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Over the past month, Morgan Wallen made headlines for a slew of controversial incidents: snatching a phone from a security guard, flipping a piano over mid-show, then canceling a highly anticipated stadium gig at the last minute. Yet despite the backlash, the country superstar continues to dominate the charts, reinforcing a familiar pattern of controversy followed by continued success.

From public arrests to onstage meltdowns, the "Whiskey Glasses" crooner has had his share of downfalls. Yet, the wins keep following.

"The truth is simple, but significant: if you simply call ‘balls and strikes’ while you continue to put out good music, you’ll be fine," Doug Eldridge, founder of Achilles PR, said. "In other words, tell me whether it’s a ball or a strike; don’t tell me whether it’s a good pitch, or whether the batter has personal baggage. When it comes to ’lectures from the lead singer,’ Americans have a tolerance, and just like mercury in a thermometer, it has limits."

MORGAN WALLEN FANS LEFT DISAPPOINTED OVER COUNTRY STAR'S 'I'M THE PROBLEM' TOUR

"His controversies—whether comments or self-induced chaos—have fallen outside of the PR trajectory needed to clear the Van Allen Belts," Eldridge continued. "In terms of his behavior, his would-be ‘bad boy’ decorum is coming on the heels of iconic touring acts, like Cash, Jennings, Motley, and the Stones, so it almost seems benign, by contrast."

Wallen — who was first discovered while appearing on "The Voice" in 2014 — experienced his first wave of disappointment when he was eliminated from the singing competition show right before the live shows began.

"The disappointments just made me dig deeper and figure out why I didn’t win," he once told Billboard about the loss. "Some things in life are out of your control. Being the best you can be isn’t. I didn’t feel like I was the best I could have been. So, I practiced harder and really tried to make my voice second nature."

But little did he know, his career was about to take off.

In 2018, Wallen dropped his debut album, "If I Know Me," which went certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and reached No. 1 on the top country charts with multiple singles receiving mainstream success.

COUNTRY STAR MORGAN WALLEN'S HIT SONG WAS 'STUPIDLY' PASSED ON BY LUKE BRYAN

With newfound stardom, Wallen was on top. But things took a turn when the country star was arrested two years later after being kicked out of Kid Rock’s bar in downtown Nashville in 2020. After reportedly refusing to walk away with his friends when given the opportunity by police, authorities determined Wallen was "a danger to himself and the public" and took him into custody.

"I went out downtown last night with a few old friends. After a couple bar stops, we were horse-playing with each other," he wrote on X at the time.

"We didn’t mean any harm, and we want to say sorry to any bar staff or anyone that was affected. Thank you to the local authorities for being so professional and doing their job with class."

MORGAN WALLEN STRUGGLES WITH FAME, ADMITS HE HASN’T BEEN IN A BAR SINCE NASHVILLE ARREST

A few months later, days before he was scheduled to perform on "Saturday Night Live" in October 2020, clips of Morgan engaging in non-COVID-compliant behavior at an Alabama football game and celebrating at a bar afterward began circulating online. The move cost him his "SNL" gig that month.

"I’m not positive for COVID, but my actions this past weekend were pretty short-sighted and they have obviously affected my long-term goals and my dreams," he wrote on X at the time.

"I think I have some growing up to do. I think I’ve lost myself a little bit," he added. "I’ve tried to find joy in the wrong places and, I don’t know, it’s left me with less joy. So, I’m gonna go try to work on that. I’m gonna take a step back from the spotlight for a little while and go work on myself."

MORGAN WALLEN TROLLS ALABAMA FANS WITH CLEVER MOVE DURING CONCERT AT CRIMSON TIDE'S HOME

"SNL" did welcome him back in December of that same year, however.

One month after releasing his highly successful second studio album, "Dangerous: The Double Album," in January 2021, Wallen stirred more controversy after video surfaced of him using a racial slur.

In a video circulating online, Wallen used the N-word while referring to one of his friends.

