISRAEL 'LOUDMOUTHS' COULD COST ELECTIONS
He added later, referring to Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels, "These are the kind of statements Goebbels would have read and said, 'No notes.'"
Maher also called out Islamophobic rhetoric, but argued its severity pales in comparison to the seeming embrace of antisemitism.
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Headlines, like one from The New York Times, discussing how "fear and vigilance" have become "constant companions for Jews," were shown on the screen during Maher's takedown, emphasizing the severity of hatred against Jews.
The Israeli government announced this week it will initiate a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times over columnist Nicholas Kristof’s contentious "dog rape" story, the Israel Foreign Ministry said.
Kristof penned the controversial piece headlined, "The Silence That Meets the Rape of Palestinians," that features men and women alleging "brutal sexual abuse at the hands of Israel’s prison guards, soldiers, settlers and interrogators." Many critics blasted it as "propaganda" and poked holes in the reporting, specifically a claim that dogs have been trained to sexually assault Palestinians.
Fox News' Brian Flood and Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.
Spencer Pratt torches Chelsea Handler with Epstein dinner party jab after she mocks his mayoral run
Spencer Pratt is not afraid of critics.
The former reality star, whose campaign for mayor of Los Angeles has been picking up steam, was mocked by Chelsea Handler, but he was quick to get in a jab of his own.
Handler posted a video to social media on Friday, telling her followers, "Oh hi, if you're seeing this video, this is a reminder that a straight white male former reality star that has no previous experience in government should not be a legitimate political candidate."
The video had been displaying photos of Pratt, but she inserted a photo of President Donald Trump before saying, "Have we learned anything yet?"
"The bar is on the f---ing floor, people, and I need you to jump over it," she added. "OK, thank you, have a nice day!"
Hours later, Pratt took to X to respond.
"Most of you have probably never heard of Chelsea Handler, so here's an introduction!" he wrote, attaching a video of comedian Shane Gillis at the recent Netflix roast of Kevin Hart.
In the video, Gillis said, "Chelsea Handler went to dinner at Jeffrey Epstein's house in 2010. That's just a fun one. You can look it up, there's articles. It wasn't like a big party, there was, like, seven people there. It was like, Prince Andrew and Woody Allen were there."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Handler for comment.
Handler has admitted to going to Epstein's home multiple times over the years. While guest-hosting "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in 2022, she said that while she'd never been to Epstein's island, she did "accidentally" find herself at the dinner party with the aforementioned guests, having been brought along by Katie Couric.
She joked, in the monologue and in other interviews, that while dining with Allen and his wife, Soon-Yi Previn — who Allen originally knew as the adopted daughter of his longtime partner, Mia Farrow — she asked the couple, "So how did you two meet?"
Meanwhile, Pratt's mayoral campaign has come under scrutiny as he fields various accusations, including questions over his current living situation.
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The speculation intensified following reports he was not living in an Airstream trailer parked on the lot of his former California home. The former "Hills" star acknowledged he is not actively staying in the trailer despite suggesting he was in a recent mayoral campaign ad.
"Hey guys, why don’t they wanna talk about why I need a hotel in the first place?" Pratt wrote on X. "Karen Bass let my home burn down. Also 6,000 of my neighbors. NBD."
"Funny how they never attack my policy ideas," he added in a separate post. "They can only try to assassinate your character. They don’t wanna talk about my debate masterclass a week ago, they wanna talk about a reality show from a lifetime ago."
"That’s because they want the continued decline of the city," Pratt continued. "They are locked in an ideological death spiral and can’t shake it. Come at my policies or go sit back down on the back bench. I’m in the arena, son."
SPENCER PRATT AND HEIDI MONTAG SUE THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES, LADWP AFTER PALISADES FIRE
Pratt has been staying at the Hotel Bel-Air for the past month while his wife and kids have been staying in Carpinteria, California, sources told TMZ.
The 42-year-old told the outlet the Airstream had become unsafe as he campaigns to be Los Angeles’ next mayor, claiming the hotel’s "armed security" made it "the only option."
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"The reality is the Ba--holes and Ramaniacs are a little bit whacko, and since I destroyed them in the debate, and am surging in the polls, they are getting increasingly desperate and hostile," he explained.
