Trick Williams has been one of WWE’s biggest rising stars since he was elevated to the main roster earlier this year.

Williams’ presentation – from his mink coat to his "lemon-pepper steppers" to his entrance music – has been able to capture pro wrestling fans’ attention for all the right reasons. He was able to earn his way into the United States Championship picture and will be going up against Sami Zayn for the title at WrestleMania 42 on Sunday.

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It will be Williams’ debut at WrestleMania, but he’s feeling at ease going into the match.

"I’m feeling good man, I’m on cloud nine," he told Fox News Digital. "My family is coming to see me at my first WrestleMania. I’m facing Sami Zayn – the ‘gingerbread man.’

"It’s personal. No disrespect to Sami Zayn, a lotta disrespect, but no disrespect because he’s great in his own right. He’s definitely a future Hall of Famer, multiple championship runs and everything like that. But on Sunday night, Night 2, all that goes out the window. It’s Trick Willy time."

WWE STAR DANHAUSEN SAYS METS 'CURSE' ISN'T EXACTLY LIFTED AS TEAM DROPS NINTH STRAIGHT GAME

Williams said that his quick trajectory on the SmackDown roster and his appetite to be the best is why he has the edge going into the match.

"I’m hungry," he said. "I haven’t been here before. Sami’s done this for a very, very long time. He still has things he wants to accomplish. But look, I’m hungrier than ever. I’ve fought my way to get into this position.

"They’re saying, ‘Oh this is a five-year thing for Trick, he ain’t that experienced.’ No, this is a 31-year thing. I’ve been training my whole life for this moment right here, for everybody to see on Sunday night. He doesn’t want it the way I want it. Everybody’s gonna see that."

Zayn is one of the best pro wrestlers in the industry. While the crowd has turned on him in recent weeks, Zayn may be the favorite going into the match because he’s a veteran in the game.

WrestleMania Night 2 is set for Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium at 6 p.m. ET.

President Donald Trump publicly thanked what he called Pakistan’s "great prime minister and field marshal, two fantastic people!!!" in a Truth Social post Friday praising Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan’s military chief, Asim Munir.

Sharif quickly responded on X, "On behalf of the people of Pakistan, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and on my behalf, I express my deep and profound appreciation for your kind and gracious words."

The public exchange capped a remarkable rise for Munir, who has become one of the few foreign officials trusted both by Trump and by Iran’s security establishment.

TRUMP AGREES TO 2-WEEK CEASEFIRE IF IRAN OPENS STRAIT OF HORMUZ

Munir recently became the first foreign military leader to visit Iran since the latest escalation between the United States and Iran, according to Pakistani and Iranian reports. Arriving in full military uniform, he was warmly greeted by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and held meetings with senior Iranian military officials.

Retired Pakistani Gen. Ahmed Saeed told Fox News Digital that Munir has for months served as an informal back channel between Washington and Tehran, Iran, as the Trump administration tries to negotiate an end to the conflict, Iran’s nuclear program and the naval blockade in the Persian Gulf.

Few foreign figures appear to have closer ties both to Trump and to Iran’s military hierarchy.

That has raised a striking question: How did the same man become close both to Trump and to some of Iran’s most powerful commanders?

Saeed, who said he has known Munir personally for years, told Fox News Digital that Munir began building ties with Iran while serving as Pakistan’s director general of military intelligence in 2016 and 2017.

"He has been interacting with the leadership. He has been interacting with the intelligence community. He has been interacting with the IRGC," or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Saeed said.

According to Saeed, Munir built ties not only with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps but also with Iran’s regular army and intelligence apparatus. Saeed said Munir had longstanding contact with former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. strike in 2020, commander Hossein Salami, who was killed in an Israeli strike in June 2025, and other Iranian military figures.

JD VANCE SAYS THE BALL IS 'IN IRAN’S COURT' AFTER PAKISTAN PEACE TALKS STALL

"He continues to be a figure internationally who has personal interactions, a personal equation in the intelligence community in Iran, in the military hierarchy in Iran, in the diplomatic corps of Iran and also on the side of the political leadership," Saeed said.

That longstanding relationship appears to explain why Iran welcomed him so warmly, even as he remains in direct contact with Trump and his team.

Foundation for Defense of Democracies' Bill Roggio told Fox News Digital that, "Trump should not trust the Pakistanis. Pakistan was a perfidious ‘ally’ in Afghanistan, backing the Taliban while pretending to be our friends. Munir’s ties to the IRGC should be a massive red flag for the Trump admin."

