Something extraordinary happened on Friday, but you likely didn’t see it in the headlines.

In Washington, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) quietly approved a $2.3 billion bailout package for Pakistan. On the surface, it was just another financial deal. But beneath the surface, this vote tied together three of the most pressing foreign policy theaters in the world: India-Pakistan, Ukraine-Russia, and U.S.-China.

And the common thread?

President Trump’s return to ‘Art of the Deal’ diplomacy.

The $2.3 billion IMF package included a $1 billion tranche under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and $1.3 billion under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF). But many experts were surprised this vote even happened, let alone passed.

Just last year, Pakistan’s IMF bailout was contingent on its assistance in rearming NATO during the Ukraine war. The Biden administration leaned heavily on Pakistan to support weapons transfers, using routes like the Nur Khan Airbase to send munitions to Europe.

This time around, the vote looked shaky. The Trump administration has made it clear it wants to end the war in Ukraine—and all wars that bleed U.S. taxpayers without clear gain. Meanwhile, India was lobbying both the IMF and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to block funding to Pakistan, citing terrorism financing concerns.

And then came the vote.

India abstained. So did China and Russia. The ‘yes’ votes came from the United States and the United Kingdom.

If you’re wondering why the U.S.—under Trump’s second term—would back a loan to a terror-linked state in the middle of a war, here’s the answer: because the deal was far bigger than Pakistan.

Let’s unpack what likely happened.

India’s abstention puzzled many. It had taken a strong stand against the IMF loan, arguing that it violated basic principles of counter-terror financing. For India to let it slide signaled something else was in play.

Trump’s first major diplomatic focus post-inauguration was reworking America’s global trade deals, and India was high on the list. The president had long called India the ‘tariff king,’ and negotiations had been underway to reduce agricultural and industrial tariffs. In fact, Vice President JD Vance had been dispatched to New Delhi—not a low-level envoy.

There were signs a deal was close. But the momentum was disrupted by a major terrorist attack in Kashmir, which India blamed on Pakistan-based groups. The India-U.S. trade deal went into a holding pattern.

Now, India’s IMF abstention appears less like inaction and more like a trade-off: a quiet concession, in return for favorable terms in the broader trade agreement with the U.S.

Pakistan, for its part, was running on empty. It reportedly had only four days of ammunition left and faced near-total economic collapse. Though some NATO members had sent emergency aid, the U.S. itself has been moving to reduce entanglements with NATO and phase out military support in Ukraine.

But here’s where it gets more interesting.

The United States has long had an internal debate over Pakistan. During the Cold War and the war on terror, some intelligence factions saw Pakistan as a necessary partner—even when it meant funding terror groups like the Mujahideen. In more recent years, others have shifted toward India as the natural counterweight to China.

This division within U.S. security circles matters, because it means that the fight over Pakistan is both internal and external.

And yet, the Trump administration pushed the vote through.

Why?

One likely condition: a ceasefire in the India-Pakistan conflict.

But there may have been another condition—one that had China’s fingerprints all over it.

If there’s one country that stands to gain from Pakistan’s financial boost, it’s China.

Pakistan is deeply indebted to China through Belt and Road infrastructure deals. And more to the point, most of its military imports come from Chinese manufacturers. Any fresh IMF cash would likely end up buying Chinese weapons.

So why did China abstain from voting on Pakistan’s loan?

Simple: Because Trump likely barred it.

Sources close to the matter suggest that strict terms were placed on the loan—stipulating that IMF funds cannot be spent on Chinese or Russian weapons systems, only American ones. That alone would have removed China’s incentive to back the package.

Add to that the increasing chatter over Chinese versus Western arms systems in the India-Pakistan conflict—and China’s abstention begins to make a lot of sense.

By pushing this IMF package forward under strict conditions, the Trump administration appears to have pulled off a remarkable maneuver:

• Restarted the India-U.S. trade deal
• Brokered a diplomatic win and ceasefire in South Asia
• Weaned Pakistan off Chinese weapons dependency

All in one vote.

There were no headlines. No press briefings. No declarations of success.

But that’s often how real power operates.

Critics may scoff at the idea that Trump is capable of high-level diplomacy. But for those tracking the architecture of global influence—this vote was not noise. It was signal.

It was a reminder that American power, when wielded with strategic clarity, doesn’t need to announce itself loudly.