LUKE COMBS’ BRUTAL RESPONSE TO ‘LIBERAL’ LABELS: ‘WHY DO WE ALL CARE?’

Not only was Wallen immediately suspended from his record label, but radio stations and streamers pulled his music and he was ineligible to receive any awards from the Academy of Country Music that year.

"I'm embarrassed and sorry," Wallen said in a statement shared with Fox News. "I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back. There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better."

WATCH: Morgan Wallen 'raises eyebrows' for walking off SNL before show end

In 2023, after the release of his third album, Wallen caught heat for canceling a show in Mississippi minutes before he was expected to hit the stage.

MORGAN WALLEN FIRES BACK AT 'NONSENSE' RUMORS HE LEFT PITTSBURGH BEFORE HIS SHOW WAS OFFICIALLY CANCELED

"After last night's show, I started losing my voice so I spent the day resting up, talking to my doctor and working through my vocal exercises trying to get better," Wallen wrote on Instagram the next morning. "I really thought I'd be able to take the stage and it kills me to deliver this so close to showtime, but my voice is shot and I am unable to sing."

Wallen went on to say, "All tickets will be refunded at point of purchase. I am so sorry, I promise you guys I tried everything I could."

Rumors began to spread that Wallen was too intoxicated to perform, hence the last minute cancellation. Wallen later disputed those claims, and insisted he had a vocal injury. The cancellation resulted in multiple lawsuits from fans.

One year later, in April 2024, Wallen found himself arrested on felony charges of reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct after throwing a chair off the rooftop of Eric Church’s Chief’s on Broadway bar in Tennessee.

Wallen was released on a $15,000 bail, and took to social media to issue an apology.

"I’m not proud of my behavior," he wrote on X at the time. "I have the utmost respect for the officers working every day to keep us all safe."

Wallen pleaded guilty in December 2024 and was sentenced to seven days at a DUI education center and placed on two-year probation.

Three months later, Wallen sparked outrage after abruptly leaving "SNL" during the traditional end-of-show credits segment. Shortly after leaving Manhattan's 30 Rockefeller Plaza, Wallen wrote that he was excited to return home. The country music star shared a photo on his Instagram Stories of a private jet with the caption "Get me to God’s country" written over it.

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Wallen later addressed the incident, claiming there was no ill-will. I was just ready to go home," Wallen said while appearing on comedian Caleb Pressley’s podcast. "I've been there all week."

MORGAN WALLEN SMASHES PIANO ON STAGE AFTER EQUIPMENT FAILS MID-PERFORMANCE DURING CONCERT

Most recently, Wallen flipped over a piano onstage after the equipment malfunctioned mid-show, and days later, snatched a phone from a security guard and threw it across the stage.

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Two days later, Wallen canceled his Pittsburgh show on Saturday due to poor weather conditions, amid online speculation that he dipped out of town before local officials confirmed the cancellation.

"This morning, my team walked on my bus and told me they had been consulting with local officials and that I should cancel my show in Pittsburgh tonight, and I said, ‘Why?’" said in the video posted to his Instagram Stories.

"They said that there was going to be strong winds in the area, and I said, ‘OK.’ So, that is what I did and that was the information I had in the moment, and I trusted my team," he continued. "I understand that wind hasn't gotten to Pittsburgh yet ... The truth of the matter is, I have a large stage that, in those conditions, could become fatal to a lot of folks around it. So, I did the best I could with the information I had in that moment."

"I’ve been seeing a lot of nonsense about me that is simply not true, and I just wanted to clear the air," he added. "I think my true fans know that that’s not how I operate in general, but I had to say it. Ya'll take care."

Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright contributed to this post. 

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America’s youth is giving back to America’s heroes.

The national nonprofit Building Homes for Heroes (BHH) builds, modifies and gifts mortgage-free homes to injured veterans, first responders and Gold Star families (who have lost a U.S. military service member while he or she was serving).

