Fox News Latest Headlines
Mamdani vetoes first bill in sign of tensions with NYC council
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued his first veto Friday, halting City Council bill Int. 175-B that would have forced the NYPD to publicize plans for handling protests near schools and other educational facilities.
It is the latest sign of Mamdani's growing clash with Council leadership, deepening an early power struggle with Council Speaker Julie Menin over policing, public safety and free speech.
"The problem is how widely this bill defines an educational institution and the constitutional concerns it raises regarding New Yorkers’ fundamental right to protest," Mamdani wrote in a statement. "As the bill is written, everywhere from universities to museums to teaching hospitals could face restrictions."
"This could impact workers protesting ICE, or college students demanding their school divest from fossil fuels or demonstrating in support of Palestinian rights," he continued.
ISRAELI COMEDIAN DROPS OUT OF PASSOVER EVENT AFTER LEARNING OF MAMDANI'S ATTENDANCE
"Int. 175-B is not a narrow public safety measure; it is a piece of legislation that has alarmed much of the labor movement, reproductive rights groups, and immigration advocates, among others, across this City. Nearly a dozen unions have raised the alarm about its impact on their ability to organize," the mayor added.
Menin is going to work to whip up votes to override Mamdani on the bill, which finished just four votes shy of being veto-proof, passing last month 30-19.
"Ensuring students can enter and exit their schools without fear of harassment or intimidation should not be controversial," Menin wrote in a statement. "This bill simply requires the NYPD to clearly outline how it will ensure safe access when there are threats of obstruction or physical injury, while fully protecting First Amendment rights."
HOUSE REPUBLICANS DEMAND TRUMP ADMIN DENY MAMDANI FEDERAL SECURITY CLEARANCE
The bill, sponsored by Councilman Eric Dinowitz, would have required police to submit a protest-response plan to the mayor and speaker and post it online. It also would have required the police commissioner to provide a public point of contact for any effort to manage demonstrations near educational sites.
Dinowitz pushed back on claims that the bill threatened free speech.
"Should students be harassed on the way to school? I think the answer is no," he told The New York Times.
MAMDANI RIPPED BY RIVALS FOR UNPOPULAR STANCE DURING FIERY NYC DEBATE: 'YOU WON'T SUPPORT ISRAEL'
Opponents on the left said the measure would expand protest policing and chill protected speech.
The fight also exposed one of the biggest political fault lines at City Hall: how to respond to protests tied to Israel and the war in Gaza. The issue gained momentum after a heated protest outside a Manhattan synagogue last fall, where some demonstrators shouted, "Death to the IDF," and, "Globalize the intifada."
"Sending the message to New Yorkers that we have something to worry about with regard to protest by or near schools, libraries, teaching hospitals is absolutely the wrong message for these times, especially when the Trump regime is coming at protest with a sledgehammer," New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman told the Times.
Jewish groups, including UJA-Federation of New York, blasted the veto, rebuking the "profound failure of City Hall to demonstrate to all New Yorkers that our safety is a priority."
"At a time when Jewish and other communities across our city are facing heightened threats, this legislation represented a crucial step toward ensuring that every school and community institution can be better protected," the group wrote in a statement.
Mamdani and Menin — the city's first Jewish speaker — had shown signs this week of trying to cool things down, including a Thursday dinner to discuss the pending veto and other issues, the Times reported. Friday’s decision suggested the détente may not last.
TNA wrestling star Xia Brookside gets baptized: 'A new chapter'
Xia Brookside certainly has made an impact on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) over the last few weeks.
As Brookside climbs the ladder to get back into the TNA Knockouts World Championship, she appeared to make an enemy along the way. Brookside helped Arianna Grace retain the title over Lei Ying Lee at Rebellion when she put Grace’s foot on the rope to break up the pin attempt.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Brookside was far from finished with Lee. Last week, Lee wanted answers from Brookside. The English wrestler gave Lee a hug in the middle of the ring, but assaulted her. Their feud is heating up.
Outside of the ring, Brookside revealed on Sunday she was starting "a new chapter." She posted a video of herself getting baptized.
