NationalWatch

EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans are heading into the next Congress ready to brawl.

Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., who is set to go from the No. 3 most powerful House Republican to No. 2 next year, told Fox News Digital that the GOP will hold the new Democrat majority “accountable” for their far-left faction’s ideas over the next two years, even if they cannot control what bills get a vote.

Emmer, who has served as House majority whip for the past four years, was elected Tuesday to serve as minority whip alongside incoming House Minority Leader Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. The Speaker of the House position turns over to Democrats, and will likely be won by current minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

And despite Jeffries poised to take control of what legislation gets to the House floor, Emmer signaled House Republicans would find ways to push their agenda as well.

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“What’s their answer to dealing with costs and wages? We’re going to investigate Trump,” Emmer said in reference to Democrats. “That’s not going to solve the problems that they created. So that’s going to be the job of the whip, is to make sure that we have a coordinated process — committee hearings, floor votes — to expose and define exactly who these people really are.”

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Emmer, in his first print interview since winning the House minority whip job, would not go into detail about how Republicans would utilize floor votes, however.

“There’s a toolbox with a bunch of different tools, and you’re going to have to build that strategy as you go from week to week,” he said.

The Minnesota Republican also signaled there would be little appetite for bipartisanship over the next two years, a sentiment he suggested would come from the other side of the aisle.

“Well look, they’re not going to work with us, that’s pretty clear, and I don’t even know if they’re going to be able to work with each other,” Emmer said.

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He repeated a short time later, “I see nowhere where they’re going to work with Republicans. And Republicans who think they are should think again, because they will tell you nice things, and then they will just go do what they do.”

Meanwhile other House Republicans are already coming up with ideas on how to put Democrats on the spot on the House floor in the new Congress.

“We’ll file amendments,” said Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla. “And I think that’ll be where having good debaters and communicators would be important.”

Holding amendment votes is commonplace before large pieces of legislation like the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which Congress has enacted annually for decades to update and reauthorize critical national security policies.

Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., suggested an emphasis on a parliamentary procedure called the “motion to recommit,” which allows the minority party to get a vote on altering or even killing a bill in its tracks.

“I expect we’ll use that smartly,” LaLota said. “But as well, a Speaker Hakeem Jeffries will be wise to work these problems backwards, to know that anything he puts on the floor that he wants to become law or budget needs President Trump’s signature and probably 60 votes in the Senate.”

Rep. Mark Harris, R-N.C., said “there’s been a lot of conversation about going on offense.”

“We want to make sure that they know when they come to the floor, they’re gonna dread it, I hope,” Harris said.

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But there’s another mechanism for forcing a House vote that’s been used more and more often in recent years — often by their fellow Republicans.

Privileged resolutions allow lawmakers on either side to get a vote on a given bill within two days of its introduction. It generally begins with a procedural vote on whether to “table” the bill or refer it to committee in order to stop it, before a vote on the measure itself.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., most recently invoked it to force the House to consider impeaching Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. But that was defeated when the rest of the House GOP banded together to refer the bill to committee.

The GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital, however, signaled little appetite for using it.

“I think either party would be wise to build consensus around things that help actually deliver for the American people,” LaLota said. “The privileged resolutions have been abused in my time here, and there’s a better way to do business.”

And Emmer said his main goal for the next two years would be winning back the House majority in 2028 — which he insisted was a realistic goal.

He said at least 38 seats flipped by Democrats would be “ready to return to Republican hands,” and could see some old faces return.

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Asked whether he wanted to see some of those losing GOP incumbents run for their seats again, Emmer said, “I absolutely hope so, I’ve talked to several already.”

While Democrats’ midterm sweep dominated Election Night, voters in several states delivered consequential — and sometimes crosscutting — verdicts on voter ID, abortion access, taxes and English-language laws.

But the down-ballot decisions largely unfolded beneath the shadow of the GOP’s crushing losses, offering a separate look at the policy priorities voters chose to elevate in their states.

Read on to learn more about some of the most significant ballot measure results that will be shaping the lives of thousands of Americans.

New voter ID voting requirements

DEMOCRATS ‘DIVORCED FROM VOTERS’ AS 5 STATES BACK CITIZEN-ONLY VOTING, BOLSTERING GOP PUSH

Voters in Nevada, North Carolina and Ohio all voted to pass voter ID requirements, even as talks among federal lawmakers have stalled on the issue, showcasing that the issue remains a point of public interest.

In North Carolina, the state has required photo ID for in-person voting since 2018. But with the adoption of a constitutional amendment in a 59.6% to 40.3% vote, the Tar Heel State expanded the requirement to all forms of voting.

Similarly, in Ohio, voters passed Issue 3 in a 65.3% to 34.6% vote. Although Ohio already had pre-existing in-person voter-ID laws, Issue 3 codified the requirement in the state’s constitution, making it harder to overturn later.

Finally, in Nevada, Question 7 passed in a 62.1% to 37.8% vote, establishing a constitutional amendment to enact the state’s first voter-ID requirement. It compels voters to show ID when voting in person and, for mail and absentee ballots, asks voters to provide the last four digits of their driver’s license or Social Security number.

English is the official language of Idaho

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In Idaho, voters approved HJR6 in a 63.1% to 36.8% outcome, a measure that makes English the official language of the state, codifying it for use in public proceedings with a constitutional amendment.

English had already been made Idaho’s official language through statute since 2007.

State Rep. Dale Hawkins, one of the champions behind HJR6, called it reflective of efforts from the Trump administration to make English the official language of the United States through executive order.

“Our current administration signed an executive order doing this for the entire United States so we are just in line with what’s going on,” Hawkins said in public remarks.

In an interview with local media, Hawkins also cited a concern that many newcomers to the U.S. had, in his view, overlooked the country’s linguistic identity.

“One of the things that unites us all as a culture, as a country, as a state, is language. And what used to be the desired effect, which was assimilation — learn the language, learn the culture, learn the history — those things have slipped away. And we don’t see assimilation anymore. And I believe that if we have a common language, then our culture will survive,” Hawkins told the Idaho Capital Sun.

Voters reject a ‘viability’ right to abortion

DEM GOV MAURA HEALEY SIGNS SWEEPING MASSACHUSETTS BILL ALLOWING ABORTIONS UP TO BIRTH

Alongside their English language constitutional amendment, voters in Idaho rejected Proposition 1, which would have created a right to abortion up to the point of fetal viability, except in cases of medical emergency.

In the words of the proposition itself, it “would support creating a right to abortion before fetal viability—defined as a fetus’ ability to survive without extraordinary medical measures—and after fetal viability in cases of medical emergency; providing protections against professional discipline and civil and criminal liability for healthcare providers; and codifying a statutory reproductive right to freedom and privacy.”

Proposition 1 failed in a 44.0% to 55.9% outcome.

Had it been successful, the measure would have greatly reduced the state’s current limits on abortion except to save the life of a pregnant woman or in cases of rape or incest.

To onlookers like Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, the outcome demonstrates that protecting life in the womb remains a priority and an ongoing contest at the state level.

“We are incredibly grateful for Stop Prop 1 and all who stood up to defend the unborn. This is a hard-fought win and an example to pro-life voters, candidates and elected officials across the country… Voters were not fooled because pro-life leaders spoke up boldly to expose this initiative,” Dannenfelser said in a statement.

Socialist-backed 5% tax for billionaires goes up in smoke

STATE OF PLAY: BLUE WAVE SWEEPS DEMOCRATS INTO POWER, WITH KEY RACES STILL HANGING IN BALANCE

In California, voters rejected the implementation of a 5% billionaire tax that carried the backing of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The measure, Proposition 40, failed in a 47.5% to 52.4% loss.

The proposition would have applied a 5% tax on assets like businesses, securities, art, collectibles and intellectual property while excluding select pensions, real estate and retirement accounts.

To prevent billionaires from simply leaving the state, Proposition 40 was designed to retroactively apply to billionaires who were residents of California on Jan. 1, 2026.

The DSA framed the measure as a way to distribute wealth and as a kind of scaled-up version of a progressive tax, a tax that scales relative to income.

“We have the money in California to pay for the quality schools and healthcare that we need. It just needs to be transferred from the wrong pockets to the right ones. We can do that by taxing the rich,” the slideshow reads.

Notably, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom opposed Proposition 40, arguing that it would lessen California’s competitiveness relative to other states.

