Two officers who were pushed out of the military during President Donald Trump’s first year back in the White House have launched new missions this week: running for Congress as Democrats.

A retired U.S. Space Force colonel, who was forced out of the military under the Trump administration’s ban on transgender service members, announced a run for Congress in Northern Virginia. 

And a senior Navy official removed from her post last year by War Secretary Pete Hegseth launched a congressional bid in South Carolina.

Their candidacies highlight a growing political backlash to Trump-era military policies, as former officers removed from service look to re-enter public life through Congress.

PENTAGON SCORES COURT VICTORY IN TRANSGENDER BAN LEGAL FIGHT

Bree Fram joined the U.S. Space Force in August 2021, where she rose to the rank of colonel. 

President Donald Trump signed an executive order and the Pentagon, under Hegseth, issued guidance that barred most transgender people — including those with a diagnosis or history of gender dysphoria — from military service. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in March 2025 blocking enforcement, but courts later allowed the policy to move forward while litigation continued. According to Fram, she was placed on administrative leave in June 2025 pending separation, and was forced to retire at the end of 2025 due to presidential policy.

Fram pledged that “I’m not going to run away from my oath to the Constitution.”

In a campaign launch video posted on Tuesday, Fram said, “I served 23 years wearing the flag on my shoulder, reaching the rank of colonel. But then Donald Trump fired me, not because of my performance but because of who I am.”

Fram said she’s running for Congress “because too many Americans are afraid of what the federal government will do to them instead of being confident of what it can do for them.”

Virginia is likely to redraw its congressional map ahead of November’s midterm elections, as part of the high-stakes redistricting battle between Trump and Republicans versus Democrats. And Fram plans to run in whichever district she resides in once the new congressional lines are finalized.

Fram’s hometown of Reston, Virginia, is currently in the state’s 11th Congressional District, which is represented by Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw, who last year won a special election in a landslide to succeed the late Rep. Gerry Connolly, who died from cancer in May. Walkinshaw was a former Connolly chief of staff.

In South Carolina, former three-star vice admiral Nancy Lacore on Tuesday jumped into the open seat race in the state’s 1st Congressional District.

Lacore, a 35-year military veteran who served as a Navy helicopter pilot and later as chief of the Navy Reserve, a 60,000-person force, was removed last August. The reason for her firing was not made clear, but it occurred as part of a high-profile leadership purge headed by Hegseth which included the dismissal of Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, the head of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, and Rear Adm. Milton Sands, a Navy SEAL officer who oversees Naval Special Warfare Command.

“After decades of service to our country, a career that started as a Navy pilot and finished as a three-star admiral, I was removed from my position without cause,” Lacore claimed in her campaign launch video.

HEGSETH FIRES TOP PENTAGON OFFICERS

And she emphasized, “I still have more to give, more to fight for, more work to do — and I am not done serving.”

The War Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment when asked about Lacore’s claim.

Lacore joins a crowded field of Democrats and Republicans running to succeed three-term GOP Rep. Nancy Mace, who is running for South Carolina governor.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Democrats are aiming to flip the right-leaning coastal congressional district in the state’s Lowcountry.

“The South Carolina First isn’t a District that Democrats can concede if we’re going to build a lasting and winning coalition, and Nancy is the only candidate in a position to win,” said Matt Corridoni, a spokesperson for The Bench, a Democrat-aligned group that highlights it’s “building the next generation of Democratic leaders by recruiting and supporting great candidates in tough districts.”

An illegal immigrant accused in a fatal DUI crash that killed a beloved college soccer player and his girlfriend in North Carolina had a prior DWI charge dismissed years earlier — a history now fueling renewed debate over immigration enforcement, court records show.

Court documents reviewed by Fox News Digital show Juan Alvarado Aguilar, 37, was charged with driving while impaired in Cabarrus County on Nov. 5, 2020. The case was dismissed with leave by the district attorney, a procedural move under North Carolina law that removes a case from the court docket without terminating it and allows prosecutors to reinstate the charge under limited circumstances.

The unresolved status of that prior DWI charge has drawn renewed scrutiny following the fatal crash that killed Fletcher Harris, 20, and Skylar Provenza, 19.

According to the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, the crash happened late Friday night when Aguilar crossed the center line and collided head-on with another vehicle on Amity Hill Road.

DHS REVEALS ILLEGAL ALIEN BEHIND FATAL CRASH WAS GIVEN LICENSE BY DEEP BLUE STATE

Aguilar appeared in court Tuesday with the assistance of a Spanish translator and faces two counts of felony death by vehicle and one count of driving while impaired in connection with the Jan. 16 crash, according to WCNC.

Prosecutors requested Aguilar’s bond be increased from an initial $250,000 to $2 million, citing his criminal history and concerns he could flee. The judge exceeded that request, setting bond at more than $5 million.