"Something I’ve been considering for a very long time, after getting consistent in going to church weekly, reading daily and the incredible support from my man, it felt like the easiest decision I’ve ever made," she wrote on X. "Thank you to everyone that came to support me."
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Brookside, whose real name is Xia-Louise Brooks, is the daughter of retired pro wrestling star Robbie Brookside. He currently works as a trainer and producer for WWE NXT.
She started her pro wrestling career in the United Kingdom and worked her way through the independent scene, eventually joining WWE in 2018. She was featured in WWE NXT UK before she joined Stardom in Japan and eventually TNA.
She’s held championships in International Pro Wrestling United Kingdom and Rise Wrestling during her career. She was also ranked No. 91 on Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s list of top women’s wrestlers in 2019.
Brookside is back to making an impact on TNA again and is sure to be in line for the knockouts title down the line.
Hakeem Jeffries declared 'maximum warfare' on Republicans days before Trump assassination attempt
Just days before an apparent assassination attempt on President Donald Trump's life, one of the Democratic Party’s leaders called for "maximum warfare" against Republicans.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., made the inflammatory remark while warning Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., against redrawing the state’s congressional map ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Jeffries said that if DeSantis attempted to counter Democratic gains in Virginia following the state’s aggressive gerrymander, Democrats would continue to ratchet up pressure on Republicans nationwide.
"We are in an era of maximum warfare. Everywhere, all the time," Jeffries said Wednesday at a news conference.
DALLAS MAYOR WARNS RISING POLITICAL VIOLENCE COULD MEAN ICE FACILITY ATTACK ‘WON’T BE THE LAST’
Three days later, a California man allegedly attempted to assassinate the president Saturday evening at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.
Cole Allen, 31, is accused of storming a Secret Service checkpoint while armed and intending to enter the hotel ballroom to kill Trump and administration officials. The alleged assassin was armed with a shotgun, handgun and several knives and opened fire on federal agents before being subdued.
A Secret Service officer wearing a ballistic vest, whom Allen allegedly shot at close range, was released from the hospital Sunday.
The gunman allegedly prepared a manifesto before the attack that included anti-Trump and anti-Christian messages, several law enforcement officials told Fox News. He is expected to be arraigned on several federal gun charges Monday.
After the shooting, Republicans called on Democratic lawmakers to refrain from using warlike rhetoric to criticize Trump that could incite violence. The GOP made similar pleas in 2024 after two attempts on the president’s life in Butler, Pa., and at his golf club in Doral, Fla.
But top Democrats have argued that Republicans, too, have used plenty of inflammatory statements to describe their opponents.
"America will not be lectured about civility by far-right extremists in Congress," Jeffries wrote on social media Sunday, adding that "now is a time to unify."
A White House aide notably used the same "maximum warfare" language toward Democrats during an interview with The New York Times last year.
When asked to describe the White House's midterms strategy, the anonymous staffer said, "Maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time."
EXPERT WARNS DEMOCRATS RISK BACKLASH OVER FAILURE TO CONDEMN VIOLENT RHETORIC IN THEIR RANKS
Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries' office before publication.
Jeffries’ defiant social media post came after he unequivocally denounced political violence during an interview with Fox News Sunday.
"It is certainly the case that violence is never the answer, whether it's targeted at the right, the left or the center," Jeffries told Fox News’ Shannon Bream.
When asked how leaders can combat increasing political violence, Jeffries said elected officials must "set the most appropriate example" in their rhetoric.
"Whatever your ideological perspective is, we all love America, and we all want to make sure that this country is the best that it can possibly be," he added.
Some Democrats have issued clear appeals to the left to refrain from using violence to achieve their political aims.
"Please stop trying to murder the president," Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., wrote on social media.
Forget yogurt and sauerkraut: 5 gut-friendly favorites may already be on your shelf
Yogurt and probiotics often get the spotlight for gut health, but a number of everyday foods already sitting in your kitchen may offer similar benefits.
As gut health becomes a growing focus in the wellness world, experts point to the microbiome — the trillions of bacteria living in the digestive tract — as a key player in everything from digestion to immunity.