California rejects voter ID

Alongside Proposition 40, voters in California also rejected Proposition 39 — a proposed constitutional amendment that would have required ID for in-person voting and checks for the state’s voter registration lists.

Like Nevada’s Question 7, it also would have asked absentee voters to provide the last four digits of a unique government-issued ID number before securing a mail-in ballot.

The measure failed in a 39.4% to 60.5% vote.

Ahead of Election Day, Gov. Newsom characterized Proposition 39 as an extension of efforts to restrict access to voting rights.

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“Trump and his MAGA allies tried to rig our elections once, and California voters shut them down with Prop 50. Prop 39 is just their latest attempt to silence us, because they know they can’t win in California in a fair fight. It’s voter suppression, full stop, and Californians will vote it down in November,” Newsom said in a statement.

KENTON COUNTY, Ky. — Rep. Thomas Massie’s push to impeach War Secretary Pete Hegseth over the Iran war drew sharply different reactions from northern Kentucky residents interviewed by Fox News Digital, who offered competing assessments of the outgoing Republican congressman — and whether his latest confrontation with the Trump administration reflects principle or political payback.

Fox News Digital visited Covington, the population center of Massie’s district, along with Newport, Erlanger and other communities across the river from Cincinnati, to ask residents about their outgoing congressman and his efforts to impeach the Pentagon chief.

Richard Hassebrock, a Covington resident who said he has not always agreed with Massie, welcomed the impeachment effort.

“I’m not always a huge fan of Thomas Massie, but on this point I am,” Hassebrock told Fox News Digital.

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Craig Cuskey, who works in the Covington area but lives just outside the bounds of Massie’s district in Louisville, described the impeachment push as “pure spite” and “petty,” saying his opinion of the congressman had deteriorated.

The contrasting reactions came after House Republicans voted to refer Massie’s impeachment effort against Hegseth to committee, adding another confrontation to the Kentucky Republican’s long-running disagreements with President Donald Trump and his party’s leadership.

Democrats poised to take the gavel in January, however, signaled they will likely take up Massie’s mantle and seek the Pentagon chief’s impeachment.

Hassebrock said he was disappointed by Massie’s electoral defeat and praised the congressman’s independence.

“He stands up for himself, he stands up to what he believes in, he’s got principles unlike 99% of the other congress people out there,” he said.

Rilla, a Fort Wright resident who provided only her first name, offered a more complicated assessment.

“I think he’s just trying to get back at Trump,” she said, while adding that she had been proud of Massie for standing up to the president and was disappointed by his defeat.

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Rilla said she opposed the Iran war, particularly the prospect of military action without congressional involvement.

“I don’t think anyone should just go in and declare war without Congress being a part of it,” she said.

Phil Wiseman, an Independence resident, said he doubted the impeachment effort would accomplish much, even as he questioned the administration’s military strategy.

“I don’t see a definable outcome,” Wiseman said. “And if you’re going to fight a war, there needs to be a definable outcome.”

Wiseman said he identifies as a “RINO” — a term often used derisively by conservatives for “Republican in Name Only” — and voted for an independent instead of supporting Rep.-elect Ed Gallrein, the Trump-endorsed Republican who defeated Massie in Kentucky’s primary earlier this year.

He said his family has discussed Hegseth, noting that his father was a 27-year military veteran and his son served in the Marine Corps.

“We all had the same discussion,” he said. “Who is advising him? Because this [war] is very ill-thought-out and not well-planned.”

Wiseman compared that aspect of the Iran conflict to how the U.S. previously became mired in Afghanistan.

“So I seriously question the military advisors that are giving them this advice, or maybe they gave them contrary advice and it was ignored,” he said.

Anthony Tuemler of Covington supported impeachment and accused Hegseth of violating the Constitution through his conduct of the war.

Tuemler’s assessment of Massie was similarly mixed. Although he said he was glad the congressman was leaving office, he credited Massie with speaking up when he believed it was necessary.

“I’m glad he’s gone,” Tuemler said of Massie. “But the only thing I’m distressed about or sorry about is like when it came time to say the right things, Massie was the one who did it.”

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Randall Thompson of Newport, dressed in a military uniform for Veterans Day as he walked with his children near Covington’s Mainstrasse Village corridor, said he supports the defense secretary and pointed to their shared military experience in the Middle East.

“I support the troops and Pete Hegseth,” Thompson said, adding off-camera that he was in the same area of Iraq as the former Fox News host when they were both deployed.

Cuskey also defended Hegseth, saying he had initially been skeptical of his nomination but had grown more impressed with his performance.

“I think for his background, he’s done a remarkable job,” Cuskey said, arguing that Hegseth was carrying out directives from the commander in chief.

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., has voiced support for impeaching the Pentagon chief, while other Democrats have signaled plans to revisit his conduct when they take control of Congress in January.

Some lawmakers are also eyeing investigations and potential impeachment proceedings involving other senior Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and border czar Tom Homan — setting the stage for a broader confrontation between congressional Democrats and the White House.

Democrat Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins has won Alaska’s gubernatorial election, defeating Trump-endorsed Republican Bernadette Wilson and flipping the governor’s mansion.

The Associated Press called the race for Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state lawmaker, Friday evening local time. He is the first Democratic governor in Alaska since 1998.

Alaska’s gubernatorial election became an unusual contest as Republicans battled among themselves over who should succeed Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who was barred from seeking a third consecutive term.

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Wilson, a conservative activist and former political operative, received President Donald Trump’s endorsement during a campaign in which multiple Republicans competed for the governor’s office.

Trump publicly criticized fellow Republicans Dave Bronson and Treg Taylor, accusing them of dividing conservative voters and potentially jeopardizing the party’s hold on the governorship.

Bronson, a former Anchorage mayor, and Taylor, a former Alaska attorney general, remained part of the Republican field, creating a complicated general-election contest.

ALASKAN POLITICAL SCION HOPES TO HOLD ONTO STATE’S SINGLE HOUSE SEAT

Kreiss-Tomkins, a former state representative from Sitka, emerged as the Democratic contender, seeking to return his party to the governor’s mansion after Dunleavy’s two terms.

The election unfolded under Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference.

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If no candidate receives a majority of first-choice votes, the lowest-performing candidate is eliminated and those ballots are redistributed according to voters’ next preferences. The process continues until a candidate secures a majority among continuing ballots.

The system has added an unusual dynamic to Alaska politics, allowing multiple candidates from the same party to compete in the general election without a traditional partisan runoff.

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The contest also came as Alaska remained a reliably Republican state in presidential elections, despite occasionally electing Democrats and independents to statewide office.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito Jr. on Thursday warned that Congress could defund the high court, hamstringing its ability to carry out its operations, The Hill reported.

“Congress can turn off the lights at the Supreme Court and stop everything from happening if they want to defund their activities. And there are many, many, many other things that they can do, or at least try to do,” Alito said during remarks at the Federalist Society’s Antonin Scalia Memorial Dinner, the outlet reported.

“So, it is important to preserve the independence of the judiciary,” he reportedly said. “If that is eliminated, then the Constitution as adopted in 1789 will no longer be the same.”

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While Congress could target the Supreme Court’s funding, the U.S. Constitution explicitly protects the pay of high court justices.

“The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office,” Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution reads.

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Alito indicated that lower-level judges have at times handed down “unjustified” orders obstructing the policies of presidents during recent years, The Hill reported.

“They are dedicated, and they are skillful, but they’re not perfect, and they make mistakes,” he said, according to the report. “And in some instances, I think they have gone far astray in abuse of their powers.”

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Alito, who has served on the Supreme Court since early 2006, was nominated by Republican President George W. Bush.

Rep.-elect Jace Yarbrough, a Republican from Texas, is set to enter Congress on Jan. 3 with an agenda to sharply restrict immigration and preserve what he describes as the “Christian heritage” of the United States, though he doubts the incoming Democratic majorities in both chambers will be willing to work with him.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Yarbrough repeatedly denounced mass migration and said he’d be in favor of “stopping immigration altogether for a time because of how insane this has gotten.”

He argued the U.S. is admitting far too many immigrants, including individuals he described as “avowedly anti-American” or connected to international terrorist groups.

He also said he’d support repealing the 1965 Hart-Celler Act, which abolished the national-origins quota system that favored immigrants from Northern and Western Europe while severely restricting immigration from Asia, Africa and other parts of the world.