It just needs to move the board. Quietly. Completely. Effectively.

And if you were watching this one closely, you saw just that.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday promised to increase trade with India and Pakistan after the two nations agreed to a ceasefire to end the conflict with each other.

‘While not even discussed, I am going to increase trade, substantially, with both of these great Nations,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. ‘Additionally, I will work with you both to see if, after a ‘thousand years,’ a solution can be arrived at concerning Kashmir. God Bless the leadership of India and Pakistan on a job well done!!!’

The fragile ceasefire was holding on Sunday after several days of intense fighting, with dozens killed as missiles and drones were fired at each other’s military bases. The deal was reached after diplomacy and pressure from the U.S., but artillery fire was witnessed in Indian Kashmir within hours of the agreement.

Attacks were witnessed in cities near the border under a blackout, as was the case in the previous two evenings.

The fighting began on Wednesday after 26 men were killed two weeks prior in an attack targeting Hindus in Pahalgam in Kashmir. Both countries rule part of Kashmir but claim full control.

Late on Saturday, India accused Pakistan of violating the agreement to stop firing and that the Indian armed forces had been told to ‘deal strongly’ with any continued firings.

Pakistan blamed India for violating the truce and said it was committed to the ceasefire.

The fighting and explosions reported overnight had quieted on both sides of the border by dawn on Sunday.

‘I am very proud of the strong and unwaveringly powerful leadership of India and Pakistan for having the strength, wisdom, and fortitude to fully know and understand that it was time to stop the current aggression that could have lead to to [sic] the death and destruction of so many, and so much,’ Trump said in his post.

‘Millions of good and innocent people could have died! Your legacy is greatly enhanced by your brave actions. I am proud that the USA was able to help you arrive at this historic and heroic decision,’ he added.

In the Indian border city of Amritsar, a siren sounded Sunday morning to resume normal activities.

Officials in Pakistan said there was some firing in Bhimber in Pakistani Kashmir overnight, but there was no fighting anywhere else and no casualties were reported.

The two countries have gone to war three times, including twice over Kashmir.

Reuters contributed to this report.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino shared a detailed update Saturday about the bureau’s operations, making clear the agency is focused on removing dangerous criminals and protecting children.

In a post on X, Bongino outlined several priorities and took aim at what he called misleading media coverage of the FBI’s work.

‘The workforce has been working overtime on task force operations to remove dangerous illegal aliens from the country. The work continues,’ Bongino wrote. ‘If you came here illegally to prey on our citizens, your days here are numbered.’

He said these operations are only getting started and will ramp up in the coming weeks.

‘These removal and incarceration operations will dramatically change the crime landscape in the country when combined with the administration’s laser-focus on sealing the border shut,’ he added.

Bongino also pointed to a new initiative focused on protecting children from predators.

‘Crimes against children are a priority for the workforce. Operation ‘Restoring Justice,’ where we locked up child predators and 764 subjects, in every part of the country, is just the beginning,’ he said. ‘We are going to take your freedom if you take away a child’s innocence.’

He promised more enforcement efforts to come and warned those targeting children to ‘think twice.’

Bongino addressed the FBI’s efforts to respond to Congress and the public about several high-profile cases. These include the attack on Rep. Steve Scalise, the Nashville school shooting, the Crossfire Hurricane investigation and the origins of COVID-19. He also mentioned the ongoing work with the Department of Justice in the Jeffrey Epstein case.

‘There are voluminous amounts of downloaded child sexual abuse material that we are dealing with,’ he wrote. ‘There are also victims’ statements that are entitled to specific protections. We need to do this correctly, but I do understand the public’s desire to get the information out there.’

He also responded to what he described as false stories being spread by some in the media and came to the defense of FBI Director Patel. 

‘He spends anywhere between 10 to 12 hours in the office attending meetings with everyone from foreign heads of law enforcement to our counter-terror teams,’ Bongino wrote. ‘Any assertion otherwise is a verifiable lie designed to stop our reforms and fracture your trust. I will die on this hill. You are being clearly lied to by people with an agenda, and it’s not your agenda.’

He closed by thanking the public for its attention and encouraged Americans to keep watching the FBI’s progress.

‘God bless America, and all those who defend Her,’ he wrote.