Beyond probiotic staples such as yogurt, certain everyday foods packed with fiber, prebiotics and anti-inflammatory properties may also help support a healthy gut.
CAN'T FALL ASLEEP? DOCTORS REVEAL UNEXPECTED FOODS THAT MAY HELP — AND THEY'RE GOOD FOR YOU, TOO
"Yogurt, kombucha and sauerkraut provide probiotics — live bacteria — while foods like beans and oats provide prebiotics, which help feed those bacteria," New York-based nutritionist Robin DeCicco told Fox News Digital.
"Good bacteria may not survive if you don't have prebiotics.... You need to have both."
A nutritionist writing in Tasting Table recently highlighted several kitchen staples that can help fight gastrointestinal disorders like inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease and cancer.
Below are five unexpected foods that can support gut health.
Widely known for their healthy fats, avocados also deliver about 14 grams of fiber per fruit.
That fiber can help support digestion while also feeding beneficial gut bacteria. Daily avocado intake has been shown to increase beneficial gut bacteria, large studies in recent years have shown.
In one 12-week randomized controlled trial, adults with overweight or obesity issues who ate avocado daily saw greater gut microbiome diversity and higher levels of certain fiber-fermenting bacteria, according to research published in the Journal of Nutrition.
Beans, lentils and chickpeas are packed with both soluble and insoluble fiber, making them a top pick for gut health. Research suggests legumes can help increase beneficial gut bacteria and support metabolic health, according to recent studies.
"The more fiber you have, the more you support beneficial bacteria in the gut," DeCicco said.
'BEANTOK' TREND GOES VIRAL WITH WILD GUT HEALTH PROMISES — HERE'S WHAT EXPERTS SAY
She also recommended adding beans gradually to avoid bloating and soaking dried beans beforehand to make them easier to digest.
While garlic is best known for ramping up flavor, it also contains compounds that can benefit the gut microbiome.
It is rich in prebiotics, which help nourish good bacteria, and contains naturally occurring sugars called fructans that can stimulate the growth of probiotics in the gut, according to Tasting Table.
Compounds found in plant foods like garlic are metabolized by gut bacteria and may help support a healthier microbiome, emerging research suggests.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
A hearty bowl of oatmeal may do more than warm the stomach.
Its fiber has been shown to help support gut health by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria.
"Oats are excellent for the detoxification of waste and relieving constipation," DeCicco noted.
"The more fiber you have in your body, the more it may help reduce inflammation and lower your risk of developing disease."
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
DeCicco recommended pairing oats with protein and healthy fats to make the meal more balanced and keep you full longer.
Flaxseed has gained popularity as a "superfood" — DeCicco praised it as an "all-around, super medicinal food" — and its benefits extend to gut health.
The seeds are rich in both soluble and insoluble fiber, helping to feed gut bacteria while also promoting regular bowel movements, research has shown.
They also contain plant-based omega-3 fatty acids and compounds called lignans, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, according to DeCicco.
"Ground flaxseed is best, since the body can absorb its nutrients more easily that way," she noted.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
She advised starting with small amounts and drinking plenty of water to aid digestion and adding it to foods like oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies, eggs or salads.
Jewel says off-grid Alaska upbringing without electricity or running water kept her grounded
Jewel is opening up about her off-the-grid upbringing.
In a recent interview with Fox News Digital at the Breakthrough Awards, the 51-year-old singer described what it was like growing up in Alaska.
"My lifestyle was just subsistence living, no electricity, no running water," she explained. "We had an outhouse, lots of creativity."
She went on to say that this upbringing is what has "always kept me grounded."
CHRISTIE BRINKLEY BELIEVES ‘MAGIC DIRT’ MAY HAVE SAVED HER LIFE IN NEAR-FATAL 1994 HELICOPTER CRASH
The Breakthrough Awards celebrates the research achievements of the world’s top scientists, with more than $15 million being awarded to scientists in different fields, including Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics and Mathematics, with each prize being worth $3 million.
The singer has spoken about her rough childhood in the past, telling PBS in July 2023 that she "didn’t know what a gift it was to have been raised how I was raised," but looking back, she realizes that her upbringing gave her "a resourcefulness, a reliance, a sort of natural trust in my own ability," to apply herself and figure it out.