‘AMERICA FIRST’ IMMIGRATION OVERHAUL BILL WOULD CODIFY TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN PROMISES ONCE AND FOR ALL

Asked whether he supported restoring national-origin quotas, Yarbrough instead advocated for a merit-based immigration system. Currently, most green cards are issued through family-based immigration, in which U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents sponsor eligible relatives. A much smaller share is issued based on employment qualifications and skills.

“You have to justify why it is that you are going to make our country stronger,” Yarbrough said. “You have to prove that you want to be a part of this thing. You’re going to forswear allegiance to your old country.”

Yarbrough also expressed concerns about the spread of Sharia law, the Islamic religious legal system that he argued was “completely incompatible” with American values.

“We’re not thoughtful about whether or not certain cultures are compatible with ours,” he said. “My job as a member of Congress … is to fight for us and be unapologetic about the richness of our history.”

When asked to provide examples of what he has previously described as the “Islamification of Texas,” Yarbrough pointed to a lawsuit filed last year by the East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC), a North Texas mosque.

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The EPIC mosque is located near Texas’ 32nd Congressional District, which Yarbrough will be representing in Congress.

“That mosque sued a group of Christian street preachers for preaching the gospel on public sidewalks near the mosque. And that’s an example of the kind of anti-American Sharia supremacist behavior, activity, and ideology that I’m talking about,” Yarbrough said.

In Oct. 2025, the mosque sued Testimonies of God, a Texas-based Baptist ministry, alleging that its members used microphones and bullhorns to disrupt Friday prayer services in violation of the city’s noise ordinance. Videos posted to the ministry’s social media accounts show its members preaching near the mosque over a period of several months.

Plano police records show officers responded to a criminal trespass complaint at the mosque in May, though the log does not identify those involved or indicate whether a citation was issued. A judge dismissed EPIC’s lawsuit in March under Texas’ anti-SLAPP law, but the mosque appealed, and the case remains pending.

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Yarbrough’s concerns about EPIC are similar to those of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who repeatedly accused the mosque of attempting to establish a community governed by Sharia law.

But while Abbott lost his re-election bid to Democrat Gina Hinojosa, Yarbrough won his race with just over 51% of the vote, capturing a seat previously held by a Democrat as his party suffered sweeping losses nationwide.

Yarbrough’s victory was aided by a 2025 redistricting effort that transformed the 32nd District from a Democratic stronghold into a Republican-leaning seat by adding several conservative rural counties east of Dallas.

Yarbrough, however, credited his win to his unwavering embrace of the “America First” agenda, arguing that Republicans should resist calls to moderate despite the party’s poor performance in the midterms.

DEM WINS TRUMP-TARGETED TEXAS DISTRICT IN REBUKE OF REPUBLICAN REDISTRICTING SHAKEUP

He did acknowledge that some of his younger constituents were upset over the Iran war, with some of them expressing frustration that the conflict had contributed to higher gas prices.

“I didn’t run away from any of the policy convictions of the America First movement,” Yarbrough said. “Obviously, that resonated with them because we were one of the few spots where Republicans were able to hold a seat and even gain a seat.”

Yarbrough, a Stanford-educated attorney, served four years on active duty in the Air Force before transitioning to the reserve in 2015. He currently holds the rank of major and spends about five weeks a year serving at Space Systems Command at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

His decision to run for office was driven largely by his belief that the military and institutions where he studied and worked as a lawyer had become increasingly hostile to conservative values.

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The consequences he faced after his refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine on the “strong advice” of his doctor further pushed him toward a career in politics.

That decision earned him a formal reprimand from the Air Force, according to Yarbrough. He also said he resigned from Baker Botts, a prominent Texas law firm, the day before its vaccination policy took effect, which he said would have prevented him from entering the office without proof of vaccination.

Baker Botts did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Fox News Digital.

“The left just kept coming after me,” Yarbrough said. “I finally decided, well, if they’re not going to leave me alone, then upon evaluation, maybe it’s my job to go and and fight to make them stop.”

During a candidate forum in February, Yarbrough bluntly said, “I have no interest in representing Democrats,” while talking about his vehement disagreement with COVID-19 vaccine mandates employers implemented during the height of the pandemic.

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When asked about those comments, Yarbrough told Fox News Digital that he will represent the people of his district “whether they voted for me or not.”

Yarbrough argued that many Texans who voted for Democrats were actually Republicans frustrated with their party, rather than supporters of progressive policies he considers extreme.

As he prepares to take office, Yarbrough said he was skeptical he’ll find much common ground with his fellow Democrats in the House, who will steer the legislative priorities of the chamber for the next two years.

“It seems like they’re going to be primarily interested in weaponizing, as they have several times in the past, whatever levers of power they’ve been given to try and go after … members of the first family and the administration,” he said.

Still, Yarbrough said he’d be ready to work with anyone who wants to prioritize the interests of American citizens.

What do you think: With President Donald Trump’s willingness to work with the new Democratic Congress, can the man behind “The Art of the Deal” pull off his greatest achievement, the uniting of the United States?

A White House Situation Room meeting reportedly turned into a blowout between two of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet secretaries after news broke that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had an affair with a suspect Chinese spy.

Tempers apparently boiled over regarding claims Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick dragged his feet on placing restrictions on a company run by a suspected Chinese spy with whom Huang admitted to having an affair, even after the Cabinet official received an intel memo informing him of the potential threat.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly confronted Lutnick about that in the meeting, and other Cabinet officials took Bessent’s side, according to Axios.

Trump has for months called to place companies suspected of supplying China with Nvidia’s complex AI chips on what is called the Entity List, a Department of Commerce export control list that identifies companies the U.S. government believes pose a serious risk to national security.

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Three times — in May, August and last Thursday — Trump approved taking action against companies believed to be diverting Nvidia chips to China, according to Axios.

One of those companies is Singapore-based Megaspeed International, which is reportedly one of Nvidia’s largest customers. Suspected Chinese spy Alice Huang, with whom the former Nvidia CEO admitted to having an affair, is an executive at Megaspeed.

Lutnick was accused of slow-rolling in putting Megaspeed on the Entity List, which prompted Bessent to lose his patience.

When the news of Jensen Huang’s affair broke, Lutnick, Bessent, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer reportedly convened in the Situation Room.

Bessent confronted Lutnick about why the export controls had not already been put into place, and others in the room took Bessent’s side, according to the Axios report.

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Lutnick said he would have to discuss it with the president despite Trump’s May and August orders to proceed.

The group then met with Trump later in the day at the Oval Office. The president reportedly gave the order again, saying, “Let’s get it done.”

Still, Lutnick wouldn’t proceed.

“I’ll develop some options and come back,” he said. The group replied that Trump’s decision was final and that Lutnick must “go f—ing execute.”

Lutnick is at the center of the scandal, especially after it was revealed he received a memo informing him about U.S. intelligence that Huang had a relationship with a suspected Chinese spy and still did nothing to put the company she ran on the Entity List.

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A spokesperson for the Commerce Department didn’t directly address the report of Lutnick’s confrontation with Bessent. 

“The Department of Commerce and the Department of the Treasury have a great working relationship and are committed to advancing President Trump’s agenda,” Kristen Eichamer told Fox News.

She also said Lutnick has proactively decided to appear before the Senate Banking Committee to answer questions on the matter. A hearing is scheduled for Dec. 10.

Bessent appeared on CNBC’s “Sqwuak Box” Thursday morning, where he was asked about the reported blowout.

He said there was coordination between the various agencies about putting Megaspeed on the Entity List but then referred further questions to the Commerce Department and Bureau of Industry and Security.

“You will have to ask them about their internal proceedings,” Bessent said. 

US ATTORNEY WARNS CHINESE ESPIONAGE IS ‘EXTREMELY PERVASIVE,’ SAYS BEIJING ‘PLAYING THE LONG GAME’

Jensen Huang resigned from his post as Nvidia CEO Thursday morning, and the company has reportedly opened an investigation into the affair.

The Treasury Department and White House did not return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Nvidia.

Most of America bemoans political gridlock in the nation’s capital. DC area commuters deplore the city’s transit gridlock.

But Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth may now be a fan of DC’s legendary traffic snarls. It appears that crosstown traffic may have prevented him from becoming only the third Cabinet secretary ever impeached by the House of Representatives.

The House voted 211-204 this week to divert an effort by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) to impeach Hegseth.

House Republicans moved to block a straight, up-or-down vote on impeachment.

Instead, Republicans forced a vote on sending the articles to the Judiciary Committee.