Dan Bongino began his law enforcement career with the New York Police Department in 1995. He joined the United States Secret Service in 1999 and later served on the elite Presidential Protective Division for presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

After leaving government service, Bongino ran for office as a Republican in Maryland and Florida. Bongino also hosted a Saturday night show on Fox News Channel from 2021 to 2023.

He is the author of several books, including ‘Life Inside the Bubble,’ a memoir about his time in the Secret Service.

The FBI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

President Donald Trump and his administration inked a major trade deal with the U.K. Thursday, and closed the week gearing up for trade talks with China over the weekend. 

Details of the specific trade plan with the U.K. are sparse, but the deal keeps the existing 10% tariffs in place against U.K. goods while removing some import taxes on items like steel and cars. 

‘With this deal, the U.K. joins the United States in affirming that reciprocity and fairness is an essential and vital principle of international trade,’ Trump said Thursday. ‘The deal includes billions of dollars of increased market access for American exports, especially in agriculture, dramatically increasing access for American beef, ethanol and virtually all of the products produced by our great farmers.’ 

The deal is the first historic trade negotiation signed following Liberation Day, when Trump announced widespread tariffs for multiple countries April 2 at a range of rates. 

The administration later adjusted its initial proposal and announced April 9 it would immediately impose a 145% tariff on Chinese goods, while reducing reciprocal tariffs on other countries for 90 days to a baseline of 10%. China responded by raising tariffs on U.S. goods to 125%.

Trump also shed some insight into trade negotiations with China, given that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to kick off trade negotiations with China in Switzerland Saturday. 

‘Scott’s going to be going to Switzerland, meeting with China,’ Trump told reporters Thursday at the White House. ‘And you know, they very much want to make a deal. We can all play games. Who made the first call, who didn’t make them? It doesn’t matter. Only matters what happens in that room. But I will tell you that China very much wants to make a deal. We’ll see how that works out.’

Here’s what also happened this week: 

Meeting with Canada’s prime minister 

Trump also doubled down on his interest in expanding the U.S. during a Tuesday visit with Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney. 

Trump regularly has said he wants Canada to become a U.S. state, and has discussed acquiring Greenland and the Panama Canal for security purposes. However, the matter of Canada isn’t open to negotiation, Carney said. 

‘Having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign the last several months, it’s not for sale,’ Carney said at the White House Tuesday. ‘Won’t be for sale ever, but the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together. We have done that in the past, and part of that, as the president just said, is with respect to our security, and my government is committed for a step change in our investment in Canadian security and our partnership.’

While Trump acknowledged that Canada was stepping up its investment in military security, he said, ‘Never say never’ in response to Canada becoming another state. 

‘I’ve had many, many things that were not doable, and they ended up being doable,’ Trump said.

Meeting with ballet dancer freed from Russian prison 

Trump also met with Russian-American ballet dancer, Ksenia Karelina, at the White House Monday. Karelina faced a sentence of 12 years in a Russian penal colony for treason in 2024, but the Trump administration negotiated her return to the U.S. during a U.S.-Russian prisoner swap in April. 

‘Mr. Trump, I’m so, so grateful for you to bring me home and for (the) American government. And I never felt more blessed to be American, and I’m so, so happy to get home,’ Karelina said in a video posted by Trump deputy assistant Sebastian Gorka on April 11 upon her return to the U.S.

Karelina, a resident of Los Angeles who was born in Russia, was arrested in 2024 during a trip to visit family in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Russia Federal Security Service arrested her after inspecting her phone and finding a donation to a U.S.-based charity that supports Ukraine. 

Fox News’ Emma Colton contributed to this report. 

Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Friday that ‘you cannot spy against an ally’ in response to reports that the U.S. was gathering intelligence on Greenland, as U.S. President Donald Trump has continued to suggest purchasing the Arctic island.

‘Cooperation about defense and deterrence and security in the northern part of Europe is getting more and more important,’ Frederiksen told The Associated Press. ‘Of course, you cannot spy against an ally.’

Frederiksen made the comments as Denmark and Greenland push back on Trump’s desire to acquire the autonomous Danish territory, stressing that it is not for sale. Trump, however, has not ruled out taking it by military force despite Denmark being a NATO ally.

‘I don’t rule it out. I don’t say I’m going to do it, but I don’t rule out anything,’ Trump said earlier this week during an interview on NBC News’ ‘Meet the Press.’ 