WATCH HERE: JEWEL DETAILS WHAT HER OFF-THE-GRID CHILDHOOD IN ALASKA WAS LIKE
"The land demands things of you, and Alaska demands things of you," she said. "And you either find a way to survive and live or you perish. And so it’s very clear, it’s very practical, it’s very pragmatic. And so I was raised by a very practical, pragmatic culture and family that also had a very philosophical bent."
She explained that the combination of her family life and living in nature "really served me," noting there were no gender roles in her family and that "whatever needed to be done, you did. And you were expected to figure it out no matter what. You just had to figure it out."
COUNTRY STAR ZAC BROWN WARNS ‘POVERTY OF SPIRIT’ AND LACK OF STRUGGLE ARE RUINING AMERICAN KIDS
Jewel ended up moving out of her home when she was 15 years old in order to escape her abusive father, eventually ending up homeless at 18.
She opened up about this time in her life in an op-ed published in Teen Vogue in May 2023, while encouraging young readers to "make your happiness your number one ambition" and invest in their mental health, adding, "your life will be better."
WATCH HERE: ROB LOWE SHARES ONE BREAKTHROUGH THAT FASCINATES HIM ABOUT SCIENCE
"Fame does not make happiness. Nor does money — I have seen all sides of both. I was raised on an Alaskan homestead with no running water. I moved out at age fifteen to get away from my father. I became homeless when I was eighteen after a boss withheld my paycheck because I would not have sex with him," she wrote.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER
"I was a trauma survivor, though I wasn't aware of the term then; I was even less aware of mental health awareness, which today we acknowledge during the month of May," she continued. "I suffered from panic attacks, anxiety and agoraphobia, and had a nasty shoplifting habit."
Eventually, knowing her future could include landing herself "in jail or worse if I did not get serious" about where she was in life, Jewel decided "to learn how to be happy."
Jewel went on to breakthrough into the music industry with her debut album, "Pieces of You," which was released in 1995, but became a smash hit in 1997, when she was 23 years old.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
The album featured hit singles "Who Will Save Your Soul" and "You Were Meant For Me." She went on to receive four Grammy Award nominations throughout her career and won an American Music Award.
When speaking with AARP in August 2024, Jewel shared that despite all the negative things she's experienced, she chooses to look on the bright side of life.
"I want my life to be my best work of art. I want to try to live thoughtfully and intentionally and sculpt my humanity into something that will please me at the end of my life," she said.
I’m a university president. Trump is right to make colleges deliver for students
Washington just sent a shockwave through the higher education establishment and American families are the clear winners. For years, traditional colleges and universities have operated like untouchable monopolies. They skyrocketed tuition costs, increased their administrative budgets, and happily pocketed federal financial aid checks. They did all of this without ever proving that their degrees lead to meaningful careers.
Colleges and universities will no longer escape with zero accountability.
Recently, the Department of Education under the Trump administration proposed a new accountability system. It is designed to eliminate the low return on investment that has burdened students and their parents for generations.
Under this new Student Tuition and Transparency System, institutions must pass a basic earnings premium test. Colleges and universities must prove that graduates from their undergraduate programs earn more money per year than a typical high school graduate. If they cannot meet this metric, the institution will lose access to federal student loans and potentially Pell Grants.
This proposal is not a radical political idea. It is economic common sense. As Under Secretary of Education Nicholas Kent correctly noted, if postsecondary education programs do not leave graduates better off, taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize them. More importantly, parents should not have to empty their retirement accounts to pay for them.
Higher education has told high school seniors to blindly chase campus prestige for too long. We handed young adults tens of thousands of dollars in student loans to pursue degrees that the modern labor market simply does not value or need. The devastating result is a generation drowning in student loan debt, moving back into their childhood bedrooms, and holding diplomas that cannot secure a livable wage.
As the president of Southeastern University, I see this proposed regulation as the reset American higher education desperately needs.