Pratt doubled down during "TMZ Live" on Wednesday, claiming critics were missing his point.
"I don't live at the hotel Bel Air. I don't live in the Airstream. I don't live in Santa Barbara. I don't have a house. They burned it down," he told the outlet.
Despite his house burning down, Pratt emphasized the Palisades property is his home.
"That is where I live, period," Pratt noted. "I don't need to sleep there every night. I don't need to go number two on that toilet. That is where I live."
Fox News Digital's Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.
Fever coach accused of snubbing Caitlin Clark with odd response after heroic fourth quarter
Caitlin Clark finally found her shot Friday night against the Washington Mystics, hitting five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, including the game-tying shot with 1.7 seconds left to force overtime.
That, in itself, could be the story. Clark has stunk this season from beyond the arc, but she found her shot when it mattered most.
The game-tying three was a thing of beauty. Frankly, the WNBA should be foaming at the mouth today. Forget the noise. They need Clark to be good. Believe me, I've seen the numbers.
When she's hitting buzzer beaters and going viral on social media, it's a fever dream for the WNBA and the folks in marketing. Nobody else in the league comes even close.
Yeah, the execs LOVE that. Trust me.
Anyway, that's not the story today. The Fever went on to lose in overtime. That's also not the story.
Instead, the story is this ... odd ... response by Fever coach Stephanie White after the game when asked specifically about Clark's late-game heroics.
Take a look:
"I thought our whole group showed resilience in that rally we showed the ability to make tough shots," White said. "We showed the ability to make tough shots. We had some really good time and execution moments, offensively and defensively ... we just have to have more of it consistently."
So, everyone is mad at this response today. Social media is a cesspool, and the pitchforks are aimed at Stephanie White right now.
Fans are accusing her of snubbing Clark. Ignoring Clark. Downplaying her fourth quarter effort, which included 17 points. She finished with 32 points and seven 3s, by the way.
Not bad!
I could go on and on. It's a bloodbath over on Elon's app today. Everyone is fired up.
Personally ... I don't really see a problem with the answer. It's coach speak 101. Some folks say White has never liked Caitlin Clark. Perhaps. I don't know that for sure. Nobody does.
FEVER COACH STEPHANIE WHITE REVEALS SHE WAS FINED OVER APPARENT CRITICISM OF WNBA OFFICIATING
But I'm not sure what she's supposed to say here that we don't already know? We all saw Clark hit the game-tying shot. We saw what she did in the fourth quarter. We know she's a great player. Do fans really need the coach to vindicate them by stating the obvious? Seems petty to me.
Coaches are ALWAYS hardest on the best player. Again, it's coaching 101. It comes with the territory. What's that old quote from "Remember the Titans?"
"You wanna be a star, you'd better give me a star effort."
Feel like that's what we have here between Caitlin Clark and Stephanie White. The Fever lost. Clark, for as good as she was in the fourth quarter, still shot 10 of 28 from the field. Frankly, I would hope Caitlin Clark had no interest in getting her roses after a loss, no matter how good she was down the stretch.
Anyway, where does everyone stand on this? Big deal or non-story?
Let me know!
Hamas, Hezbollah flags fly at anti-Israel protest minutes after Mamdani condemns terror plot against Jews
Several masked demonstrators carried Hamas flags at an anti-Israel protest in Manhattan on Friday, while a Hezbollah flag waved above the crowd, hours after federal authorities charged an alleged Kataib Hezbollah operative of plotting attacks on Jewish community centers and a Manhattan synagogue.
The protest drew about 500 demonstrators carrying Palestinian flags to Washington Square Park, where chants of "globalize the intifada" rang out as one speaker declared Israel has no right to exist and said Palestinians would take over Israel "by any means necessary."
Just as the protest was kicking off at around 4:30 p.m., New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the alleged terror plot by Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, a commander in the Kataeb Hezbollah terrorist operation in Iraq.
"Let me be clear: antisemitism, violent extremism, and terrorism have no place in our city. This kind of hate is despicable," Mamdani said.