That’s where they’d go to die. If the House failed to sidetrack the articles, Members would have then voted on actual impeachment.

If a simple majority voted to impeach, Hegseth would join 19th century Secretary of War William Belknap and former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as the only Cabinet Members impeached by the House.

But DC’s streetside congestion altered the parliamentary traffic on the House floor.

All Democrats said they were intent on impeaching Hegseth.

But Republicans faced an attendance problem.

Seven of their Members were missing. The vote on sending the impeachment articles to committee was tight. The tally read 204-204 at one point.

By rule, tie votes fail. That would have compelled a vote on actual impeachment. But a few more Republicans trickled in. The absent Democrats never did. Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) presided over the vote.

He gaveled it closed at 211 yeas to send the articles to the committee and 204 votes against.

That was it. The Hegseth impeachment quest was dead. Eleven Democrats missed the roll call.

It’s about the math.

Flip four votes and Hegseth would have been impeached, 208-207.

HEGSETH IMPEACHMENT VOTE LOOMS AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS PRIVATELY WARN IT COULD PASS

And, had all 11 truant Democrats made it to the U.S. Capitol and voted, it’s likely the House would have impeached Hegseth 215-211. Even eight Democrats would have made it 212-211.

However, thanks to the Democrats’ attendance issue, Republicans were able to tap the brakes on the impeachment interstate.

The failure to impeach Hegseth is now fueling road rage in the Democratic Party.

“Shame on them for not showing up,” said Rep.-elect Richard Ojeda (D-N.C.).

“I don’t make excuses for colleagues who don’t show up on such an important vote,” said Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.).

Democrats can’t beat Republicans if they can’t beat the traffic.

Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) is one of the most outspoken Democrats when it comes to her disdain for Hegseth.

But Stansbury grew defensive when questioned by colleague Bill Melugin about missing the vote.

“I was trapped right there at that street corner because there was a police motorcade moving busses off of the campus. And I physically was trapped right at that corner in my vehicle, in traffic because the police had shut down traffic,” said Stansbury.

“Why not come here sooner, though?” followed up Melugin.

HEGSETH COULD FACE NEW IMPEACHMENT PUSH OVER UKRAINE AID, LAWMAKERS WARN

“I did and I was trapped in my vehicle because of a police motorcade,” said Stansbury.

Maybe. Maybe not.

The Constitution’s “Speech or Debate” clause exempts lawmakers from police interference when “going to and from” the Capitol for “their attendance at the Session of their Respective Houses.” It’s kind of like diplomatic immunity.

A few years ago, Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) was supposed to preside over a brief House session in the middle of a recess. Traffic heading into DC from Northern Virginia was stopped because of an incident. Beyer was the only Member scheduled to be present in the House chamber that day. So Beyer identified himself to a police officer who proceeded to let him through.

Over the years, other lawmakers have asserted the Speech or Debate clause as a reason to bypass unrelated police activity and get to Capitol Hill.

Reps. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) and Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.) also said they were stuck in traffic. However, Rep. Lou Correa (D-Calif.) was out for a medical procedure. Rep. Steve Horsford (D-Nev.) missed the vote because of a personal emergency. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was in the Golden State.

DC’s traffic interfered with parliamentary traffic again on Thursday morning.

The House took an early Thursday morning vote related to a veterans bill.

The House adopted the motion, 271-135. But the House gaveled down the vote with 26 Members absent. The reason? Some Members were again stymied from making it to the Capitol.

Emergency room physician Matt Lambert killed one person at a gym, shot six people and engaged in a standoff with cops before turning the gun on himself. Initially reported as an “active shooter” incident, District of Columbia police locked down major parts of the city, stalling traffic.

And that’s why some lawmakers missed Thursday’s roll call. They were marooned in traffic.

Shifting gears, Rep. Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.) in fact made that procedural vote on the floor. When the vote began, a gentle breeze blew across the Capitol plaza. Then a mist enveloped the Capitol.

Later, a few heavier drops. Then the sun broke through the clouds. But reverted to overcast. It was a dank morning in Washington.

“I want to know what the weather is,” yours truly shouted at Sorensen as he skipped down the House steps toward a group of reporters waiting below.

Sorensen is a meteorologist who worked for decades at TV stations in Texas and Illinois before coming to Washington in 2023.

Sorensen pivoted immediately into weatherman mode.

“We’ve got increasing showers guys. Much cooler temperatures for the weekend,” said Sorensen, replicating the precise forecast for Washington, DC over the next few days.

The meteorologist-turned-lawmaker gestured to his right as though looking at a phantom map of the Midwest, projected against a green screen in a TV studio.

“As God is my witness, I cannot talk about the weather without moving my hands,” said Sorensen. “I talk about high pressure. It’s high pressure right here in the midsection of the country. And it’s moving in our direction for the next week.”

After the election, the political weather forecast would seem good for Democrats right now. Supposedly balmy days and comfortable nights. A political “high”, if you will.

“So is there a high-pressure system moving here for the Democratic Caucus?” yours truly asked.

“No. It’s low pressure, man. It’s low pressure going into the next Congress. We’ve just got to keep everybody together,” he replied.

But is a high-pressure system really in the long-range forecast for Democrats? Or will a political “low” bring storms and atmospheric volatility — especially if progressive and centrist Democrats tangle with one another?

“I thought high pressure was a good thing,” said your trusty reporter. “No subtropical systems coming in. No clipper system.”

“As a meteorologist, I’m not in production. I’m in promotion,” said Sorensen of potential Democratic storm systems which might emerge on the horizon. “With a complicated issue like the weather, I was able to help connect with people every day for 22 years. But here, this is the most complicated mechanism in the United States. We’ve got to get better at communicating what we do for the people.”

DC traffic has already stymied Democrats over the past few days. Tornadic political storm systems may brew inside the Democratic Caucus. And that’s to say nothing about transportation and just getting people to the Hill.

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Traffic and weather. And if the internal Democratic fisticuffs turn ugly, well, may show that on sports. Right along with the hockey fights.

DENVER — A mile above much of the country, and leagues away from Washington, D.C., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is facing a progressive rebellion that threatens his grip on power.

The challenge is being led by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who has served under Schumer since 2017. And he is willing to go further than Schumer ever has on one issue: terminating the filibuster.

Years ago, Schumer tried and failed to narrowly change the Senate’s rule to pass a sweeping voting rights package. Republicans have toyed with it over the last two years, but never pulled the trigger.

SCHUMER’S FORMER ALLY MOUNTS LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE AS DEMOCRATS FACE RARE INTERNAL POWER STRUGGLE

Van Hollen said, “We need democracy in the United States Senate, and that means allowing, ultimately, a majority of senators to answer the call of the American people.

“So, that means 51 votes. So, my personal view has been all along that the filibuster is an anti-democratic … provision. It’s not in our Constitution,” Van Hollen added. 

“It was put in there by senators to enhance their power over the power of the people.”

Van Hollen announced his challenge against Schumer, who has led Senate Democrats for nearly a decade, Thursday night after a listening campaign with Senate Democrats. It presents a rare opportunity for Senate Democrats since there hasn’t been a contested Democratic leadership election since 1994.

Just a week earlier, Van Hollen was mulling higher office, but now he’s giving up a potential bid for the White House in 2028 to do one thing: beat Schumer and grapple with President Donald Trump.

“I’m no longer pursuing that,” Van Hollen told reporters at the What’s Next conference in Denver, where Democratic leaders, strategists and activists gathered to debate the party’s direction after its midterm wins.

Van Hollen framed his challenge to Schumer as a response to voters’ calls for change after Democrats’ sweeping wins and President Donald Trump’s policies.

“I did discuss this with Senator Schumer,” Van Hollen told Fox News Digital. “We understand that this will be a competition. I think it’s important to give Senate Democrats a choice.”

DEMS ADMIT UNCOMFORTABLE ELECTION SWEEP TRUTH AS PARTY DESCEND ON DENVER TO SHAPE 2028 WITHOUT A FRONTRUNNER

Voters “chose change,” he said, adding that the Democratic caucus needs “new ideas” and “a different way of governing.”

Van Hollen has also criticized Schumer for limiting votes on legislation popular with Democrats, including a bill to boost unions. He said the incoming majority should pass the bills candidates campaigned on and challenge Trump to respond.

“We shouldn’t wait to hear what President Trump may or may not do,” Van Hollen said. “We should answer the call of the American people.”

Toppling Schumer will be an uphill climb. As the incumbent leader, he has an established network of support and can offer colleagues leadership posts. 