WHY ELITE COLLEGES FEAR TRUMP AND MCMAHON'S NEW ACADEMIC COMPACT TYING FUNDING TO FREE SPEECH
This is a victory for the family sitting around the kitchen table trying to figure out how to afford college. It is a victory for the 18-year-old being told to borrow without being told the consequences. And it is a victory for the taxpayer who has been subsidizing broken institutions for too long.
A degree is only valuable if it equips a young adult to build a stable life, support a family, and contribute meaningfully to the economy. At Southeastern University, we understood this shift years ago. We did not wait for a federal mandate to hold ourselves accountable. We intentionally built an educational model designed for the modern workforce, partnering directly with employers, aligning academic programs with real economic demand, and ensuring students gain practical, career-ready experience long before they cross the graduation stage.
Education must function as a bridge to economic mobility. It should not be a trapdoor into years of insurmountable debt.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
The higher education establishment will fight this proposal. Count on it. The very institutions that fueled this crisis will be the loudest voices against this change. They will dress their opposition in the language of academic freedom and institutional independence. But protecting institutions that consistently fail their students is not academic freedom. It is institutional cowardice.
We cannot bend to that pressure. This policy is a direct defense of the American family and the American student. The federal government is finally demanding that colleges deliver on their expensive promises. For too long, institutions have been rewarded simply for existing rather than for producing results. That model is broken, and this proposal begins to fix it.
The future of American higher education belongs to the schools willing to be held accountable, the schools that offer affordable, practical degrees and actually prepare graduates to succeed in the workforce.
It is time to stop protecting broken institutions and start protecting the students they were built to serve.
Paige Spiranac has social media buzzing over her latest golf attire, Iowa fan pukes her brains out & crab hash
Let's get the week cranking here at Screencaps by checking in on Paige Spiranac who just finished up a weekend calling the action at a start-up golf event called the Grass League. It's being called the "world's first high stakes par 3 golf league."
Did I watch any of the action? Absolutely not because I have a yard, kids, a rec baseball team to coach and a marriage to maintain, but I'm sure many of you were glued to the action. From what I can tell, the Grass League brought Paige in to do what Paige does – influence.
"Can’t wait for the next event," Paige wrote on Instagram late Sunday night after the winning team of Austin Quicker & Tyler Weworski shot a two-round 23-under score to win $60,000.
So when's the next event? SEPTEMBER! Now I just need to figure out a way to get Millennial Chris B. in Bowling Green entered. This guy bought new Mizuno irons and was 9-OVER Sunday on a U.S. Open qualifier course. Could two readers of this column compete for a Grass League title? BUCKLE UP.
I told you guys the team was working on a landing page and the team delivered late last week. Here is the page where you'll be able to find Screencaps posts since the Fox/OutKick merger. https://www.foxnews.com/category/outkick/outkick-culture/screencaps
By the way, I've now picked up Thursday Night Mowing League mail three times. Each time, the box has been completely packed. I'm blown away by how many of you responsible adults actually sent a self-addressed stamped envelope for your TNML stickers.
Also, look at the polos we're selling this season. So classy. This will be your go-to polo for scramble tournaments.
📩 Email: joe.kinsey@outkick.com Send photos, stories, tips, rants—whatever you've got.
▶️ YouTube: Screencaps with Joe Kinsey Subscribe for videos, rants, and behind-the-scenes.
🐦 Twitter/X: @JoeKinseyexp Tag me or drop a DM.
📸 Instagram: @OutKickScreencaps You guys need to start tagging me on content you're seeing.
📘 Facebook Page: Screencaps on Facebook
👥 Facebook Group: Join the Screencaps Community
📬 Mail (Thursday Night Mowing League): 27072 Carronade Dr, Unit A 155 Perrysburg, OH 43551
🗞️ Newsletter: 👉 Subscribe here
– Shawn from Canby, Oregon writes: Three straight days of tech excellence! Nice work. For me, its actually working better NOW than before. No hang-ups or glitches on Insta embeds. Also, the Kirkland beer, brewed in Bend, OR is one of the few good things to come out of here, and its thankfully not an IPA.