‘We need Greenland very badly. Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of and we’ll cherish them and all of that, but we need that for international security,’ he added.

The Danish prime minister’s statement on Friday came the day after Denmark summoned the top American diplomat in the country for an explanation to a report from The Wall Street Journal about several high-ranking officials under the U.S. director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, directing intelligence agency heads to collect information on Greenland’s independence movement and views about U.S. resource extraction on the island.

Acting head of the U.S. Embassy in Copenhagen, Jennifer Hall Godfrey, met with Danish diplomat Jeppe Tranholm-Mikkelsen at the Danish Foreign Ministry, although details of the meeting were not disclosed.

Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen told Greenland newspaper Sermitsiaq that the reports of U.S. espionage are unacceptable and disrespectful. 

Nielsen said last month that Greenland ‘will never, ever be a piece of property that can be bought by just anyone’ and that ‘the talks from the United States have not been respectful.’

Gabbard’s office released a statement saying she had made three ‘criminal’ referrals to the U.S. Justice Department over intelligence community leaks in response to the report from The Wall Street Journal, which cited two sources familiar with the matter.

‘The Wall Street Journal should be ashamed of aiding deep state actors who seek to undermine the President by politicizing and leaking classified information,’ Gabbard said. ‘They are breaking the law and undermining our nation’s security and democracy. Those who leak classified information will be found and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.’

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Mexico has filed a lawsuit against Google after it changed the label for the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on its maps platform to match U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order to amend the name of the body of water, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Friday.

Sheinbaum said at a press briefing that the lawsuit had been filed against the tech giant, without providing additional details.

The lawsuit comes after Sheinbaum threatened in February to sue Google for the name change.

‘We are going to wait. We are already seeing, observing what this would mean from the perspective of legal advice, but we hope that they will make a revision,’ Sheinbaum said at the time.

Mexico’s Foreign Relations Ministry has also previously sent letters to Google urging it not to relabel the oceanic basin as the Gulf of America.

Trump signed an order on his first day back in the White House in January to rename the northern part of the gulf to the Gulf of America. The body of water has shared borders between the United States and Mexico, and Trump’s order only carries authority within the U.S.

Mexico has argued that the Gulf of America label should only apply to the part over the U.S. continental shelf. The U.S. has control over about 46% of the gulf, Mexico controls about 49% and Cuba controls about 5%, according to Sovereign Limits, a database of international boundaries.

‘What Google is doing here is changing the name of the continental shelf of Mexico and Cuba, which has nothing to do with Trump’s decree, which applied only to the U.S. continental shelf,’ Sheinbaum said in February.

The gulf appears in Google Maps as the Gulf of America within the U.S., as the Gulf of Mexico within Mexico and Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America) everywhere else. It had been called the Gulf of Mexico for more than 400 years.

Google Maps began using Gulf of America for users in the U.S. shortly after Trump’s order, citing its ‘longstanding practice’ of following the U.S. government’s lead on these matters. In cases where official names vary between countries, Google’s policy says users will see their official local names.

In February, the Mexican president shared a response from Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, Cris Turner, who said the company would not change its policy after Trump’s order.

Sheinbaum’s announcement of the lawsuit comes after House Republicans passed the Gulf of America Act in a 211-206 vote, marking the first step in codifying Trump’s order. The legislation now heads to the Senate.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Google for comment. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A Massachusetts suspect was charged this week with attempting to assassinate a cabinet nominee, the U.S. Department of Justice said. 

Ryan Michael English, 24, was arrested in January after allegedly attempting to bring a knife and two improvised Molotov cocktails into the U.S. Capitol to assassinate then-Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent during his nomination.

On Thursday, English was charged with the attempted assassination of a cabinet member nominee and carrying a dangerous weapon on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol Building.

English had an initial court appearance on Thursday afternoon.

Prosecutors said that English had also originally plotted to kill House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and was inspired by United HealthCare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione. 

English walked up to a U.S. Capitol Police officer on Jan. 27 and allegedly stated, ‘I’d like to turn myself in,’ according to initial charging documents. 

English claimed to have two Molotov cocktails and two knives and expressed being there ‘to kill Scott Bessent,’ according to court documents. Federal prosecutors said English left home in Massachusetts and traveled to Washington with the intent of killing Hegseth, whom the suspect referred to as a ‘Nazi,’ and Johnson, and burning down the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank near the White House. 