Either candidate will need 28 votes in the secret ballot contest expected in early December or 29 if Democrats win Alaska, where ballots are still being counted in the Senate race between Democratic nominee Mary Peltola and incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.

THE MISTAKE NEWLY ELECTED DEMS ADMIT THEY CAN’T AFFORD TO MAKE WITH TRUMP AFTER SWEEPING 2026 WINS

Some What’s Next attendees said Van Hollen could deliver the Senate leadership shake-up they want.

“We definitely want change. We don’t want to go back to the way things have been. This is a turning point for our country,” Jenny, a Denver resident, said, adding it was time for Schumer to go. 

“This is the time for us to really, really go after what is right for everyone, not the status quo.”

Ara, also of Denver, was optimistic about Van Hollen’s chances, saying she believes he already has significant support.

“I think there’s a really good chance,” Ara told Fox News Digital. “I think there were a lot of people that were already willing to support him. So I feel very good about this,” she added.

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Zoe said Van Hollen’s willingness to stand up for his constituents is the kind of fight young people want from their representatives.

“He goes out there, and he puts his body on the line for his constituents. And I think that’s what we’re looking for, the kind of fight we’re looking for from our representatives as young people,” Zoe told Fox News Digital.

Protesters confronted Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., presumed to be the next House speaker, as he spoke at a Democratic conference in Colorado on Friday.

While speaking at a panel event moderated by political consultant Jessica Tarlov at the “What’s Next” conference in Denver, Jeffries was repeatedly interrupted by protesters heckling him.

“When is it time for a Green New Deal?” protesters shouted at Jeffries. “When is it time for Medicare-for-all?”

DEMS ADMIT UNCOMFORTABLE ELECTION SWEEP TRUTH AS PARTY DESCENDS ON DENVER TO SHAPE 2028 WITHOUT A FRONTRUNNER

Various videos from the conference posted to social media show different viewpoints of the hecklers.

“You are a f—ing liar,” one protester yelled at the New York Democrat.

“Hakeem Jeffries … I’m a young person, and I am scared for my future,” the protesters yelled during the panel discussion.

THE MISTAKE NEWLY ELECTED DEMS ADMIT THEY CAN’T AFFORD TO MAKE WITH TRUMP AFTER SWEEPING 2026 WINS

Jeffries’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request seeking comment Friday.

What’s Next bills itself as a “major post-election gathering of the Democratic Party, where the leaders, ideas and debates that will shape the party through 2028 and beyond take center stage,” according to a statement on the conference’s website.

“Together, we’ll absorb what happened in 2026 and chart where the party goes next,” the statement said. “What’s Next, presented by majority Democrats and sponsored by MD PAC, is the defining convening of the post-election season, bringing together the people who will write the party’s next chapter.”

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The What’s Next conference comes after the Democratic Party made major gains in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Jeffries said in a post Thursday on X that House Democrats “will clean up the mess in Washington, get big money out of politics and ban members of Congress from trading stocks.”

Senate Democrats are getting an opportunity they haven’t had in decades: a different option for who their leader could be.

Even before the blue wave crashed over Republicans and Democrats emerged with a commanding majority in the Senate, the rumblings for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to step aside were there.

Now, he’s got a challenger in Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., a familiar face in Washington, D.C., who framed his bid against Schumer as one answering the call for change voters demanded. It’ll be the first time that a Senate Democratic leadership race will be contested since 1994.

DEMOCRATS TURN ON SCHUMER AFTER HISTORIC ELECTION WINS AS POTENTIAL CHALLENGER EMERGES

Van Hollen’s emergence, at 67, as the lone challenger to Schumer, 75, comes after lawmakers and candidates demanded a change in Democratic leadership before the election. That call has only intensified in the week after Democrats won the midterms, with Van Hollen interpreting the seismic political shift as an indictment of President Donald Trump that can only be acted on if Senate Democrats go in a new direction.

The challenge is already dividing Senate Democrats.

In an interview with MS NOW, Van Hollen didn’t offer a sharp policy contrast to Schumer, and cast doubt on Democrats’ ability to pass key progressive desires, like Medicare for All.

“But it should be very clear: While, you know, voters have rejected the Trump policies, they’ve not yet hired Democrats — they’ve given us a chance, we have to earn their trust,” Van Hollen said. “My view is that you can’t earn that trust with old leadership. You need to move on to new leadership.”

Van Hollen acknowledged that he was an “underdog,” but revealed during the interview that he had over 10 Senate Democrats in his corner and believed more were to come. Right now, either lawmaker will need 28 secret ballot votes to win the job — that could bump up to 29 if Democrats flip Alaska, where ballots are still being counted in the Senate race between Democratic nominee Mary Peltola and incumbent Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. And it could get messy over the next few weeks before the early December, closed-door election.

And he’s got the backing of the progressive standard-bearer in the Senate: Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and new faces of the progressive movement, like Sens.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, who Van Hollen endorsed early on in his campaign, and Peggy Flanagan, who said on X that Van Hollen was the “leader and fighter we need to bring about real change, so no American is left behind.”

VAN HOLLEN CHALLENGES SCHUMER FOR SENATE LEADERSHIP AFTER DEMOCRATIC ELECTION SWEEP

Ultimately, either candidate’s success will likely break down on how well they both work with and push back against President Donald Trump.

Early in Trump’s second term, Van Hollen won praise from progressives when he traveled to El Salvador for a welfare check on Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was mistakenly deported by the administration.

But Schumer has dealt with Trump for years, and told the Washington Sun that his strategy heading into the new Congress will be to put bill after bill on the floor, like restoring Obamacare subsidies or banning insider trading, and dare Republicans to vote them down — Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., used a similar strategy over the last two years.

“In a certain sense, it’s a win-win. I’d rather get things done, but it’s not going to stop us,” Schumer said. “We are going to move forward with or without Trump, with or without the Republicans.”

Despite the demands for change, Van Hollen is very much a creature of Washington, having served in Congress since 2003.

He’s the son of diplomats, and served in House Democratic leadership under former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He was chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the House Democrats’ campaign arm, for two cycles, and was quickly tapped by Schumer to lead the Senate’s campaign operation when he ascended to the upper chamber in 2017.

CHUCK SCHUMER AFTER SWEEPING DEMOCRATIC MIDTERM VICTORIES: ‘I’LL BE RE-ELECTED AS MAJORITY LEADER’

And he spent his entire career in the Senate behind Schumer, who first became leader in 2017, and he has rarely broken with him on key votes. He has, however, emerged as a staunch critic of Israel and criticized Schumer’s ties to the crypto industry and meddling in Democratic primaries.

He currently serves on four committees in the Senate: Appropriations, Foreign Relations, Budget and Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and throughout his career in Congress has focused on budget issues and foreign affairs.

Still, outside progressive groups are beginning to back him.

The progressive Sunrise Movement is all in on Van Hollen. The organization announced its support for the lawmaker on Bluesky, and wrote, “Young people voted for change on election night.”

“Chuck Schumer can’t give us that, but Chris Van Hollen might,” they said. “The truth is, the ‘blue tsunami’ could easily become the blue mirage in the wrong hands. And Schumer’s hands are too full of billionaires’ money to hold young people’s future.”

Another progressive group, the 50501 protest movement, also declared its support for Van Hollen Thursday night in a post on Bluesky, urging voters to pressure their senators to “vote Chris, NOT CHUCK.”

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There are a bevy of other outside groups that have opposed Schumer, including Indivisible, MoveOn and the Working Families Party, and the 600,000-member International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers sent the top Democrat a letter demanding he step aside.

But Schumer has remained confident about retaining his position.

“I welcome any discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead,” Schumer said on X. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together—55 seats and counting is an amazing result—and I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader.”

His allies have leaned into sports metaphors to describe why he should keep the job, with both Sens. Angus King, I-Maine, and Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., comparing it to a successful manager in baseball.

“When the manager takes you to the World Series, you give them another contract,” Gallego said.

Fox News Digital reached out for comment from both Schumer and Van Hollen.

FIRST ON FOX: Secretary of State Marco Rubio is taking aim at “soulless global bureaucrats” using “rules-based order” arguments to undermine U.S. foreign policy in a speech Friday, warning that the “spirit of Marx” outlived the Soviet Union.

U.S. leaders of both parties defended the “rules-based international order,” the network of postwar institutions America built. Rubio is set to argue the system has been turned against the country that built it, the same case he made at his January 2025 confirmation hearing, when he called the postwar order “a weapon being used against us.”