– Dr. J emails: Love Screencaps community. Thanks for getting us started and keeping it going. Out of town for TNML season opener. I humbly request grace from the Commisioner. Linked article by USA Today is great for parents of young kids involved in sports.
As I wrote late last week, Screencaps Jr.'s buddy Lucas was in an e-scooter crash in front of our house that sent him skidding across the street. When Mrs. Screencaps found the boy, he was pretty beaten up. Fast-forward to Saturday morning. We had our final tune-up before tonight's scrimmage which leads into opening night this Thursday (yes, on TNML's opening day; I will have to adjust my work schedule to mow, it's my duty).
Lucas couldn't throw a baseball Saturday morning. His wrist is sore. His forearm is sore. His shoulder is scuffed up. His practice was over before it started. Guys, we're in a tough spot. I have kids missing games to play soccer. I have one kid who is out the first three games, I think, because of an Indian holiday or something like that. And now my long reliever who can eat up innings is facing a trip to the DL.
That leaves us with ONE catcher who was also going to be one of my pitchers. If we can go .500, I might deserve a Coach of the Year Award for NW Ohio. I have nine kids who've committed to playing tonight's scrimmage. That's a huge relief. Thankfully, I don't have to ask the 5th and 6th grade league for a replacement player before the year gets rolling.
Bonus rec ball content: Saturday morning, I asked the kids who watched baseball on Friday night. Any baseball. Out of nine kids, one raised his hand. Four raised their hands when I asked who played video games. At the end of practice, I challenged the boys to watch at least one inning of a baseball game over the weekend. Tonight, I'll see if any of them took me up on the challenge.
What an ending. I'm not going to ruin it for those of you who are still working through the four-part series. What I will say is that at the end, those of us who grew up with Hogan during the WWF days will start to think about our own mortality. It's an emotional ending to say the least.
I'm not going to believe this s--t is real until one of you tells me you've received something like this announcing you're not invited to a wedding. And are you expected to send a gift? You guys tell me what the current state of the wedding industry is like. Is this common? Email: joe.kinsey@outkick.com
Personally, I'm happy for people getting married, but unless you're pretty far up the food chain as far as family, I'm not coming to your wedding. Mrs. Screencaps isn't a big fan of attending weddings. I couldn't care less. Trust me, you do not have to send a message saying I'm not invited. I'm not offended in the least.
– Screencaps legend Indy Daryl checks in: Been a while since I checked in, but have been lurking in the background, reading and making sure to keep tabs. I seem to remember recently that your kids started buying baseball cards. As my mom was cleaning out her and dad’s condo over the past few months since his death, she came across a box that I thought was lost to the trash heaps of America.
But lo and behold, she found my card collection!! Such a fun trip down memory lane. I’m sure it isn’t worth anything, but sure was fun to remember buying a pack, sort out the new ones, and then decide which ones were going into their own plastic preserver, and which were going into the book, and which ones just got "the bag."
I hope in 30 years your kids get to look back and have just as fond of memories!As I was looking through my collection, I saw a card the cracked me up! The name says Craig Biggio, but all I can see is a young Tom Brady with a batting helmet on. Crazy the resemblance!
Are you sick of Dick's Sporting Goods and having to ask some college kid to go find shoes in the back and then it takes 15 minutes to get the shoes. Go to Dunham's if you have one in town. They throw all the shoes out on racks. It's perfect. Plus, they sell INCREDIBLY patriotic hats.
###############################
That is it this morning. The sun is out. We might actually get a baseball game in this evening. And the birds are chirping their hearts out. Hopefully we have a better Monday with less stress than last Monday.
Remember, May starts this week. Let's finish up April strong and head into the start of summer on a high note. Get out there and dominate the work week.
Correspondents’ Dinner entertainer Oz Pearlman recalls ‘surreal’ moments during and after shooting
Mentalist Oz Pearlman opened up about the chaotic moments during the weekend shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, describing the scene as "surreal" and filled with immediate fear and confusion.
"This is something nefarious and dangerous, and you feel the hairs on your neck starting to lift and, if you watch the video, it's surreal that this was 24 hours ago," Pearlman said Sunday on "One Nation with Brian Kilmeade."