Munir’s relationship with Trump dates back to the India–Pakistan crisis of May 2025. Munir played a key role in helping de-escalate the confrontation, and afterward Pakistan formally nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, a move widely viewed by Pakistani analysts as encouraged by Munir.

Since then, Trump repeatedly has praised him. Trump has called Munir an "exceptional man," a "great fighter" and "my favorite field marshal." 

Pakistani officials and media reports say the two men now speak directly.

Pakistani analyst Raza Rumi told Fox News Digital that Munir’s appeal to Trump is not surprising.

"Trump has long shown a preference for strong, decisive leaders," Rumi said. "Munir fits that mold as a centralized authority figure who can deliver outcomes."

WHY TRUMP, IRAN SEEM LIGHT-YEARS APART ON ANY POSSIBLE DEAL TO END THE WAR

Rumi described Munir as "a disciplined, institution-first leader with a strong emphasis on order, hierarchy and strategic clarity."

"Unlike more publicly charismatic military figures, his style is relatively understated, shaped by intelligence work and operational experience rather than overt political signaling," Rumi said.

Munir’s background helps explain both his style and his influence.

Munir studied at the Fuji School in Japan, the Command and Staff College in Quetta, the Malaysian Armed Forces College in Kuala Lumpur, and Pakistan’s National Defence University, where he earned an master of philosophy degree n public policy and strategic security management, according to Pakistan’s Geo News. Munir was the first army chief in Pakistan to receive the Sword of Honour, the military’s highest distinction for a cadet. The outlet also described him as an avid reader, traveler and sportsman.

Munir is also a Hafiz-e-Quran, meaning he has memorized the entire Quran by heart.

A former head of both Pakistan’s Military Intelligence and Inter-Services Intelligence agencies, Munir spent years overseeing Pakistan’s most sensitive regional relationships, including with Iran, Afghanistan and India.

TRUMP AGREES TO 2-WEEK CEASEFIRE IF IRAN OPENS STRAIT OF HORMUZ

In 2025, after the India-Pakistan crisis, he was elevated to field marshal, the first Pakistani officer to hold the rank since former military ruler Ayub Khan.

Pakistani officials say that later that year, he also was given the newly created title of chief of defense forces, further cementing his authority above the country’s military branches.

Munir rarely gives interviews, but his speeches offer clues to his worldview.

WHO ACTUALLY RUNS IRAN RIGHT NOW? THE KEY POWER PLAYERS AS TRUMP CLAIMS TALKS TO 'TOP' OFFICIAL

At the Margalla Dialogue in Islamabad in November 2024, he warned that "absence of proper regulations for freedom of expression is leading to the deterioration of moral values in societies worldwide."

The remark reflected a broader emphasis on order, discipline and centralized authority.

Rumi said Munir operates from "a transactional, state-centric worldview rather than an ideological one."

Yet critics argue that his rise has come at a cost to Pakistan’s democracy.

After becoming army chief in 2022, Munir focused heavily on domestic politics, including what critics described as a crackdown on political opposition and an unprecedented concentration of military power, according to The Guardian, which reported that key negotiations with the United States and Iran have been coordinated not from Islamabad, Pakistan’s civilian capital, but from Rawalpindi, the headquarters of the military.

Critics say that reflects a broader reality: Pakistan’s foreign policy is increasingly being run by the army rather than the elected government.

Rumi said Munir’s rise reflects "the military increasingly eclipsing civilian leadership in Pakistan."

As the current negotiations continue, much appears to rest on Munir. Saeed said that is because Munir has spent years building trust on both sides and is unlikely to stop now.

"Knowing our field marshal, and from my own personal knowledge of him, he is relentless. He would not give up," Saeed said.

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After leading the effort to force the resignation of former Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., one House Republican has her sights set on another target.

"I'm very confident that the votes to expel Sheila [Cherfilus-McCormick] are there," Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital in an interview, referring to Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla, who could face an expulsion vote as early as next week.

It takes a two-thirds majority to expel a member of Congress, and Luna said she has been contacted privately by both Republicans and Democrats who plan to vote to remove the embattled Florida Democrat.

"Democrats have voiced their frustrations with her and have stated that they will vote to expel her as well," Luna said.

SWALWELL ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION FROM CONGRESS AFTER SEXUAL MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS TORPEDOED GUBERNATORIAL BID

House Democratic leadership has not yet weighed in on Cherfilus-McCormick’s fate, but a growing number of the Democratic caucus, from moderates to progressives, have backed her ouster.