In a preview of Rubio’s speech obtained by Fox News Digital, he outlines how Marxism still has a strong presence in Western society, a view which is relevant amid the rise of communist and Marxist beliefs that have driven protests against the administration and Western beliefs. The remarks are subject to change during his speech.

“For this global elite, ‘international law’ is not a neutral body of rules,” Rubio is expected to say. “It’s an instrument to advance their interests under the pretense of universal principles. They’re staunch defenders of democracy, until a particular election challenges their interests.”

RUBIO PUTS ENTIRE WORLD ON NOTICE AGAINST RISE OF ‘POISONOUS’ FAR-LEFT TERROR ‘MASKED AS EQUALITY’

“Even as we defeated the institution of Soviet communism, we did not triumph over the spirit of Marx,” Rubio’s expected remarks read. “It lives on, in these new forms and doctrines, which would subordinate the national will to the menial consensus of the world. Marxism, in its traditional expression, sought to abolish the distinctions between men; the radicals of our time seek to abolish the distinctions between nations themselves.”

Rubio is expected to address the Federalist Society at the National Lawyer’s Convention on Friday to where he will go after the International Criminal Court and other global bodies he says are using the law as a political weapon, not to deliver justice. The secretary of state argues that they’re trying to tie America’s hands and let unelected judges and bureaucrats overseas override decisions that belong to the American people, according to a State Department source.

RUBIO’S CALL TO COMBAT GLOBAL FUNDERS OF FAR-LEFT TERRORISM COULD PUT SINGHAM IN CROSSHAIRS

The secretary of state is expected to defend the administration’s sanctions on the ICC, which he calls “an unelected world tribunal.” If it tries to enforce its “paper decrees” against Americans, he plans to say, the U.S. answer will echo the Roman general Pompey: “Stop quoting laws to men with swords.”

He also will push back on those who say Americans live on “stolen land,” arguing that critics who stand behind this belief deny the nation’s right to exist, and cast the U.S. as “a nation of irrepressible ambition,” according to the excerpts.

REAGAN-ERA OFFICIAL WARNS ‘RED-GREEN ALLIANCE’ HAS SHARED GOAL OF ‘DESTROYING’ AMERICA

Last week, Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed invoked “self-determination” and developed an argument about America’s role in the international system created after World War II, calling it a “chief violator” of international law.

“The beauty of this country is our ideals,” El-Sayed said.

“We led the effort in this country to build a rules-based international order,” he continued. “We built the United Nations and the World Health Organization and the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court so that we could uphold the ideals of democracy. We did that. And then we proceeded to be the chief violator of exactly those same ideals. To call our country to those ideals became an open question, how could you?”

LAWMAKERS RAISE ALARM OVER NEVILLE ROY SINGHAM’S $278M NETWORK SPREADING CCP PROPAGANDA IN THE U.S.

El-Sayed’s words echoed language used late last year by Neville Roy Singham, whose financial network has supported CodePink and other left-wing organizations.

After his wedding to Evans in 2017 and the sale of ThoughtWorks, the technology company he founded, Singham directed $285 million to nonprofits and media organizations, according to a Fox News Digital investigation. The People’s Forum received $22.4 million from Singham, while CodePink received $1.33 million. BreakThrough BT Media Inc., which operates BreakThrough News, received $1.098 million, according to tax filings. Singham and his wife, CodePink co-founder Jodie Evans, live in Shanghai, China.

In a speech exactly one year ago, on Nov. 13, 2025, to the “Global South Academic Forum” at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Shanghai, Singham argued that the existing “international rules-based order” was built on a false narrative of World War II and called for a “new world order” based on multilateralism advanced by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the Communist Party of China.

JIM BANKS, GOP LAWMAKERS RALLY BEHIND DOJ PROBE INTO ALLEGED CCP-LINKED FUNDING NETWORK

“The international rules-based order was created by another lie,” Singham said.

“If we want to therefore have a new world order that is based on the multilateralism that President Xi and CPC and China have proposed, we have to undo the ideological damage that has been done by the narrative of World War II,” Singham had said.

RUBIO SANCTIONS CUBAN GROUPS WITH TIES TO US NONPROFIT NETWORK FUNDED BY COMMUNIST DONOR NEVILLE ROY SINGHAM

This hostility to the U.S. has infused itself in the anti-American work of far-left organizations.

At the People’s Forum, Tricontinental and other groups funded by Singham the programming includes Cuba solidarity campaigns, Venezuela advocacy, anti-Iran sanctions initiatives, opposition to NATO expansion and educational events on China, all framed within a broader narrative of “resistance” to U.S. influence.

Event flyers and social media posts repeatedly highlight Cuba, promoting teach-ins, cultural programming and delegations opposing U.S. policy.

That narrative aligns with Singham’s rejection of the Western system.

Fox News Digital investigations have found that the “spirit of Marx” has storefronts, syllabi, fundraising apparatus in America’s nonprofit world and a critical role as the conduit for sending foot soldiers into America’s streets for protests to defend communist regimes across the world and promulgate anti-American propaganda.

US BASES, ICE FACILITIES TARGETED IN CUBA-LINKED 24-HOUR ACTIVIST MOBILIZATION PLAN

At the People’s Forum in Manhattan, its 1804 Books bookstore and press describes itself as a source of “socialist literature and revolutionary theory,” selling books by Marx, including a coloring book for children. Fox News Digital’s investigation traced $22.44 million to the People’s Forum and $16.76 million to Tricontinental through Neville Roy Singham’s funding network.

The bookstore’s catalog offers a reading list for that worldview: Marx’s Critique of the Gotha Program, his Critique of Political Economy and The German Ideology, written with philosopher Friedrich Engels.

Within the Singham network, Tricontinental places Marxism in its institutional purpose. Its statement of mission and work identifies “national liberation Marxism” as its anchoring tradition and invokes Marx’s argument that philosophy should change the world.

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Across the wider nonprofit landscape, other organizations carry Marx in their names or expressly embrace his ideas. The “Marxist Education Project” says it operates through the tax-exempt Movement Education Project Group Inc., and embraces Marxism as its framework. The People’s Forum once hosted its Capital, Volume II study group.

The “People Before Profits Education Fund,” also known as the Chelsea Fund for Education, solicits support for “Marxist education” and lists the “Little Red Schoolhouse,” a national Marxist school training young activists, among its projects. The “Marxists Internet Archive” describes itself as a nonprofit public library preserving Marxist writings.

EXCLUSIVE: President Donald Trump’s top administration intelligence officials penned a letter to congressional leaders urging them to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

An administration official told Fox News Digital the intel measure is at top of mind for the White House to get passed in the still-Republican-controlled Congress before Democrats take a majority on Capitol Hill in January.

“This is going to be a huge priority and push by the administration, by the White House for the lame-duck Congress, because this really needs to get done,” the administration source said. “Otherwise, we’re kind of in trouble from a national security standpoint.”

They stressed that the White House is “fully on board” with the push by the intelligence agencies’ leaders asking Congress to reauthorize the law, including the controversial Section 702.

CONGRESS RETURNS TO BRUTAL LAME-DUCK STRETCH WITH SHUTDOWN DEADLINE, LEADERSHIP RACES: ‘CLOSET IS FULL OF S—’

The letter, signed by Attorney General Todd Blanche, Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, set a deadline for Dec. 9, 2026, less than a month before the new Congress will be sworn into office.

Clayton and Ratcliffe briefed the Gang of 8 — members of Congress who are legally apprised of classified national security matters and covert operations by the executive branch — earlier this week about the status of FISA.

TRUMP NOMINATES JAY CLAYTON, FORMER SEC CHAIRMAN, CURRENT US ATTORNEY, AS INTELLIGENCE DIRECTOR

“Any delays beyond this date will risk this critical authority lapsing, putting the lives of both Americans in the homeland and our troops stationed abroad at risk in the heightened threat environment briefed to the Gang of 8 earlier this week,” the letter says.

It is addressed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.

SENATE TEMPORARILY EXTENDS NATION’S CONTROVERSIAL SPYING POWERS AFTER HOUSE FUMBLES

“As you know, Section 702 is the single most indispensable tool we have to keep our homeland and the American people safe,” the letter says. “It enables our Intelligence Community to detect and disrupt terrorist plots, cyber intrusions, and weapons proliferation. No other authority can replace it.”

