FOX NEWS FIRST: Eyes on California 8 states hold primaries; Trump sacks Eagles; Bill Clinton's #MeToo disaster

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Developing now, Tuesday, June 5, 2018

  • California will be closely watched as eight states hold primary contests Tuesday
  • A war of words erupts between President Trump, the Philadelphia Eagles and their supporters after Trump disinvites the Super Bowl champions from a White House event in a dispute over national anthem protests
  • Special counsel Robert Mueller accuses former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort of tampering with potential witnesses in his upcoming trial in new court filings
  • Bill Clinton defends his heated response to questions about Monica Lewinsky in a TV interview Monday, telling the audience at an event, 'I got hot under the collar'
  • The Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple is 'ecstatic' after justices ruled in his favor in a closely watched Supreme Court case, his lawyer says

THE LEAD STORY - CALIFORNIA DREAMIN': The Democratic Party’s ambitious midterm plan to regain control of the House of Representatives faces its biggest test yet in Tuesday’s California primaries – where candidates are tripping over each other for the chance to flip Republican-held districts ... The big question facing the party, however, is whether their candidates’ enthusiasm could backfire. So many Democratic contenders have jumped into key races – largely running on an anti-Trump platform – that the overload threatens to split the vote and boost Republicans.  But the state nevertheless offers Democrats a wealth of opportunities to swipe seats.

California's House races, meanwhile, are just a fraction of the action taking place on Tuesday, the biggest primary day so far this cycle. With eight states voting, an array of contests will reveal how each party is trending as the midterms near. Democrats and Republicans from Montana to Alabama and Mississippi to New Jersey will pick their nominees up and down the ballot to face off this November for the inaugural midterm elections of Donald Trump's presidency.

WHITE HOUSE EVENT SACKED: Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney slammed President Donald Trump as "not a true patriot" and "a fragile egomaniac" after the Super Bowl Champion Eagles were disinvited from the White House on Monday ... The Eagles were disinvited from the ceremony set for Tuesday amid the national anthem controversy. Trump said the team is "unable" to attend because they don’t share his view that NFL players should "proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country." Kenney criticized the president in harsh terms, saying in a statement that "Disinviting them from the White House only proves that our President is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac obsessed with crowd size and afraid of the embarrassment of throwing a party to which no one wants to attend."

MANAFORT IN MUELLER'S CROSSHAIRS: Special Counsel Robert Mueller claimed in a court filing Monday that former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort tried to tamper with two potential witnesses in his upcoming trial while under house arrest ... Prosecutors working for Mueller made the claim in a request that the judge overseeing the case revoke or revise an order for Manafort to be placed on pretrial release. They also said an associate of Manafort's tried to contact a potential witness more than once. According to documents filed in federal court in D.C., Manafort reached out to the would-be witnesses in February after a superseding indictment was unsealed. Among other claims, the indictment accused the 68-year-old of secretly paying European ex-politicians to lobby on behalf of Ukraine's pro-Russian government in the U.S. without registering.

BILL EXPLAINS THE 'HUBBUB': Former President Bill Clinton defended himself on Monday night, saying he got "hot under the collar" when he claimed he didn’t owe Monica Lewinsky any apology in an earlier TV interview ... During an appearance at The Schomburg Center in Harlem to hype his upcoming book, Clinton acknowledged that he lost his cool on NBC’s "Today" show in a chat that aired on Monday morning. "The truth is, the hubbub was I got hot under the collar because of the way the questions were asked. And I think what was lost were the two points that I made that are important to me," Clinton said in Harlem, according to CNN. 

"The suggestion was that I never apologized for what caused all the trouble for me 20 years ago," Clinton added. "First point is, I did. I meant it then, I meant it now. I apologized to my family, to Monica Lewinsky and her family and to the American people before a panel of ministers in the White House, which was widely reported. So I did that. I meant it then and I mean it today. I live with it all the time."