The New York-based organization has recently teamed up with local high-school students from The Villages Charter School (TVCS) Construction Management Academy in Florida.

GARY SINISE FOUNDATION, BUILDING COMPANY PRESENT FREE HOME TO WOUNDED ARMY VETERAN

In May, BHH unveiled two new homes to veterans in Lake Panasoffkee, Florida, gifted to U.S. Army Specialist Rajae Jones and U.S. Army Sergeant James Tabares and their families.

The homes were built from the ground up by TVCS students in partnership with BHH, requiring them to perform hands-on work, learn a new trade and give back to their community.

Kim Vesey, president and general counsel of BHH President, reflected on the recent projects and partnership with TVCS.

"It's a really phenomenal program, and we're so lucky to have been able to partner with them," she said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

FLORIDA NONPROFIT HELPS CUT VETERAN SUICIDE RATES BY 25% WITH COMMUNITY-BASED APPROACH

Together, the organization and student program have built several houses for veterans, starting in 2024 with a family who had been "really struggling," Vesey said.

The family had reportedly lived in transitional housing while the husband struggled with a military injury and PTSD, which made it difficult to keep a job.

"They just found themselves in this cycle of endless struggle," Vesey said. "They had two young boys, and they were really trying so hard."

The family was gifted the first home built by TVCS students and BHH. Now, both sons work at the school, and the veteran runs a program at the School of Autism.

"I really can't say enough great things about the opportunity that the school is giving to these students," Vesey said. "The hands-on ability to not just go into a classroom and learn a trade, but to also give back to their community at the same time and to change people's lives and see it firsthand ... being able to have that kind of impact on the world and realizing that what you do matters — I can't imagine how much that helps."

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Recent TVCS graduate Blake Tart, 18, shared his experience in a separate interview with Fox News Digital.

"My experience with Building Homes for Heroes was very cool – seeing the project go from a spot of sand to a finished and decorated house," he said. "I will take the hard work and lessons learned with me into my next career path, and the most valuable lesson is that I can work on all of this myself at my own home one day."

Tart, who comes from a family of veterans, said he and his fellow classmates showed up every day and "worked our hardest" for the veterans receiving homes.

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"We were never satisfied with good enough – we wanted it to be perfect," he said. "The community should always lend a helping hand to those who have served and need some help."

BHH has a presence in 37 U.S. states, but Florida has seen the highest demand for housing among veterans, according to Vesey. She emphasized the importance of people having a wider understanding of why former service members may need extra help.

"People don't find themselves in situations where they can't provide for their family out of intent," Vesey said. "Any one of us are just a few paychecks away from being in a situation where we are unable to provide for our families."

"Our veterans go into the military to serve their country for so many different reasons, and many of them go into that thinking it's going to be a full-time career, just as if you're a teacher or a lawyer or a doctor… and that's your retirement, that's your savings, that's everything you need to support your family," she went on.

"So, when you go into the military thinking you're going to put 30 years into that career, and it gets cut short because you're injured, it's a high risk."

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Many veterans who leave the military after an injury don’t have a stable place to live, a college degree or a back-up career.

"You haven’t put down roots because you’ve served your country for 10 years … There is no fallback plan," Vesey said. "When people enter this high-risk career and that career is cut short through no fault of their own to serve our country, I think it's paramount that our country is there to serve them."

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"Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road."

-Jack Kerouac

Among the most charming and fun developments of the United States hosting the World Cup, along with all the ties and low-scoring, of course, has been a bunch of Europeans discovering the wonders of America and sharing it on social media.

A German who goes by the handle Freddy has taken America by storm, describing the joys he finds driving through the deep south. He and others have lauded everything from the grand magnificence of Buc-ees gas stations to the savory goodness of biscuits and gravy.

