Chinese government officials are alleging that a University of Michigan researcher was questioned by U.S. law enforcement shortly before his death on campus last month — a claim U.S. authorities have not confirmed.

Danhao Wang, a research assistant in electrical and computer engineering, died in March after an incident inside the George G. Brown Building, according to the university.

The University of Michigan Police Department said officers responded around 11 p.m. on March 19 to a report of a person who fell inside the building. An assistant research scientist was found after falling from an upper level and was later pronounced dead.

Police said the case is being investigated as a possible act of self-harm and that there is no indication of an ongoing threat to the campus community.

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Chinese officials, however, have publicly raised concerns about the circumstances leading up to Wang’s death.

In a statement issued March 30, the Chinese Consulate in Chicago said a Chinese scholar died “the day after being questioned by U.S. law enforcement personnel,” adding that officials, acting under instructions from Beijing, had protested multiple times to U.S. government agencies and the university.

The consulate said it had contacted the scholar’s family “at the earliest opportunity” and was assisting them, while accusing the United States of “overstretching” national security concerns to “groundlessly interrogate and harass Chinese students and scholars.”

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It also warned of a “serious chilling effect” and advised Chinese nationals in the U.S. to exercise caution in interactions with law enforcement and contact Chinese diplomatic missions if they encounter similar situations.

The consulate did not identify the individual.

During a March 27 press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China had protested the case and accused the United States of “groundlessly interrogat[ing] and harass[ing] Chinese scholars and students,” calling for a full investigation.

U.S. officials have not confirmed that any such questioning took place.

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In a statement to Fox News Digital, the FBI’s Detroit field office declined to say whether it had any contact with Wang.

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“As a matter of longstanding policy, the FBI neither confirms nor denies the existence of any investigation or investigative activity involving specific individuals,” the bureau said.

University of Michigan police told Fox News Digital they would not be releasing additional information beyond their public statement, citing the ongoing investigation.

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The allegations were first reported by Michigan Advance, which said federal agencies declined to comment on whether Wang had been questioned prior to his death.

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Wang’s death remains under investigation, and an autopsy report has been requested.

In a message to the university community, Engineering Dean Karen Thole described Wang as a “promising and brilliant young mind,” noting his research into advanced semiconductor materials had been published in “Nature.”

The case comes amid heightened scrutiny of Chinese nationals at U.S. universities. As previously reported by Michigan Advance, federal authorities have brought charges in recent months against individuals with ties to the University of Michigan accused of attempting to smuggle biological materials into the United States.

President Donald Trump’s escalating threats against Iran sparked fierce bipartisan backlash on Capitol Hill, with some lawmakers calling for his removal from office.

Trump warned Tuesday that a “whole civilization will die tonight” unless Iran reopens the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway responsible for one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. 

“I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?”

Some Democratic lawmakers in both chambers immediately called for the president’s impeachment, though it is likely to be a futile effort in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

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“Trump’s unhinged threats of violence and genocide are inexcusable,” Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., wrote on social media. “My Republican colleagues can’t keep turning a blind eye. He must be stopped and impeached.”

“Sickeningly evil. Donald Trump must be impeached,” Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said in response to Trump’s message.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., also called on the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment, characterizing Trump as a “maniac” who must be removed from office.

Under the U.S. Constitution, the vice president and a majority of the cabinet can use the mechanism to remove a president, though the cohort must submit a written letter to Congress stating their rationale. Lawmakers in both chambers would then need to approve the president’s removal with a two-thirds majority — a much higher bar than impeachment and conviction.

Republicans similarly demanded that former President Joe Biden be removed toward the end of his administration.

The White House slammed Democrats’ renewed impeachment push in a statement to Fox News Digital.

“This is pathetic. Democrats have been talking about impeaching President Trump since before he was even sworn into office,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said. “The Democrats in Congress are deranged, weak, and ineffective, which is why their approval ratings are at historic lows.”

Other Democratic lawmakers stopped short of calling for Trump’s ouster but have advocated for an immediate end to the war and canceling recess to hold a vote to check the president’s war powers in Iran.

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“Each Republican who refuses to join us in voting against this wanton war of choice owns every consequence of whatever the hell this is,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday. 

Democrats in both chambers are expected to force votes requiring Trump to seek congressional authorization before launching military force against Iran in the coming weeks. However, the House and Senate are not expected to resume session until the week of April 13.

Trump’s latest fiery statement comes after his Easter edict, in which the president reaffirmed his Tuesday deadline in an expletive-filled post and threatened that Iran will be “living in Hell.”

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., a close ally of Trump’s in the Senate, said he hoped the president was bluffing.

“I am hoping and praying that President Trump is — this really is bluster,” Johnson told John Solomon Reports. “I do not want to see us start blowing up civilian infrastructure. I do not want to see that we are not at war with the Iranian people. We are trying to liberate them.”

Republicans have so far given little pushback to Trump’s war in Iran, with many declining to use the term. And in the Senate, they have blocked several attempts from Democrats to rein in Trump’s war authorities in the region and call back America’s military forces from the conflict.

Some Republicans aren’t completely sold on providing more funding for the conflict, including Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, until there has been a formal declaration of war approved by Congress.

That moment has not yet come, however, but it may be fast approaching, given that the conflict has now stretched over 39 days. At 60 days, Congress would be able to weigh in.

Not all Republicans shared the same sentiment as Johnson. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, when asked about the post, said “He’s not wrong.” 

“Let’s put it like that,” Ernst said. “I know the president is really frustrated, and we do want to see the strait opened. It’s not just good for the United States, but it’s good for Europe and so many other countries.”

Former astronaut Clayton Anderson credited President Donald Trump’s entire administration when asked by a CNN host whether the president “deserves any credit.”

The Artemis II astronauts completed their lunar mission late Monday, traveling deeper into space than any humans in history and revealing views of the far side of the Moon never seen before. Trump congratulated the crew as they continued their spaceflight, telling them, “Your mission paves the way for America’s return to the lunar surface very soon.”

Anderson, who spent 167 days living and working in space on the International Space Station, spoke to Abby Phillip about how he felt about this latest accomplishment.

“I think it’s great for them,” he said. “I’m very envious. I would love to be with them in that tiny little capsule, being so close to the moon,” he said. “But it’s very important, and I agree with what Miles [O’Brien] said, that we got to be the best. We’ve got to be the leaders in space exploration. And so I love the fact that we finally have committed after 54 years to begin this journey again.”

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Phillip then pressed him for his thoughts on a recent statement from the president, asking the astronaut, “In your view, Clayton, does President Trump deserve credit for — he said today that he was given a choice to shut NASA down or keep it going. Do you think he deserves any credit for keeping it going?”

Anderson suggested the entire administration deserved credit, arguing that politicizing this accomplishment is missing the point.

“Well, I think the entire administration deserves credit, all the people that are involved picking [NASA Administrator] Mr. Isaacman,” he said. “The politics of it to me is — is kind of fluff. I think that the key thing is, is that we’re doing it and that takes the efforts of a lot of different people.”

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He continued, noting, “It takes appropriate budget money, as we all know. We hope that the budget money will continue to be there because it will be required for us to get to Artemis III and then Artemis IV. So, you know, everybody’s taking credit.”

“I’m taking credit by being on your show and saying, ‘Hey, I was an astronaut for a while. You know, I lived on the space station. Give me some credit!’” Anderson said. “So, you know — so it’s, it’s kind of a — it’s a humanitarian success.” 

The exchange was first noted by NewsBusters. 

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Phillip agreed, saying that after having spent 167 days in space, Anderson indeed deserved to “get all the credit,” and thanked him for his service.