THE SUPREME COURT SIDES WITH BAKER: The Supreme Court ruled Monday in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, in one of the most closely watched cases of the term ... In a 7-2 decision, the justices set aside a Colorado court ruling against the baker -- while stopping short of deciding the broader issue of whether a business can refuse to serve gay and lesbian people. The opinion was penned by Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is often the swing justice in tight cases. The narrow ruling here focused on what the court described as anti-religious bias on the Colorado Civil Rights Commission when it ruled against baker Jack Phillips.  "The Commission’s hostility was inconsistent with the First Amendment’s guarantee that our laws be applied in a manner that is neutral toward religion," Kennedy wrote in his majority opinion

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AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS

POLITICALLY IRRELEVANT: "As long as you are useful to the left, nothing you do will be held against you."  – Tucker Carlson, on "Tucker Carlson Tonight," sizing up former President Bill Clinton tense interview on NBC'cs "Today" show and criticism in recent years from his own party after decades of general silence on the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal. WATCH

TRUMP'S FIRST 500 DAYS: "It is now undeniable that the entire world is seeing massive, serious progress under this president's leadership." – Sean Hannity, in his opening monologue on "Hannity," looking back on President Trump's first 500 days in office. WATCH

TRENDING

Ex-Navy sailor pardoned by Trump says he's suing Comey and Obama.

Melania Trump's spokeswoman knocks 'rabid press corps' for speculating about first lady's health.

Queen Elizabeth gives Harry and Meghan massive wedding present fit for royals.

Dwight Clark, former San Francisco 49ers receiver known for 'The Catch,' dies at 61 after ALS battle.

THE SWAMP

'Reckless' Sen. Merkley 'spreading blatant lies' in failed attempt to enter immigrant detention center, White House says.

DOJ appeals ruling that Trump cannot block Twitter users: report

California one step closer to expanding Medicaid for illegal immigrants.

ACROSS THE NATION

Bay Area exodus? Nearly 50 percent of Californians say they want to move out soon, poll finds.

Arizona killer identified, may have murdered up to 6 people, police say.

Lava destroys 117 homes, everything in its path as it creeps toward ocean.

MINDING YOUR BUSINESS

Next recession not far off, economists predict

Starbucks chairman Schultz stepping down ahead of rumored White House run.

Ticketfly hack exposed data from 26M users: report.

FOX NEWS OPINION

William Courtney and Michael Haltzel: Trump, North Korea and Russia -- six things the president can learn from past summits.

Cal Thomas: The glaring examples of different standards for the left continue apace.

David May: UN agency fuels Palestinian attacks against Israel.

HOLLYWOOD SQUARED

'Roseanne' star Sara Gilbert tears up while discussing cancellation.

PHOTO: 'Game of Thrones' stars Emilia Clarke and Jason Momoa recreate epic 'Dirty Dancing' lift during cast party.

Reese Witherspoon possibly doing 'Legally Blonde 3': report.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS?

Titanic was discovered during a top-secret mission, report says.

Fishermen catch 12-foot hammerhead off coast of Texas.

AI technology trains robots to navigate real world.

STAY TUNED

On FOX News: 

FOX & Friends, 6 a.m. ET: Larry Kudlow, President Trump's chief economic adviser, will talk trade war concerns; Colorado baker Jack Phillips will discuss his victory in the Supreme Court; a look at an Illinois town that takes aim at gun violence by ordering its residents to turn in their assault weapons or face hefty fines.

On FOX Business:

Cavuto: Coast to Coast, 8 p.m. ET: Don't miss a very special edition of "Coast to Coast" as Neil covers the latest primary results!

On FOX News Radio:

The Fox News Rundown podcastOne man’s road to redemption has hit a legal detour. FOX News' Dana Perino, host of the "The Daily Briefing," spoke to former U.S. District Judge Kevin Sharp, who explains his role in the Matthew Charles case and why mandatory minimum sentences need to be changed. The Trump administration continues to rollback Obama-era protections for some wildlife and National Parks. Ryan Zinke, secretary of the Interior, explains the administration’s strategy for oil and gas drilling on federal lands and more. Plus, commentary by FOX News medical correspondent Dr. Marc Siegel.

Want the Fox News Rundown sent straight to your mobile device? Subscribe through Apple PodcastsGoogle Play, and Stitcher.

The Brian Kilmeade Show, 9 a.m. ET: Mike Huckabee will discuss the upcoming summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un, the witness tampering allegations against Paul Manafort and Bill Clinton; Allen West looks at Trump's first 500 days and feud with the Philadelphia Eagles; Chris Stirewalt on North Korea, the Philadelphia Eagles-Trump controversy and Bill Clinton.

#OnThisDay

2004: Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, dies in Los Angeles at age 93 after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease.

1968: Sen. Robert F. Kennedy is shot and mortally wounded after claiming victory in California's Democratic presidential primary at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles; assassin Sirhan Bishara Sirhan is arrested at the scene.

1884: Civil War hero Gen. William T. Sherman refuses the Republican presidential nomination, saying, "I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected."

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 Wednesday morning.

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