ISRAEL, JEWS TARGETED WORLDWIDE AS WELL-FUNDED LEFTIST, ISLAMIST GROUPS JOIN FOR ‘NAKBA 78’ PROTESTS
Two minutes later, a starkly different scene unfolded in Lower Manhattan off W. 4th Street. The activists descended on the busy Washington Square Park with Palestinian flags, pre-printed signs and banners, transforming a corner of the park into a rally staging ground to protest the existence of the state of Israel and demand its dismantling and replacement with a state called Palestine.
Among them, a young anti-Israel demonstrator arrived, draped in the flag of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades — Hamas’s military wing — wearing it like a cape. The flag depicted a masked armed fighter beside the Dome of the Rock beneath green script in Arabic, declaring the shahada, or Muslim proclamation of faith. He also carried a flag featuring an image of Abu Obaida, the spokesman for Hamas’ military wing, who became one of the terror group’s most recognizable figures after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. Israeli forces killed him in 2025.
Others followed wearing the green headbands of Hamas and carrying similar flags. Nearby, a protester carried Hezbollah’s bright yellow flag, featuring the organization’s recognizable green insignia of a stylized assault rifle incorporated into Arabic calligraphy.
The demonstration was organized by anti-Israel groups including the Muslim American Society — a powerful nonprofit whose leaders supported Mamdani’s election — and Within Our Lifetime, another local group. Protesters arrived carrying pre-made banners over their shoulders, stacks of professionally printed signs and a North Face bag filled with protest gear.
These same groups led protests at a Jewish synagogue and community center in New York City this past week, resulting in viral clashes with Jewish community members.
Based in Brooklyn, N.Y., next to an NYPD precinct, Muslim American Society of New York is a 501(c)(3) sister nonprofit of Muslim American Society. It had $782,644 in revenue in 2024, according to its last tax filing. Within Our Lifetime isn’t a nonprofit but accepts donations.
FIRST ON FOX: NEW STUDY REVEALS 'PRO-PALESTINIAN' GROUPS PROMOTE VIOLENCE AND ANTI-AMERICANISM
ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS CLASH WITH NYPD OFFICERS NEAR SYNAGOGUE
By about 5:06 p.m., Within Our Lifetime’s polarizing co-founder, Nerdeen Kiswani, emerged from the crowd at the Washington Square Arch and led chants of "Globalize the intifada! From New York to Gaza! Globalize the intifada!"
"We do not mince words here," Kiswani told the crowd. "Yes, that also means necessarily that the state of Israel and Zionism must be abolished. I do not and will never recognize Israel's so-called right to exist. It has no right to exist."
Minutes later, at about 5:14 p.m., Abdullah Akl, a leader at the Muslim American Society Youth Center in Brooklyn, stood in front of a large black banner that read "GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA" in white and gold letters.
"From the river to the sea," Akl shouted, invoking a slogan widely interpreted as calling for the elimination of Israel between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. "Palestine will be free."
As demonstrators readied to march north through Manhattan, several participants openly waved Hamas flags above the crowd. When asked about the displays, Kiswani told Fox News Digital: "We only bring Palestinian flags."
But the Hamas flags remained visible throughout the march, including directly behind Kiswani and Akl as demonstrators moved uptown in a tightly coordinated procession. Kiswani told Fox News Digital, "We only bring Palestinian flags."
The Manhattan protest was one of about 736 "Nakba Day" events that 425 organizations with about $1 billion in collective revenue held across 39 cities in recent days, according to a Fox News Digital investigation. "Nakba," the Arabic word for "catastrophe," refers to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.
Chants throughout the evening rejected the idea of a two-state solution.
"We don’t want your two states," demonstrators shouted, following Kiswani’s cue, as organizers moved the march route through Manhattan, past Sephora, the makeup store, on E. 14th Street.
Protesters beat drums decorated with stickers reading, "By Any Means Necessary," while marchers carried a banner declaring, "From Gaza to Jenin. Revolution Until Victory."
In the crowd, activists from Islamist and communist groups marched together, including Al-Awda, which advocates for the so-called "right of return" of diaspora Palestinians to Israel, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, a self-declared Marxist group, and the Workers World Party, which describes itself as a "revolutionary Marxist-Leninist party inside the belly of the imperialist beast."