THE VERDICT IS IN: EUROPEANS ARE OBSESSED WITH RURAL AMERICA DURING 2026 WORLD CUP STAY

Perhaps most American of all is the fact that the majority of these travel accounts on social media are road trips of Europeans, who are used to biking everywhere with a baguette under their arm. Here, they are even posting maps, covering hundreds of miles like latter-day Lewis and Clarks.

As the great American novelist Jack Kerouac understood, driving is the only way to truly understand America, to find its secrets, its nooks, crannies and roadside gems. You can’t fly there and you can’t take a train. You have to get behind the wheel and hit the road.

What European travelers are really experiencing is the freedom of driving, and how essential it is to the whole mythology of modern America. The ability to chart your own course vs. highly efficient rail systems that guide not just your travel, but your life.

WORLD CUP FANS FALL IN LOVE WITH AMERICAN CULTURE, COMFORT FOOD CLASSICS

You want to drive to Waffle House at 1 a.m.? Knock yourself out. You want to buy a rifle somewhere between Buc-ee's and Barstow? You can.

America isn’t the only country where you can take a road trip, but it is the only country that is essentially founded on the practice. America, as Kerouac knew, is its roads, and the little towns and people that thrive along them.

Even American hospitality often comes with a helping of four wheels and an engine. My favorite Freddy tale was when he wrote, "I love Americans. We were about to walk an hour to the stadium in the rain to save on an Uber, and the receptionist at the hotel we were parked in front of decided to drive us there."

GAS STATION FOOD IS 'EXTRAORDINARY' AND 'HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT,' SAYS TOP CHEF

Frequent travelers of American byways will all have experienced this at some point.

When a Midwesterner or someone in Dixie offers you a ride, you quickly get the clear sense that refusal would cause great offense. The next thing you know, you are in the front seat hearing apologies about the dog hair.

The songwriter Morrissey recently commented on the homogenization of European culture, brought about in part by its ubiquitous and highly efficient public transportation systems.

DAVID MARCUS: MORRISSEY MIGHT BE THE LAST BRITISH PERSON YOU WILL EVER KNOW

Moz, as his fans call him, said that before everything became cookie cutter, "You could go to Germany and see the most incredible culture, you could go to Italy and see the most incredible culture. Now they just want everything to be the same, the same, the same, so diversity means conformity."

Even in America, our cities have begun to feel all the same, the same stores, the same foods, the same accents. But in these places that you have to drive to, you find the trees in the forest of great America, and when you do, their branches will astound you.

So drive on Europeans, under the blanket of stars as our hot-shot freight trains sigh and whistle in the distance. Feel the curve of our continent under your wheels and enjoy the hospitality of those who mean it when they say, "How ya doin'?"

THE GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIP: 8 PLACES TO TRAVEL (AND STAY) TO CELEBRATE AMERICA 250 THIS SUMMER

And just maybe, some Americans will be inspired to do this themselves, to forgo one Disney or Cancun vacation for a road trip with the family, with all the small miseries and abundant joys that the packing the family into a car brings.

Until then, thanks to Freddy and the gang for holding up the mirror to the true nature of America, its small town decency and wide-smiling hospitality. Americans who live near international airports needed the reminder.

At the end of the day, what these Europeans are realizing is that Americans do whatever the hell we want to, and it is our cars that give us that freedom. However dire the straits or low the soul may feel, when the engine roars, we can get from point A to point B, and anywhere in between.

FOX NEWS' STEVE DOOCY TRAVELS ROUTE 66, UNCOVERS THE STORIES THAT BUILT AMERICA OVER A CENTURY

"Sal, we gotta go and never stop going 'till we get there.'

'Where we going, man?'

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'I don't know but we gotta go."

-Jack Kerouac

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Pro wrestler Jordan Saint died over the weekend in a car crash, according to an independent pro wrestling promotion. He was 23.

Saint, whose real name is Jordan Nasir, competed in multiple pro wrestling promotions including Pandemonium Pro Wrestling and Naptown All-Pro Wrestling among others.

