Fox News host Sean Hannity, right, interviews Democratic presidential candidate and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio during a taping of his show, "Hannity." (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Good morning and welcome to Fox News First. Here's what you need to know as you start your day...
Fox News Exclusive: De Blasio addresses border security, taxing the 'hell' out of the wealthy, 'Meatless Mondays' and more in 'Hannity' interview
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Fox News' Sean Hannity agreed on only one thing in a wide-ranging exclusive interview on 'Hannity' Wednesday night: They agreed they disagree on almost everything. "I'm never going to agree with you. You drive me crazy!" Hannity told de Blasio, a 2020 presidential candidate. For a full hour, de Blasio, who has been dubbed "Comrade de Blasio" for years by Hannity, was grilled on a variety of controversial topics.
He said he supports border security but not walls, insisting "there is no invasion." Hannity asked de Blasio why he favors offering tax-funded health care to illegal immigrants. They debated New York City's gun control laws. They sparred over the Green New Deal and its potential impact on the coal, oil and natural gas industries and construction in New York City. Hannity confronted de Blasio over his vow to "tax the hell out of the wealthy" to address income inequality. (The mayor wants wealthy Americans to pay 70 percent of income in taxes.)
They joked about de Blasio's support for "Meatless Mondays" in Big Apple schools -- where students would be given a "meatless" lunch one day per week. Click on the videos here to watch the interview.
Trump visits Dayton, El Paso after mass shootings, accuses Ohio politicians of 'misrepresenting' hospital visit
President Trump on Wednesday visited El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, to bring comfort to the communities rocked by the back-to-back mass shootings last weekend that left a total of 31 people dead. He was also greeted by protesters in both states who demanded tougher anti-gun laws and blamed him for contributing to a culture of violence in America with his rhetoric. Still, the president and his aides insisted he was welcomed warmly during his hospital visits and that shooting victims were happy to see him.
Trump's hospital visits were not without controversy. He accused Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley of "misrepresenting what took place inside of the hospital." The president didn't specifically say what he believed was misrepresented. But Trump tweeted that Brown and Whaley's description, in a news conference afterward, of his visit to meet hospital staff and victims of last weekend’s mass shooting was “a fraud” that “bore no resemblance to what took place with those incredible people.”
While Trump attempted to be a Consoler-in-Chief, 2020 Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden, Beto O'Rourke and Sen. Elizabeth Warren were all equating him with white supremacy, another sign that an urge for calm in the days following last weekend's mass shootings may be falling on deaf ears.
Report: Trump has conversation with NRA's LaPierre
President Trump had a phone conversation Tuesday with Wayne LaPierre, chief executive of the National Rifle Association, just days after two mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. Trump did not publicly acknowledge the phone call and it was unclear who initiated the conversation. The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, reported that LaPierre told Trump that endorsing tougher background checks -- which the president has reportedly done in private since the February 2018 massacre in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 dead, would not be popular with his voter base. The NRA did not immediately respond to an email from Fox News seeking comment.
New protests expected in Puerto Rico after third governor in six days is sworn in
Puerto Rico is bracing for renewed demonstrations after Justice Secretary Wanda Vázquez was sworn in as the island's new governor Wednesday, hours after its Supreme Court ruled that last week's inauguration of Pedro Pierluisi as governor was against the law and overturned it. The unpopular Vázquez had said last month she didn't want the job amid weeks of political turmoil that saw thousands of protesters demand the resignation of former Gov. Ricardo Rosselló. Many Puerto Ricans see her as an extension of Rosselló. Vázquez sought to calm the anger in a televised statement late Wednesday, saying she feels the pain Puerto Ricans have experienced in recent weeks and vowing to unify the island.
ICE raids in Mississippi net approximately 680 arrests
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said Wednesday that its officers had raided seven food processing plants in Mississippi and detained approximately 680 "removable aliens" in what a federal prosecutor described as "the largest single-state immigration enforcement operation in our nation's history." Nearly 600 ICE agents swarmed the plants in Bay Springs, Carthage, Canton, Morton, Pelahatchie and Sebastapol, surrounding the perimeters to keep workers from fleeing. "The execution of federal search warrants today was simply about enforcing the rule of law in our state and throughout our great country," U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst said in a statement.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP.
TODAY'S MUST-READS
Hollywood blockbuster that satirizes killing of 'deplorables' sparks outrage.
'Person of interest' sought in three suspected arson fires at Hawaii hotels.
Twitter locks out McConnell's campaign for posting video of calls for violence at his home.
MINDING YOUR BUSINESS
US-China trade dispute: How it's affecting American tourism.
Equinox, SoulCycle face boycott calls over Stephen Ross' Trump fundraiser.
America's top party schools: Party at what price?
#TheFlashback: CLICK HERE to find out what happened on "This Day in History."
SOME PARTING WORDS
Tucker Carlson says things are getting "dangerously crazy" on the left when it comes to anti-Trump theories - and he has a sincere message for Washington and colleagues on other cable news channels.
Not signed up yet for Fox News First? Click here to find out what you're missing.
CLICK HERE to find out what's on Fox News today.
Fox News First is compiled by Fox News' Bryan Robinson. Thank you for joining us! Enjoy your day! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Friday morning.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