“I’m very concerned about his appearance in court and the facts of this case,” the judge said before issuing the bond decision, WCNC reported.

ICE ARRESTS 100+ ILLEGAL ALIEN TRUCKERS IN MAJOR SWEEP AFTER DEADLY CRASHES ACROSS MULTIPLE STATES

Prosecutors told the court that a state trooper noted the odor of alcohol at the scene was so strong it overwhelmed other smells, including burnt rubber and oil. Aguilar admitted he was the driver and that no one else was inside his vehicle, according to court testimony.

Troopers also testified that Aguilar was stumbling at the scene and fell into a trooper as he was walking to a patrol car before being handcuffed. He later complained of back pain and was taken to a hospital, where his blood was drawn as part of the investigation, prosecutors said.

During the hearing, prosecutors revealed Aguilar has two prior failures to appear in court and a previous DWI charge on his record. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer has also been placed on him, according to WCNC, with prosecutors arguing he posed a significant flight risk.

SHERIFF SLAMS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES FOR RELEASING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO ALLEGEDLY HIT OHIO NURSE

Jail records show Aguilar is being held at the Rowan County Detention Center with his next court appearance scheduled for March 2.

Harris was a member of the Catawba College men’s soccer program for three seasons and was pursuing a double major in environmental and sustainability studies and biology, according to the school. The college said Harris was consistently recognized on the presidential honor roll and the dean’s list.

North Carolina House Speaker Destin Hall said the case underscores what he described as the deadly consequences of weak immigration enforcement.

In a statement, Hall blamed federal border policies for the deaths, saying, “The lives of Fletcher Harris and Skylar Provenza were senselessly taken by an illegal alien driving while impaired. He had no business being in our country and two more young lives have been stolen by open border policies.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Republican Rep. Mark Harris of North Carolina also weighed in on the case, blaming what he described as the state’s “sanctuary policies” for the deaths.

“Fletcher and Skylar are the latest victims of NC’s deadly sanctuary policies,” Harris wrote on X. “They were allegedly killed by an illegal alien with a prior DUI in a head-on crash. They should still be here—but radical pro-crime Democrats protect criminal aliens instead.”

The case has also renewed attention on federal legislation aimed at illegal immigrants convicted of serious impaired driving offenses.

Sen. John Cornyn’s proposed Stop Illegal Aliens Drunk Driving Act would classify DUI or DWI offenses that result in death or serious bodily injury as aggravated felonies under federal immigration law, making offenders subject to removal and barring them from obtaining legal immigration status.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.

Brendan Banfield appeared visibly emotional in court Wednesday as jurors watched police body camera video from the night his wife was killed, wiping away tears as a police detective walked the jury through the video.

Det. Zachary Beckner returned to the stand during the defense’s case to discuss video recorded by responding officers. As the video played in the courtroom, Banfield shook his head, sniffled and used tissues to wipe his eyes while seated.

The video showed officers’ response to the home where Banfield’s wife, Christine Banfield, was found stabbed in February 2023. Another man, Joseph Ryan, was also killed.

Banfield is charged with aggravated murder in the February 2023 killings of Christine and Ryan inside their home in Herndon, Virginia, an affluent suburb of Washington, D.C. Prosecutors allege he orchestrated the killings to cover up his relationship with the family’s au pair, Juliana Peres Magalhães. Banfield has pleaded not guilty.

VIRGINIA NANNY’S JAILHOUSE LETTERS REVEAL CONFLICTING LOYALTIES IN LOVE TRIANGLE MURDER TRIAL

The emotional courtroom moment came as the defense continued presenting its case, which has included efforts to challenge forensic evidence and to emphasize Banfield’s reaction in the immediate aftermath of his wife’s death.

Jurors watched as the bodycam video was replayed. Banfield did not speak during the video but remained visibly emotional throughout.

On Tuesday, the prosecution rested its case, prompting defense attorneys to ask the judge to dismiss the charges, arguing the state failed to present enough evidence directly tying Banfield to the killings.

The judge denied that motion, allowing the trial to move forward.

Prosecutors have relied on testimony from Magalhães, who admitted her role in the killings under a plea agreement. She told jurors she was involved in a sexual relationship with Banfield and said the two plotted to kill Christine and make Ryan’s death appear to be the result of a consensual encounter gone wrong.

SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER

She testified that Banfield controlled the planning, created an online profile using his wife’s credentials and ultimately stabbed Christine after shooting Ryan.

FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Defense attorneys have attacked Magalhães’ credibility and argued the state’s case relies on inconsistent evidence.

The trial is ongoing in Fairfax County Circuit Court.

SEND US A TIP HERE