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"Jordan was a very talented wrestler but those that knew him, know that he was truly an unbelievable human," Pandemonium Pro Wrestling said. "He was the finest example of what truly loving pro wrestling looked like. Nobody I’ve ever come across has loved pro wrestling more than Jordan Saint. He touched so many people with his kindness, his passionate, his personality and his charm. Jordan never folded & never changed for anyone if it meant it sacrificed who he was. He wore his heart on his sleeve at all times and we loved him for it.

"Jordan was a friend to everyone at Pandemonium and after an unbelievable performance in Las Vegas, was someone we planned to be involved with everything we had moving forward.

"We will miss Jordan dearly and hope if you’re reading this you will keep his family in your thoughts."

Saint performed for Pandemonium Pro Wrestling at Shooting Star Fest in Las Vegas during WrestleMania weekend. He tagged with Robert Martyr to take on Shimbashi and Danny Orion.

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"Naptown All Pro is devastated to announce the passing of Jordan Nasir St. Fort Colin at the age of 23 better known to the wrestling world as "Black Flash" Jordan Saint," Naptown All-Pro Wrestling said. Jordan was involved in wrestling since 2022, been a part of NAP Wrestling since 2023, and has adored wrestling for essentially his entire life. That passion for the art & sport of pro wrestling bled through in every action, and if you took the time to really be in his presence, the zeal he had for the squared circle was infectious.

"Hardheaded & dedicated to his craft, Jordan was quick to soak up knowledge. Combined with his superb athleticism, he took to all aspects of in-ring competition lightning fast. A true diamond-tier prospect, we’re heartbroken to know we won’t see his full potential achieved.

"Jordan exemplifies everything we want Naptown All Pro to be. An unrelenting desire to be oneself, an overwhelming commitment to community, a calling to uplift what’s right in the world, and a deep-rooted love for professional wrestling.

"There will never be another Jordan Saint, and NAP keeps his family, friends, and fans in our thoughts. Thank you, Jordan, for bringing a wave of Shaolin Land swagger to Indianapolis. We love you Jojo."

Pro wrestlers also sent their condolences to Saint’s family as they learned of his death.

Saint broke onto the scene in 2022 and took a year away from the ring before returning earlier this year.

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The NBA playoffs aren't just a showcase for basketball's biggest stars.

They're also one of Hollywood's hottest tickets — where A-list actors, chart-topping musicians and sports icons pack the coveted front-row seats known as "Celebrity Row." Taylor Swift, Ben Stiller, Mariska Hargitay and more celebrities were spotted as the Knicks faced off against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday in New York City.

The New York Knicks made a record comeback from 29 points down and moved to the brink of their first championship since 1973 by beating the San Antonio Spurs 107-106 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

As the Knicks inched closer to ending a decades-long championship drought, the celebrity-packed courtside section drew almost as much attention as the action on the floor. But while "Celebrity Row" may appear effortless, landing one of the most coveted seats in sports comes with unwritten rules — and even A-listers aren't immune to the consequences when they break them.

KNICKS FANS ALREADY PAYING NEARLY $280K FOR COURTSIDE NBA FINALS TICKETS AS TEAM NEARS HISTORIC BERTH

"Training Day" star Ethan Hawke revealed he had his front-row experience yanked from him after he made comments about former Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni's abrupt exit in 2012.

"They'd always hook me up," Hawke said during an appearance on "The Bill Simmons Podcast" in 2018. "And then I called up one time, and they said, 'That'll be $7,800.' I was like, 'Why is this the first time you guys are charging me?' And they said, 'You should have thought of that before you went on the Jimmy Fallon show.'"

"And I was like, 'Wow, this is real.'"

Yet, the Knicks organization doesn't have full control over the highly coveted courtside seats.

"The biggest misconception is that [Madison Square] Garden controls all the tickets around the court. They're actually not," Joe Favorito, who led communications for the NYC team from 2001 to 2008, told ABC News. He revealed that agencies, media companies and even brands control and distribute tickets to A-listers behind the scenes.