A group of Orthodox Jewish demonstrators also marched beside pro-Palestinian activists carrying signs reading "Judaism condemns the state of Israel" and "Torah demands all Palestine." Rabbi David Feldman told Fox News Digital he believed "the state of Israel may not exist at all" under Jewish law and said Palestinians should regain "every inch" of land taken from them.
About Hamas, he said, "They don't target against Jewish people, so I don't think that they are a terrorist group. They're just fighting for the land, what people stole from them, that's all. So that's what I believe, so I don't say anything in politics, that is all."
But the Hamas supporters went undisturbed as they flew a flag of the terrorist group over Kiswani and Akl, clapping, just before they set out to lead the group through Manhattan in a carefully choreographed street theater that stretched into the night. This past week, another flag raised another controversy: a purple flag with the swastika symbol of Nazis, the five-point star that is a symbol of Judaism and the "NYU" acronym for New York University. The university apologized for its use.
As the demonstration snaked over Sixth Avenue, one protester, Anas Shuayb, 27, defended the Hamas imagery as "free speech" and described Hamas as a "form of resistance" to Israeli military activity in Gaza and the West Bank.
Shuayb said he voted for Trump and attended the protest partly because he opposes the U.S. war in Iran.
"I’m Palestinian and a Palestinian who voted for Trump," Shuaib, who attended Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally in 2024, told Fox News Digital.
Shuaib said he was disappointed Trump had "fallen in the trap of Netanyahu" after campaigning against new foreign wars. "America should fight no war for Israel," he added. "America first, not Israel first."
The demonstration resembled a carefully staged political production more than a spontaneous protest. Organizers distributed professionally printed signs reading, "We Will Return," a slogan referencing Palestinian demands for a mass movement to modern-day Israel.
Outside Grand Central Station on 42nd Street, Kiswani grabbed the mic and led the group in a proclamation of aggression. On Park Avenue, protesters defiantly unfurled a massive Palestinian flag stretching across much of the streets while crowds beneath it repeatedly chanted, "Globalize the intifada,"
"Palestine has the right to exist and to resist and to reclaim land and freedom by any means necessary," Kiswani told the crowd.
As the crowd marched uptown to Time Square, Hamas and Hezbollah imagery remained visible without any effort by organizers to remove or discourage the displays.
Activists appeared highly conscious of their visual presentation. Some demonstrators marched in designer sunglasses, luxury handbags and carefully styled outfits while protest marshals coordinated crowd movement and legal observers from the ACLU monitored the route.
Akl, the leader at the Muslim American Society, wore a parody designer-style shirt reading, "The Anti-Zionist Social Club," mimicking the aesthetic of luxury streetwear brands popular among younger activists.
Members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization distributed flyers reading, "Victory to the Palestinian Resistance!" On the reverse side were advertisements for LGBTQ organizing meetings featuring imagery from the "Gay Liberation Front."
The route itself appeared strategically staged for maximum visibility and dramatic effect.
Demonstrators gathered beneath the overpass outside Grand Central Terminal, where chants of "Free Palestine" and "Globalize the Intifada" echoed through the station, in one of the loudest moments of the evening. Protesters appeared at moments to push toward the terminal entrance, though they ultimately didn’t enter the station.
Later, on Park Avenue, marchers briefly surrounded vehicles in traffic while chanting "Shut it down," creating the appearance of a street takeover as NYPD officers quietly redirected cars around the demonstration.
At several points, protesters shouted at bystanders and critics to "get off the street" while police officers continued escorting the march route through Manhattan.
Professionally printed banners reading "Revolution Until Victory" and "Resisting the Nakba Since 1948" stretched across the front lines of the march as drummers, megaphones and coordinated flag displays transformed intersections into temporary stages for chants and political theater.
Many of the demonstrators wore masks or face coverings and keffiyehs, while some acted as informal security detail, repeatedly stepping between cameras and protest leaders, blowing whistles and thrusting Palestinian flags into camera lenses to disrupt filming by journalists and bystanders.
WE CAN’T IGNORE THE DANGER FROM THOSE WHO WANT TO ‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA.' WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION
By the time the final marchers arrived at Times Square for a carefully choreographed public prayer, photographed extensively by the organizers’ social media team, the evening had showcased what experts describe as a durable and politically normalized protest ecosystem in New York City, blending nonprofit institutions, socialist organizations, anti-Israel activism, legal support networks, social-media aesthetics and militant symbolism into a single coordinated street operation.