Capitol Police officers found a folding knife and two improvised incendiary devices made of vodka bottles with a grey cloth affixed to the top inside English’s jacket during a search. 

They found a green lighter in another pocket. 

Fox News’ Danielle Wallace and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.

Pakistan’s armed forces said they hit back at India, targeting military sites, after India fired missiles at three of its air bases in a frightening escalation between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

India had earlier targeted the three air bases inside Pakistan with missiles, most of which were intercepted, on Saturday, Pakistani military officials said. 

The strike marks the latest escalation between the nuclear-armed rivals, a move triggered by a mass shooting that India blames Pakistan for.

In a televised address, Pakistani army spokesman, Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif, said the country’s air force assets were safe. 

He added that some of the Indian missiles also hit India’s eastern Punjab. There was no immediate comment from India.

‘This is a provocation of the highest order,’ Sharif said.

The missiles targeted Nur Khan air base in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, Murid air base in Chakwal city and Rafiqui air base in the Jhang district of eastern Punjab province, Sharif said. 

Some of the missiles landed in Afghanistan, he said. 

‘I want to give you the shocking news that India fired six ballistic missiles from its city of Adampur,’ said Sharif. One of the ballistic missiles hit Adampur, the remaining five missiles hit the Indian Punjab area of Amritsar.’

Earlier this week, Pakistan shot down more than two dozen drones.

The fraught relationship between the neighboring nations hit a low following an attack at a popular tourist area in India-controlled Kashmir, leaving 26 people dead. 

Most of those killed were Hindu tourists. India has blamed Pakistan, which denies any involvement.

President Donald Trump on Friday morning said that an ‘80% Tariff on China seems right!’ adding on Truth Social that the final number would be up to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. 

An 80% tariff on Chinese goods coming into the U.S. would be nearly half of the current 145% tariff on the Asian country.

Minutes earlier, he posted: ‘CHINA SHOULD OPEN UP ITS MARKET TO USA — WOULD BE SO GOOD FOR THEM!!! CLOSED MARKETS DON’T WORK ANYMORE!!!’

It was the first time the president has put out a specific number, after previously suggesting the tariff could be lowered. 

Trump’s suggested lower tariffs come ahead of weekend talks between Bessent and chief trade negotiator Jamieson Greer and Chinese economic tsar He Lifeng in Switzerland. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a press briefing Friday, ‘That was a number the president threw out there, and we’ll see what happens this weekend,’ adding that Trump wouldn’t unilaterally lower the tariff and China would be required to make ‘concessions.’ 

Earlier this week, Trump said that China is eager to make a deal with the U.S. 

‘Scott’s going to be going to Switzerland, meeting with China,’ Trump told reporters Thursday at the White House. ‘And you know, they very much want to make a deal. We can all play games. Who made the first call, who didn’t make them? It doesn’t matter. Only matters what happens in that room. But I will tell you that China very much wants to make a deal. We’ll see how that works out.’

The Trump administration announced widespread tariffs for multiple countries on April 2, following criticism that other countries’ trade practices are unfair towards the U.S.

The administration later adjusted its initial proposal and announced on April 9 it would immediately impose a 145% tariff on Chinese goods, while reducing reciprocal tariffs on other countries for 90 days to a baseline of 10%. China responded by raising tariffs on U.S. goods to 125%.

Fox News’ Diana Stancy contributed to this report. 

Americans lambasted President George H. W. Bush for infamously vowing on stage at the 1988 Republican National Convention not to raise taxes on Americans, then supporting a tax hike as president two years later. 

History could repeat itself as President Donald Trump this week signaled his support for congressional Republicans raising taxes to accomplish the ambitious goals of his ‘big, beautiful bill,’ according to experts.

‘My opponent won’t rule out raising taxes, but I will. And the Congress will push me to raise taxes, and I’ll say no. And they’ll push and I’ll say no. And they’ll push again, and I’ll say to them: ‘Read my lips: no new taxes,’’ then-Vice President Bush vowed at the 1988 convention, before raising taxes two years later with the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. 

While acknowledging the political backlash his fellow Republican faced, Trump signaled in a Truth Social post on Friday his own willingness to raise taxes on Americans, following reports confirmed by Fox News Digital that the president is considering raising the tax rate on individuals making $2.5 million or more by 2.6%, from 37% to 39.6%.