NINA DOBREV POSES IN JUST A KNICKS SHIRT AND SLEEP MASK AFTER WATCHING HISTORIC GAME AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

There's also another way for a small group of stars. Some of the famous faces you see actually own their courtside seats, including Dustin Hoffman and director Spike Lee.

Then there are a handful of seats under the control of Madison Square Garden, but they don't come completely free.

"If you are a celebrity wanting to come and your representatives go through the process of doing that, there is, I don't want to say it's a payback, but there's an understanding," Favorito said. "There's a little bit of an expectation of a quid pro quo for getting those seats."

TAYLOR SWIFT DANCES, SHIMMIES AND STEALS HEADLINES AS KNICKS ERASE 29-POINT DEFICIT IN NBA FINALS THRILLER

If the A-lister does come to watch, he or she is unofficially expected to make a charity event contribution or show Knicks pride on the jumbotron during the game. Loyalty can get you to the top of the celebrity list, according to Favorito.

"Loyalty is tremendous," he said.

While some celebrities earn coveted spots on "Celebrity Row" through years of loyalty to the franchise, others arrive as high-profile guests. Here's a look at the stars who packed Madison Square Garden for Game 4.

Swift brought her star power to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night to cheer on the New York Knicks courtside.

Swift sat with close friends Alana and Este Haim.

The pop star embraced a spirited, game-day-inspired look built around a bright royal blue "STEVIE KNICKS" T-shirt featuring bold orange lettering across the front. Alana and Este each wore matching shirts reading "KNICKOLE KIDMAN" and "KNICKELBACK."

Swift, the Haim sisters and Mariska Hargitay joined hands and danced in a circle as the Knicks erased a 29-point deficit. At one point, Swift and Hargitay jumped up and down while embracing as the "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" star whipped her hair back and forth.

WATCH: TAYLOR SWIFT CELEBRATES EVERY BIG KNICKS MOMENT DURING DRAMATIC FINALS WIN

Swift's appearance at Game 4 sparked widespread discussion about whether she's actually a Knicks fan. While the pop star is best known in sports circles for attending Kansas City Chiefs games to cheer on fiancé Travis Kelce, she has attended Knicks games in the past.

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WATCH: TAYLOR SWIFT AND MARISKA HARGITAY SHARE SWEET MOMENT DURING NBA FINALS

Hargitay is a longtime New York Knicks fan and recently developed a close friendship with basketball star Jalen Brunson.

Hargitay told The Hollywood Reporter she raced nearly 10 blocks after completing her Broadway show, "Every Brilliant Thing," to MSG to catch tip-off of game four. The "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" star has emerged as one of the Knicks' most recognizable super-fans during New York's push for its first NBA championship in more than five decades.

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Stiller has become one of the defining celebrity faces of the New York Knicks fan base. Stiller has attended most major Knicks home games at Madison Square Garden and often travels to cheer the team on from the road.

For many New Yorkers, Stiller isn't just a Hollywood star who likes basketball — he's one of the Knicks' most recognizable and authentic superfans, a role he's embraced nearly as passionately as any character he's played on screen.

Timothée Chalamet was raised in Manhattan, making his Knicks fandom feel less like a Hollywood attachment and more like a hometown allegiance.

Throughout the Knicks' postseason surge, he became a constant courtside presence at Madison Square Garden alongside girlfriend Kylie Jenner.

As a native New Yorker who wears his fandom on his sleeve, he's become a symbol of the excitement surrounding the franchise's resurgence and one of the celebrity supporters most closely associated with this era of Knicks basketball.

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The New World Screwworm (NWS) – a parasitic fly that eats the flesh of livestock and other warm-blooded animals – has arrived in South Texas.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed on June 3 that NWS larvae had been identified in a three-week-old calf’s umbilical area in Zavala County, Texas. As of June 11, federal officials had confirmed six total cases, Fox7 Austin reported.