FISA’s Section 702 has a controversial history. Privacy activists and constitutional scholars have long argued that Section 702 is akin to warrantless surveillance. Under Section 702, intelligence agencies can clandestinely collect the communications of Americans if they are speaking to foreigners who are targets of investigations.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) credits Section 702 for thwarting terrorist activities, including a mass casualty terror attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, Austria, in 2024, and says that 63% of the articles in Trump’s daily brief contained FISA Section 702 information reported by the National Security Agency in 2025.

JOHNSON FACES GOP REVOLT OVER WARRANTLESS SURVEILLANCE POWERS AHEAD OF KEY VOTE

The letter explains that the statutory authority of Section 702 has lapsed, and that collection of such materials will expire on March 16 if FISA is not reauthorized.

It goes on to say that the Dec. 9 congressional deadline to begin the renewal process will allow the intelligence agencies the necessary amount of time to complete the steps for continued Section 702 collection before the March expiration date.

LAWMAKERS SCRAMBLE AFTER TRUMP DERAILS BID TO REVIVE KEY COUNTERTERRORISM TOOL DAYS AFTER FBI THWARTS UFC PLOT

“To prevent a gap in critical intelligence and avoid putting our nation at risk, the government must start the 2027 renewal process by then,” the letter states.

“If collection stops, we cannot simply turn 702 back on. The Administration looks forward to briefing Congress again in the coming days on the irreplaceable intelligence enabled by Section 702 and the dire risks to our nation if it is allowed to expire.”

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ODNI, the Department of Justice and the White House did not return Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

DENVER — Congressional Democrats are heading into the next two years with a choice: focus on investigating President Donald Trump and his administration or look for ways to work with him to deliver results for Americans.

The party, after sweeping pickups in last week’s midterms, right away warned Trump and Republicans to “lawyer up” and in the following days began outlining investigations into the administration, including its handling of immigration enforcement, the president’s business interests and the Justice Department’s actions.

But newly elected Democrats and strategists at the “What’s Next” conference in Denver told Fox News Digital that their party should seek opportunities to work with Trump.

The new guard argues that voters who elected them into office want to see results over partisan fights.

‘LAWYER UP’: DEMS IMMEDIATELY PUT TRUMP ON NOTICE AMID REPUBLICANS’ MIDTERM BLOODBATH

Hosted by Majority Democrats, the conference brought Democratic leaders, strategists and rising figures together to discuss the party’s direction after the midterms. Organizers billed it as an independent conversation about what Democrats should do next.

Iowa Gov.-elect Rob Sand cautioned his party against making investigations and impeachments the focus of its new political momentum, particularly when the underlying issues have already been reported.

Asked what he did not want Democrats to do as they take office, Sand said he did not want to see them “throwing bombs” at Republicans. Voters, he said, need public servants focused on improving their lives.

“There are people who are really struggling right now, whose lives have been ruined by high gas prices, by all kinds of policy choices, and they need results,” Sand told Fox News Digital. “They need public servants who are actually trying to serve the public.”

BERNIE SANDERS WARNS DEMOCRATS NOT TO SPEND ALL THEIR TIME INVESTIGATING TRUMP

Sand said he questioned the value of investigating matters already covered by the media instead of pursuing work that could help ordinary people. Asked if that meant working with the Trump administration, he said yes.

“He’s there, he was put there two years ago. He’s gonna be there another two years,” Sand said. “You don’t get to pick and choose who you work with. The people do.”

Sen.-elect James Talarico, D-Texas, called on Democrats to focus on what they can accomplish now, even as they push for longer-term reforms.

“Some of these reforms may not pass until 2029, but the American people cannot wait two years for change,” Talarico said. “We must work with President Trump.”

He urged Democrats to make the Republican president’s final two years in office “the most productive of any presidency in American history.”

Talarico, who became the first Democrat in nearly four decades to win a statewide election in Texas, also warned against getting “bogged down in the same petty fights.”

“The American people are demanding change, and in this election, they chose our party to deliver it,” Talarico said.

Democratic strategist Lis Smith offered a related caution, saying the election was “largely a referendum on Donald Trump and less a validation of Democrats and their policies.”

Smith, a senior advisor for Majority Democrats, said the party still needs to earn voters’ trust and should focus on costs and corruption rather than treating their wins as a mandate for policies they did not campaign on. She also said that Democrats didn’t sweep because of their winning message, but rather because fed-up voters cast their ballots as a rebuke of Trump and his policies.

“We should not read into these election results as a mandate for far left policies advocated only by a handful of candidates,” Smith emphasized.

VOTERS PUNISHED THE GOP OVER COSTS; NOW, DEMOCRATS FACE THE AFFORDABILITY TEST

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And it appears many voters agree.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll published this month indicated that nearly three-quarters of Americans wanted Democratic leaders in Congress to make a concerted effort to work with the president.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will deliver his first major speech apart from his diplomatic duties Friday following the GOP’s blowout midterm losses, with some attendees at the Federalist Society’s National Lawyers Convention eager to hear how he will chart a path forward as the 2028 presidential race draws closer.

“I think it will be an interesting speech to see what he says post midterms,” attendee Isaiah McKinney told Fox News Digital. “I’m expecting him to discuss both the successes and failures of the administration and what his plans are moving forward — especially as the secretary of state. I hope he addresses the foreign policy implications and how he thinks foreign policy played a role into that, into the election results.”

Rubio will deliver an approximately 45-minute speech for the Barbara Olson Memorial Lecture, whose previous speakers include former Attorney General Bill Barr and The Free Press founder Bari Weiss.

But another question weighs heavily on the minds of attendees at the annual conference in Washington, D.C., which attracts prominent lawyers affiliated with the conservative movement.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVE EMERGES WITH 2028 PRESIDENTIAL PICK AFTER GOP’S MIDTERM MASSACRE: ‘I AM ALL IN’

“There are a lot of people in the room who are going to be wondering if he’s still planning on running for president someday,” Rachel Paulose, a former U.S. attorney and general counsel at Upper Midwest Law Center, told Fox News Digital. “That will be a question that will be top of mind for a lot of people.”

Republicans lost a net 41 House seats and eight Senate seats, with Alaska’s Senate race still undecided, marking the largest simultaneous loss in both chambers of Congress for Republicans in a midterm election since 1958. President Donald Trump has partly blamed the losses on voters’ opposition to the Iran war, and Vice President JD Vance was more direct about the war’s impact on the election results, though Rubio has yet to weigh in.

“The fact of the matter is that the Republicans got blown out pretty well in the recent election,” John Shu, a legal commentator who served in the administrations of former Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, told Fox News Digital. “And it’s possible that he may talk about the budgetary process. It’ll be interesting to see what the Democratic House and the Democrat Senate will do regarding funding of the State Department.”

Shu said Rubio could also address U. S. strikes on suspected drug cartels off the coast of Venezuela in fall 2025, which drew sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers, including six Democrats with military or intelligence backgrounds who released a video urging service members to disobey unlawful orders.

CONSERVATIVES STUNNED BY ‘CATASTROPHIC’ MIDTERM BLUE TSUNAMI, BLAME TRUMP’S IRAN WAR, HIGH GAS PRICES

“I don’t know that he’s going to address the domestic policies. I mean, he’s the secretary of state,” Shu said.

Trump has previously floated a 2028 ticket pairing Vance and Rubio, who at one point held four senior administration roles simultaneously and became the subject of a running internet joke about his expanding portfolio. Trump has also joked about who would top the ticket.

“I don’t know anything about who’s going to run in 2028, but what I appreciate about Secretary Rubio is he is traveling all around the country and all around the world to talk about the importance of American values, what binds us, what brings us all together, and the importance of our Constitution,” Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan told Fox News Digital.

TRUMP TOLD DONORS ‘WE NEED TO ELECT JD,’ SOURCE CONFIRMS, AS HE WEIGHS VANCE OR RUBIO IN 2028

Rubio’s address at the Mayflower Hotel follows a trip to Paris this week for G-7 meetings focused on Iran, Ukraine and other international challenges.

“I think that Secretary Rubio already is a person of high standing for a lot of people in this room,” Paulose told Fox News Digital.

RUBIO SOUNDS CAMPAIGN-READY AS HE RAILS AGAINST OPEN BORDERS, GLOBALISM IN SPEECH FROM ANCIENT GREEK RUINS

Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, was first elected to the U. S. Senate representing Florida in 2010, and served until 2025, when Trump tapped him to become secretary of state.