‘The problem with even a ‘TINY’ tax increase for the RICH, which I and all others would graciously accept in order to help the lower and middle income workers, is that the Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming, ‘Read my lips,’ the fabled Quote by George Bush the Elder that is said to have cost him the Election. NO, Ross Perot cost him the Election! In any event, Republicans should probably not do it, but I’m OK if they do!!!’ Trump said. 

Ross Perot, the late billionaire Texas businessman and philanthropist, ran an independent campaign as a third-party candidate in the 1992 presidential election, winning an historic 19% of the popular vote.

As Trump suggested, the political fallout of raising taxes contributed to Bush losing re-election to President Bill Clinton in 1992. Democrats slammed Bush in campaign ads for walking back his word as conservative Republicans criticized the president for being out of step with the party’s traditional tax policies. 

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich led Republican criticism of Bush’s tax hike proposal, and Gingrich has urged Trump to stand down on raising taxes since rumors the administration was floating a small tax hike first swirled. 

Gingrich recently told Larry Kudlow on FOX Business that Trump is a Ronald Reagan Republican, not a Bush Republican, and raising taxes would be an ‘act of destruction.’

‘It would absolutely shatter his coalition,’ Gingrich said. ‘It would mean the entire conservative movement would rise in rebellion, and it would mean every small business in the country would start recalculating who they are going to lay off, if they are even going to stay in business. It would make no sense at all.’

Negotiations are ongoing among House Republicans to finalize Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill,’ which is expected to include an extension of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and fulfill campaign promises, including no tax on tips, overtime or Social Security. 

Republican politicians and pundits have joined Gingrich’s critique of Trump’s potential tax hike, arguing Trump is repeating the same mistakes as Bush. 

‘[House] Speaker [Mike] Johnson and Republican members of Congress must have experienced collective déjà vu when President Trump urged Congress to raise taxes,’ New England College President Wayne Lesperance, a veteran political scientist and political historian, told Fox News Digital.           

‘Harkening back to the infamous ‘Read my lips’ pledge made by George H. W. Bush at the 1988 GOP Convention, today’s Republicans must be nervous at the president’s change on what is a sacrosanct issue for the party — tax cuts. Interestingly, George H. W. Bush’s decision to break his pledge was surrounded by notably different circumstances,’ Lesperance added. 

But Lesperance reminded Republicans, who currently control the House and Senate, that Democrats could gain an edge in the 2026 midterms if tax hikes prove to be as unpopular among Republicans as they were in 1992. 

‘Facing a Democratically controlled Congress, Bush reneged on his pledge as a compromise to reduce the deficit and pass the 1990 budget agreement. Bush’s decision to compromise on taxes is widely credited with costing him his bid for re-election. As Speaker Johnson and Republican members of Congress look ahead to midterm elections, there must be collective worry that President Trump’s shifting position on taxes will cost them at the polls,’ Lesperance said. 

Longtime Republican consultant David Carney, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns, said the move by Bush ‘was probably the single most detrimental thing to his re-election.’

Carney, who served in the elder Bush’s White House and worked on his presidential campaigns, told Fox News ‘the deal he cut was excellent. He cut spending, balanced out the taxes.’

But Carney emphasized ‘all that’s inside baseball and the reality is it was a great opportunity for people from the right and the left to make hay out of it, and it was absolutely hurtful.’

However, fiscal conservatives remain optimistic that Trump won’t raise taxes, despite the president softening to the idea on social media on Friday morning. 

‘President Trump campaigned on not raising taxes, and we are confident that’s exactly what he’ll do,’ Club for Growth President David McIntosh told Fox News Digital. 

When reached for comment about the Bush comparison, the White House pointed to press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s comments during the White House briefing on Friday. 

‘The president wants tax cuts, the largest tax cuts in history,’ Leavitt said. ‘He wants to extend his historic tax cuts from 2017, and he wants to see all the other tax priorities,’ including no tax on tips, overtime or Social Security. 

‘The president has said he himself personally would not mind paying a little bit more to help the poor and the middle class and the working class in this country. I think, frankly, that’s a very honorable position. But again, these negotiations are ongoing on Capitol Hill, and the president will weigh in when he feels necessary,’ she added. 

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.