The momentum for expulsion comes after a House ethics subcommittee found Cherfilus-McCormick guilty of more than two dozen ethics violations in March, including allegations related to stealing millions of disaster relief funds to finance her congressional run. She is also facing a separate federal criminal indictment that could result in more than 53 years in prison if convicted.

Rep. Greg Steube, R-Fla., is expected to introduce a resolution to expel Cherfilus-McCormick after the House Ethics Committee issues its recommended sanction next week.

Still, Cherfilus-McCormick told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that she would not resign despite the threat of removal. 

"This is not the time to abandon the district, not when they too are fighting for their future," said Cherfilus-McCormick, who is running for reelection.

Not every lawmaker, however, has been willing to risk the prospect of expulsion, which has only happened a handful of times in U.S. history.

Luna on Tuesday threatened to introduce a motion expelling Swalwell if he did not resign. Swalwell ultimately chose to quit on his own terms rather than face a rare chamber-wide expulsion vote. 

"I was ready to make that expulsion. I had it ready to go," Luna said. "And then his office contacted my office and let me know that his resignation would be coming in a few minutes before the deadline was for the expulsion [motion]."

Five women, including one former staffer, have so far accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct and rape. The California Democrat has denied any criminal wrongdoing and his attorney has vowed to vigorously contest the allegations.

ERIC SWALWELL WAS CABLE NEWS STAR FOR YEARS BEFORE RAPID FALL FROM GRACE

Members of Congress have traditionally been reluctant to pursue expulsion against colleagues who have not been criminally charged or found by the House Ethics Committee to have committed misconduct, but Luna argued that the serious allegations against Swalwell required a more aggressive approach. 

"His resignation, obviously, was something that had to be done," Luna said. "It was non-negotiable."

Luna also sharply criticized an atmosphere on Capitol Hill that she argued turned a blind eye to Swalwell’s alleged misconduct.

"From what we were hearing on the Hill, this was behavior that was known about for a while. But no one came forward to officially report it," Luna said, calling the silence "disturbing."

Luna predicted that additional sexual misconduct allegations would be made against Swalwell and said she turned over unreported information about Swalwell’s conduct to the FBI.

She also supported the expulsion of former Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, who resigned from the House on Tuesday to fend off a looming removal vote.

"I guess I took it on myself to act specifically in these cases because I got really frustrated. I’m up here to serve my constituents," Luna said. "There’s a lot of people that are up here to do good on behalf of their districts, to actually make real change."

"And when you are associated with and you accept people's behavior that is unethical and immoral and illegal, it's a poor reflection, not just on the institution, but it also taints the waters for everyone that serves with these people," she continued.

The critics erupted again the moment President Trump ordered a naval blockade, cutting off oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz that Iran has been controlling access to. Brinkmanship, they said. Dangerous escalation. These are the same critics who condemned the war from day one. But here is the truth they keep avoiding: the United States, Europe, the Gulf states and Israel have all been in a shadow war with Iran for decades. Every administration before this one too often chose to manage the threat rather than resolve it. Sanctions here, a diplomatic communiqué there, a weak JCPOA that kicked the can down the road. The regime did not moderate. It never was going to.

The Islamabad talks did not fail because of a trust deficit, a phrase analysts deploy to suggest the problem is one of communication rather than intention. Enemies do not trust each other. That is the definition of the situation, not an obstacle to overcome. The talks failed because Iran believes it is winning. Despite the extraordinary achievements of the United States and Israel, which significantly degraded Iran's nuclear program and dismantled key elements of its leadership and military infrastructure, the regime has not broken. You cannot fully defeat an enemy willing to burn the house down around itself.

Following those devastating strikes, one Iranian analyst, Nasser Torabi, declared on state television: "We have now entered a new stage in the history of Iran as an international superpower, and we will be recognized as a global superpower." Iran came to those talks not to make peace but to press its advantage. It seized the Strait of Hormuz as its most powerful weapon, betting that cheap drones, proxy networks and control of 20 percent of the world's oil supply gave it enough leverage to outlast a president it believes is watching the midterms. It rejected zero enrichment on Iranian soil and refused to relinquish control of the world's most critical waterway. The two sides were not close.

TRUMP DETAILS SWEEPING 'ALL OR NOTHING' BLOCKADE OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ AFTER FAILED IRAN TALKS

President Trump did not arrive here without exhausting every alternative. A personal letter to the supreme leader. Four rounds of Oman-mediated talks. Back channels through Pakistan and Egypt. Extended deadlines. Muscat, Rome, Geneva, Islamabad. Iran made clear at every stage that it would not concede diplomatically what it believed could not be taken from it militarily. Diplomacy without leverage is a wish. President Trump applied both.