According to the USDA, "NWS is a serious pest that affects livestock, pets, wildlife, and less commonly, people and birds. NWS larvae (maggots) burrow into the flesh of living animals, causing serious damage to livestock and economic losses."

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Screwworms don’t make meat unsafe to eat, but they do threaten to raise beef prices that are already at a record high.

The USDA is led by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. On May 11, 2025, she announced "the suspension of live cattle, horse and bison imports through U.S. ports of entry along the southern border due to the continued and rapid northward spread of NWS in Mexico."

Models projected the NWS would enter the U.S. in 2025, "but thanks to the hard work across the entire Trump administration and our industry, state and local partners, we were able to buy time for this moment," said Dudley Hoskins, USDA Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs.

"USDA invested heavily in the tools needed to eliminate NWS ever since cases started increasing in Central America and Mexico," Hoskins said. "The United States has defeated this pest before, and we will do it again."

The USDA announced that "an APHIS strike team is already on-site in Texas." The agency said it has mounted a "rapid, efficient response" that involves releasing sterile male flies and establishing a movement control zone to quarantine livestock.

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Beginning in the 1920s and 1930s, USDA scientists began NWS eradication efforts. Part of the solution was the Screwworm Adult Suppression System (SWASS), which lures flies to a bait mixture that contains insecticides that kill them before they can reproduce. Since female flies only reproduce once, they also released sterile male flies so the females would mate and produce no offspring.

In 1966, Agricultural Research Magazine declared, "The screwworm has been eradicated from the United States."

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller has been critical of the USDA’s response to the new NWS outbreak.

"For months, the screwworm has advanced rapidly through Mexico in spite of the USDA’s existing gameplan," Miller said in a statement. "Even though billions of sterile flies have been dispersed by USDA, the screwworm has still advanced over 1,100 miles from southern Mexico to Texas, and USDA has missed an important component. Now that it appears the first screwworm has arrived in Texas, the consequences of that decision are now staring us in the face."

Miller said he "personally provided research and the SWASS bait formula to Rollins and her team on three separate occasions while the screwworm continued its northward trek to Texas."

He added, "Instead of using every available tool, USDA moved too slowly and relied solely on a partial solution that takes years to fully implement."

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Miller asked President Trump to take control of the NWS response.

"Cut through the bureaucracy, deploy SWASS immediately and throw every available federal resource at this threat before it becomes a full-blown agricultural disaster," he urged the president.

As Texas Land Commissioner, Dawn Buckingham, M.D., oversees more than 13 million acres of state land, including roughly three-quarters of a million acres of grazing and hunting leases managed by the Texas General Land Office. Her office sent a letter to Rollins and Texas governor Greg Abbott offering full access to the lands to support the government’s response to "the active, escalating threat of the New World Screwworm."

"This is a big deal," Buckingham told Fox News Digital. "It's going to be a real problem, and it doesn't just impact our cattle, but it impacts all of the wild animals as well as our dogs and our cats. We want to be sure that we get these insects out of our state."

The Land Commission has offered access to property to house workers, grow sterile flies, set up traps, whatever is needed, Buckingham said.

According to Buckingham, the Land Commission met with South Texas ranchers "many months ago" when they observed screwworm flies marching up through Central America and Mexico. She said the pests have been slowly working their way back after they were pushed down to South America several decades ago.

"[Screwworms] come and go with the world population being so mobile," Buckingham said. "It's very easy for insects to travel, whether they jump on a fruit truck or they come on animals or whether they've infected a person. Diseases move much more quickly these days than they used to."

Buckingham added that, "The good news is we've got medication to treat [screwworms], and we know how to stop the propagation of the insect, so we should be able to get it under pretty good control. It's not reinventing the wheel. We fought them before. We'll fight them successfully again."

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Before the US president's comments, Iran expressed caution about the exact timing.

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