Pearlman, who was with President Donald Trump at the time, said he initially struggled to process what was unfolding.
He recalled that the person next to him went down first as the situation escalated. In those first seconds, he said, he didn’t immediately think there was a shooter.
JASON CHAFFETZ 'IN SHOCK' OVER EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT OF CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTING
"I'm telling you this just as the way that they were coming in, it didn't look like they were going to shoot someone or watch for someone who was holding a gun," he said.
"To me, it appeared as if they were trying to stop someone, so I thought a bomb was about to go off – that's just, I'm telling you what happened in my mind."
Pearlman dropped on all fours, bracing for what he thought would be an explosion.
At that point, Secret Service agents rushed to get President Trump, trying to get him down and out of harm's way.
"The most surreal moments, potentially of my life, are when President Trump goes down about a foot away from me, and we are side to side, staring into each other's eyes from a foot away," Pearlman recalled.
TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AFTERMATH, REACTIONS FROM INNER CIRCLE REVEALED IN NEW BOOK
"The thought that crosses my mind right then is, 'Oh no, I hope we're not about to die,' and adrenaline is just coursing through me because I said to myself, 'There's no way the Secret Service is forcing the president down for a fire drill.'"
Moments later, Pearlman said gunshots could be heard, though it was unclear at the time whether they were coming from inside or outside the room.
As the president was rushed out, Pearlman and others on the dais dropped low and began crawling to safety, unsure if an active shooter was still inside the venue.
Once backstage, he described the scene as "controlled chaos," with armed agents flooding the area as attendees tried to determine whether anyone had been injured.
"There's guns everywhere, Secret Service is everywhere. I felt safe. I was looking for blood around and asked other people because none of us knew if POTUS or the first lady had been hit. Nobody really knew what had happened at that point," he recalled.
"I was worried about my wife because she was out in the audience to watch my show, and no phones worked either because everyone was jamming up the system at the same time trying to call, trying to text... It was crazy. It was honestly a crazy five minutes."
Chaos ensued Saturday when suspected gunman Cole Thomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, allegedly rushed a Secret Service checkpoint at the White House Correspondents' Dinner armed with multiple weapons.
Allen then allegedly opened fire on a Secret Service officer, who was taken to the hospital after he was shot in his ballistic vest.
Agents reportedly fired back at Allen, who was not struck. He was also taken to the hospital.
Senior federal law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation told Fox News that Allen told law enforcement after his arrest that he was targeting Trump administration officials.
DNC vice chair attacks Democratic Sen. John Fetterman: 'You’re a mess'
Malcolm Kenyatta, a Democratic National Committee vice chair, slammed Democratic Sen. John Fetterman in a post on X, labeling the senator "a mess."
"Almost every day now my US Senator comes on this site to attack his constituents and many people who worked hard to elect him. Suggesting that they have 'derangement syndrome' for opposing this administration. You’re a mess @JohnFetterman," Malcolm Kenyatta asserted in a post on X.
Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman's office on Monday.
FETTERMAN SAYS DEMOCRATS HAVE FORGOTTEN IRAN IS 'THE REAL ENEMY' AS WAR POWERS DEADLINE APPROACHES
Kenyatta, a Pennsylvania state representative, unsuccessfully ran in the 2022 Democratic U.S. Senate primary that Fetterman won.
Fetterman attended the Saturday night White House Correspondents Association dinner event where a suspected shooter was apprehended.
SEN JOHN FETTERMAN PLEDGES TO BE 'LAST MAN STANDING' IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN SUPPORT OF ISRAEL
"We were there front and center. That venue wasn’t built to accommodate an event with the line of succession for the U.S. government. After witnessing last night, drop the TDS and build the White House ballroom for events exactly like these," Fetterman declared in a post on X.
"TDS" is a term that stands for "Trump Derangement Syndrome," a phrase that is used to describe individuals who vehemently and irrationally oppose the president, no matter the situation.
FETTERMAN SAYS DEMOCRATS LACK LEADER, CLAIMS PARTY DRIVEN BY TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME
Fetterman has said that TDS drives the Democratic Party, rather than any particular political leader.