The blockade is the logical next step between failed talks and resumed strikes. Some say it will be difficult to sustain. That is an argument for execution, not retreat, because the alternative is worse. Some say Iran has asymmetric tools and the risks are real. True. Does that mean the most powerful military force on the planet, fighting alongside a stalwart ally in Israel, should stand down? Are we so weakened in our thinking that we cower from every hard option because hard options carry risk?

Europe deserves particular mention. European governments have opposed escalation, declined to join the blockade and offered defensive escort missions instead. That protects individual ships. It leaves Iran in possession of the Hormuz card, free to play it again at will. Applying a bandage and squeezing saline at a wound that requires surgery does not make you a peacemaker. It makes you part of the problem.

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This is a game of chicken and a test of endurance. Iran is betting on President Trump's impatience. They do not know the man I know. I worked alongside him for 23 years. He does not walk away from a mission he believes in because a poll moves, a journalist writes a hostile column or a handful of supposed MAGA influencers cry foul. He moves forward. To do what is right. To do what is necessary. To protect what is worth protecting.

The two issues that broke the talks in Islamabad are binary. Either Iran enriches uranium on its soil or it does not. Either the Strait is open and uncontrolled or it is not. One side will have to win.

My assessment is that it will be President Trump's side. Not because the path is easy, and we should not pretend otherwise. But because the alternative is unacceptable. And because Donald Trump is one tenacious, iron-willed negotiator who does not know the meaning of the word quit.

Stop calling this brinkmanship. Call it what it is: the only play left. What plan achieves denuclearization without pressure? The pressure is the point. The discomfort is the point. None of this is easy. War never is. But the only thing harder than solving this problem now is explaining to the next generation why we chose to let it grow.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JASON GREENBLATT

President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued full-throated re-election endorsements for the incumbent lieutenant governors of Nevada and Idaho.

"Stavros Anthony has been a fantastic Lieutenant Governor for the Great People of Nevada!" the president declared in a Monday Truth Social post.

"Stavros Anthony has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!" he asserted.

TRUMP-BACKED GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES BID FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE TERM

Anthony thanked the president for his backing.

"Thank you, President Trump, for your support for my re-election and for your support for Nevada. I look forward to seeing you this week in Las Vegas," the state official wrote in a post on X.

REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR TARGETED BY DEMOCRATS LAUNCHES RE-ELECTION BID IN KEY BATTLEGROUND

Trump also gave his stamp of approval to Idaho Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, declaring that he "has been a tremendous Lieutenant Governor of Idaho, a place I love and WON BIG in 2016, 2020, and 2024!"

"Scott Bedke has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election — HE WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!" the president declared in a Truth Social post.

24 STATES BACK CHALLENGE TO TRANSGENDER INMATE SURGERY RULING WITH NATIONWIDE STAKES

President Trump previously issued posts in which he endorsed Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo and Idaho Gov. Brad Little for re-election last year.

The U.S. conducted two deadly strikes on Saturday against "vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations," according to U.S. Southern Command.

"Applying total systemic friction on the cartels," a Sunday night post on SOUTHCOM's X account declares.

"On April 11, at the direction of #SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted two lethal kinetic strikes on two vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations," the post continued.

COAST GUARD SEIZES OVER 4,500 POUNDS OF COCAINE WORTH $34M FROM SUSPECTED NARCO-TERRORIST VESSEL ON EASTER

"Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations," SOUTHCOM asserted.

The post noted that one individual survived one of the strikes.

ALLEGED NARCO-TERRORISTS KILLED AS US FORCES STRIKE SUSPECTED DRUG-TRAFFICKING VESSEL IN CARIBBEAN

"Two male narco-terrorists were killed, and one narco-terrorist survived the first strike. Three male narco-terrorists were killed during the second strike. Following the engagements, USSOUTHCOM immediately notified U.S. Coast Guard to activate the Search and Rescue system for the survivor. No U.S. military forces were harmed," the post stated.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth shared SOUTHCOM'S post about the strikes on his personal X account.

CARTELS FEAR US RETALIATION AS TRUMP-ERA PRESSURE RESHAPES STRATEGY: 'THEY FEAR THE UNITED STATES'

President Donald Trump's administration has controversially carried out scads of such deadly attacks against alleged narcoterrorists.