The young man with the Hamas cape joined the second row of the congregational prayer at Time Square, the iconography for the terrorist group’s Qassam Brigade prominent as he prostrated in prayer.
Track star says she's tired of Christians being called 'bigots' for opposing trans athletes in girls' sports
Crean Lutheran High School girls’ track and field athlete Olivia Viola will compete against a trans athlete in the state tournament for the third year in a row.
Viola watched a trans competitor break her personal record and knock her out of the state tournament last season, and on top of that, she has had to face criticism for speaking out in support of herself and other female athletes.
As a Christian, the issue is important to Viola, but she also believes it applies to women of all beliefs. But she also suggested that Christians are being unfairly targeted in the pushback against "Save Girls Sports" activism.
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"I would say it’s unfair to everyone, I wouldn’t say it’s specific to Christians, I would say it’s unfair to all women who have to compete against [trans athletes]. But what I do think is unfair is pegging Christians as the bad guys or the bigots for not wanting a male in our spaces," she said.
This year, she can also vote for the first time to do something about it.
With the state’s gubernatorial election coming up this year, and the issue of protecting girls’ sports being at the top of Viola’s issue, Viola is planning to vote for Sheriff Chad Bianco.
"He’s shown support for us, like, there’s been not very many people who are willing to make a public stance on it, and he’s shown very strong support for us and for women, which is great," Viola said.
Bianco told Fox News Digital in an interview in February that he would use "force" as governor to ensure that girls' sports are protected.
"You force people to not," he said of how to handle schools letting males in girls' sports. "In our high schools and in our school system, if they are going to allow it, we will not fund that. We will not fund the school, we will not provide them with their money."
Viola has been publicly fighting in the state’s movement to "Save Girls’ Sports" dating back to last year.
"I have received so much positive feedback from other people, saying that like it’s so important and that they’re grateful for what we’re doing to fight for it. So I honestly would say the majority of people think it’s important," Viola said.
A bipartisan survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found the majority of California residents oppose biological male trans athletes competing in women's sports.
That figure included more than 70% of the state's school parents.
"Most Californians support requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams matching the sex they were assigned at birth," the poll stated. "Solid majorities of adults (65%) and likely voters (64%) support requiring that transgender athletes compete on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with. An overwhelming majority of public school parents (71%) support such a requirement."
For Viola’s parents, Tracy and Juan Luis, the issue has caused immense frustration, especially with current Gov. Gavin Newsom after a statement from a source in his office last week that said Newsom "rejects the right-wing cynical attempt to weaponize this debate as an excuse to vilify individual kids. The governor’s position is simple: stand with all kids and stand up to bullies."
Tracy and Juan Luis slammed the governor for his statement.
"Newsom used aggressive and weaponizing language against 17-year-old girls. In my opinion, his words were aimed at intimidating female athletes into compliance. These girls complicate things for him, so he would prefer them to stay quiet. That is a terrible thing for a governor to do. If the governor had any sense of right and wrong he would be applauding these girls for their courage to stand up for women’s rights," the parents said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"In Newsom’s comments there was no discussion about the real root of the problem. He had no response about defying title IX. He had no response about how to fix the very bad policies in California that allow biological males to enter female athletic divisions without any type of clear biological regulations."
The parents added that they believe the issue should transcend individual political and religious beliefs, and are disappointed more people who agree with their side aren't speaking out.
"Based on how fundamentally different men and women are physically, athletic categories must be based on pure biological reality — this includes a person's age and biological sex — whether they have XX or XY chromosomes. When it comes to athletic divisions, nothing else matters — not political beliefs, not religious beliefs, not affluence, not gender ideology," the statement said.
"If you start to try and blur those lines, you’ve stripped away all credibility for fairness. These girls are not telling people they can’t have ideological beliefs, they simply shouldn’t be a part of determining athletic divisions. One of the most disappointing things for me is seeing how many people support the girls, yet how few people are willing to stand alongside them. I truly think we won’t see a change until everyone who believes that athletics must have clear divisions based on sex, chooses to use their voices."
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