DOJ cites White House Correspondents' Dinner shooting in push to drop lawsuit against ballroom
The Justice Department is pressing the leading opposition to President Donald Trump's $400 million privately funded ballroom project, calling on lawyers for the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) to drop their lawsuit.
"[Y]our lawsuit puts the lives of the president, his family, and his staff at grave risk," Brett Shumate, assistant attorney general in DOJ's Civil Division, wrote in a Sunday letter to opposing counsel, shared on X by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
"Enough is enough," Shumate continued. "Your client should voluntarily dismiss this frivolous lawsuit today in light of last night's assassination attempt on President Trump."
Shumate vowed that if the NTHP did not move to dismiss by 9 a.m. Monday, he would move to dissolve the injunction against the ballroom's construction and to dismiss the case.
WALZ REPEATS DEBUNKED CLAIM THAT TRUMP CONSIDERS WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM 'TOP PRIORITY'
"It’s time to build the ballroom," Blanche agreed, in his X post, echoing Trump's words during the impromptu White House briefing after dodging his third assassination attempt by a gunman who rushed the White House Correspondents Association Dinner on Saturday night.
"The shooter targeted President Trump at the Washington Hilton, the only ballroom in Washington, D.C., suitable to host large gatherings for the President, where another shooter targeted President Reagan 45 years ago," Shumate noted in his letter to Greg B. Craig of Foley Hoag LLP, pointing to the historical context of former President Ronald Reagan's near-assassination at the same location.
"As history proves, that venue is demonstrably unsafe for the President of the United States because its size presents extraordinary security challenges for the Secret Service.
"[Saturday’s] assassination attempt on President Trump proves, yet again, that the White House ballroom is essential for the safety and security of the President, his family, his cabinet, and his staff."
CHECKS AND BALANCES: TRUMP, SUPPORTERS SEEK TO PUSH BACK AGAINST 'ACTIVIST' JUDGES
"I hope [Saturday’s] narrow miss will help you finally realize that filing a lawsuit that literally serves no purpose except to stop President Trump no matter the cost," Shumate wrote.
The NTHP sued the National Park Service in December, a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing for a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom.
The group claimed Trump exceeded his authority when he demolished the East Wing — built in 1902 during Theodore Roosevelt's presidency and expanded in 1942 — arguing the president needed congressional authorization to do so.
WHITE HOUSE TOUTS TRUMP’S ‘BOLD VISION’ FOR TOWERING INDEPENDENCE ARCH FOR AMERICA 250
Trump has said the president has historically had say over the White House remodeling, and has long noted that Congress does not have to pay for the privately funded project.
A lower court had issued a March 31 injunction to halt ballroom construction, but it also paused that injunction to allow for an appeal.
The White House argued the obstruction left the White House "open and exposed," threatening security for the building, the president and his family and staff.
TRUMP RALLY SHOOTING SURVIVORS TURN ATTACK INTO MOTIVATION YEAR LATER: ‘GO OUT THERE AND LIVE LIFE’
"When the White House ballroom is complete, President Trump and his successors will no longer need to venture beyond the safety of the White House perimeter to attend large gatherings at the Washington Hilton ballroom," Shumate wrote.
Forcing the president and Cabinet to attend events outside the White House grounds is too dangerous in this political climate, Trump himself argued Sunday night on CBS' "60 Minutes."
"I'm building a safe ballroom," Trump said. "And one of the reasons I'm building it is exactly what happened last night.
DHS LOOKS TO DEMOLISH HISTORIC ST. ELIZABETHS BUILDINGS DUE TO 'UNACCEPTABLE' RISKS
"This is exactly why the military, and this is exactly why Secret Service and all law enforcement want it.
"Because you have maybe 1,000 hotel rooms above the ballroom we were in [Saturday] night. And I'm not knocking it. I'm just saying in terms of maximum security – it's not the best thing. You can do it, but you can have problems like this."
The obstruction by lawsuits is potentially delaying the project, Trump added.
"I wish it could be even sooner," Trump said. "We're months ahead of schedule, but it doesn't open till '28."