Rubio ran for president in 2016, dropping out of the race after losing his home-state primary in Florida.

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“There are people who have worked for him, who’ve campaigned for him, who’ve believed in him for a very long time and who’ve seen him at his best, but I also think that there’s a real opportunity for him to deliver a positive message and a path forward for the movement,” Paulose told Fox News Digital.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department and the White House for comment but did not receive a response before publication.

Back-to-back blunders on the House floor are raising questions over whether Democrats are ready for primetime as they’re poised to take over the majority — and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., makes a bid for the top role.

Democrats are projected to win 255 House seats, with 12 races yet to be called, and Jeffries is running to be Speaker of the House following the sweeping victories last week that saw the party make gains even in traditional Republican strongholds like Texas, Mississippi, Kansas and South Carolina.

But some have questioned whether the recent snafus signal that Jeffries and other leaders may not be ready to be in command of the House majority.

“I may have to rethink my support of Hakeem Jeffries after the Hegseth impeachment vote,” Fred Trump III, a Democrat, author and nephew of President Donald Trump, posted on X. “Eleven Democrats do not show up? All Republicans vote it down.”

“Pete Hegseth is laughing at you and is stronger today. Shame,” he continued. “A slap in the face of the military and veterans on this important day.”

HEGSETH THWARTS GOP-LED IMPEACHMENT PUSH AS QUESTIONS SWIRL OVER WHETHER ALLEGATIONS RISE TO HIGH CRIMES

House GOP leaders successfully blocked Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., from leading the charge to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth earlier this week.

Part of the reason for the failure was the absence of 11 House Democrats during a procedural vote on Tuesday evening.

Had just seven of them been present, the vote to kill Massie’s impeachment resolution would have failed, triggering debate and a vote on impeaching the Cabinet secretary likely the next day.

“Everyone knew that attendance was key tonight but somehow Democratic leaders failed to deliver and handed Republicans a win,” Demand Progress Executive Director Sean Vitka said in a statement.

‘THE VIEW’ CO-HOST CALLS DEMOCRATS MISSING HEGSETH IMPEACHMENT VOTE A ‘SELF-INFLICTED WOUND’

Progressive journalist David Schuster wrote on X, “Sure, house Dems will have 259 seats in January instead of current 213. And Hegseth impeachment can be reintroduced. But Hakeem having 11 Dem absences today on Hegseth (thus losing vote) reveals a Hakeem leadership problem. Embarrassing.”

An emotional Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., said in a video posted to X that she and other Democrats were stuck in traffic when they missed the vote.

Various reports, however, said they were at a fundraiser less than two miles from the U.S. Capitol.

HOUSE DEM MISSES HEGSETH IMPEACHMENT VOTE BECAUSE OF MAJOR MEDICAL PROCEDURE ONE WEEK AFTER ELECTION DAY

Others blamed medical procedures and family emergencies.

The day after, a bill Democratic leadership was actively urging lawmakers to vote against passed by unanimous voice vote — simply because no Democrats called for a roll call instead.

Democrats accused Republicans of parliamentary tricks, including a post on the X account belonging to the House Veterans Affairs Committee minority, “Republicans pushed it through that way intentionally so their members wouldn’t have to go on the record supporting cuts to veterans’ benefits.”

But the majority of Democrats do not believe it is an early blight on Jeffries’ potential speakership.

HAKEEM JEFFRIES DECLARES BID FOR HOUSE SPEAKER AFTER GOP’S MIDTERM MASSACRE

“I think there’s frustration in terms of whipping votes. I’m not entirely sure where the breakdown is. 
And it does seem like there’s maybe some tension somewhere,” Democratic strategist Mike Nellis told Fox News Digital. “I think it’ll be incumbent on the incoming speaker to make sure that everybody feels like they’re on the same page … beyond that, if you’re asking me if it makes a difference in a leadership flight, I mean, nobody’s running against Hakeem. I haven’t heard of anybody seriously thinking about doing that, so I don’t know that it’ll change anything.”

He said House Democrats largely “have faith” in Jeffries and House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., who is poised to be the next House Majority Leader.

Democrat Dan Turrentine, co-host of “The Huddle,” told Fox News Digital “a few Democrats unintentionally missed one vote. Unfortunately, this happens periodically in both chambers, for both parties. It does not speak to Jeffries’ leadership.”

And other House Democrats, when asked, directed frustration at their colleagues instead.

“My message is always to members that we need to be here and be on time,” Clark told reporters Wednesday. “But there was a clear message from the Republican Party as well that they are unwilling, even after this election, to stand up against Hegseth in this war.”

Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., said, “It’s unfortunate, but that’s not on leadership.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Jeffries’ political team for comment.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is backing Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., for the role of Senate Democratic leader.

“The American people voted for change. They want a Democratic Party that will stand up to powerful special interests, take on the billionaire class and fight for working families. That is why I am supporting Senator Chris Van Hollen to lead Senate Democrats,” Sanders said in a Thursday post on X.

Van Hollen threw his hat into the ring for the role on Thursday, mounting a challenge against current Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who is looking to retain the Senate Democratic leader position to serve as Senate majority leader next year.

“In this election, Americans called on us to unrig an economy rigged against working people & fueled by political corruption. To deliver, we need new leadership. This isn’t about any one person – it’s about answering that call. That’s why I’m running for Senate Majority Leader,” Van Hollen said in a Thursday post on X.

VAN HOLLEN CHALLENGES SCHUMER FOR SENATE LEADERSHIP AFTER DEMOCRATIC ELECTION SWEEP

Schumer asserted in a post that he has the support to retain his leadership position: “I welcome any discussion about the future of our caucus and the important work ahead. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together—55 seats and counting is an amazing result—and I have the votes to continue serving as Democratic Leader. I look forward to leading our new Democratic majority and delivering for the American people.”

Sanders had said during a Tuesday press conference that he would not support Schumer for re-election as Senate Democratic leader.

During an interview on an episode of “The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart,” Sanders said that he would support Van Hollen if he decided to run for the role.

DEMOCRATS TURN ON SCHUMER AFTER HISTORIC ELECTION WINS AS POTENTIAL CHALLENGER EMERGES

Sen.-elect Abdul El-Sayed, who defeated President Donald Trump-backed former Rep. Mike Rogers in Michigan’s 2026 U.S. Senate contest, is also backing Van Hollen.

“The American public spoke clearly last week. They rejected Trumpism. But we have yet to earn our mandate. That will require bold leadership. I called on Sen. @ChrisVanHollen to lead our caucus as a candidate back in April because he leads with courage and experience. We need both right now. Which is why I’m proud to stand with him in his bid to lead our Senate majority,” El-Sayed wrote in a Thursday post on X when sharing Van Hollen’s announcement.

BERNIE SANDERS SAYS HE WON’T BACK SCHUMER AS PUSH FOR NEW LEADERSHIP GAINS STEAM

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Republican National Committee national press secretary Natalie Baldassarre said in a statement posted on X that “Chris Van Hollen cares more about a Salvadoran gang member than working families. This leadership brawl previews the D.C. Democrats’ agenda: chaos, infighting, and a race to see who can sell their soul to the far left fastest. Whoever is the winner gets to lead the charge to open our borders, shred our Constitution, and treat taxpayers like bottomless ATMs.”

EXCLUSIVE – Former Vice President Mike Pence isn’t ruling out another run for the White House in 2028, telling Fox News Digital that he has heard from people across the country about a potential presidential bid.

The former vice president also delivered a warning to his party following the GOP’s severe setbacks in the 2026 midterm elections, arguing that Republicans risk another defeat unless they abandon departures from the traditional conservative principles that have defined the party for decades.

Pence, who unsuccessfully campaigned for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, said at an event in September at the Economic Club of Washington that he had “no plans” to run for president or any other elected office in 2028.

But in his first interview since the midterms, Pence appeared to leave the door open to another White House bid, telling Fox News Digital he’s received outreach urging him to consider another White House bid.

ONLY ON FOX NEWS: PENCE DELIVERS SCATHING REBUKE TO VANCE, TRUMP

“We’ve been hearing from a lot of people around the country. I’ve been very humbled by that,” he said.

Pence didn’t reveal any timeline for making a 2028 decision.

Instead he repeatedly emphasized that “the most important thing is that we win the presidency in 2028. And to do that, I think it will be essential that we focus first on what we’re for before we focus on who we’re for.”

WILL TRUMP AVOID MAKING AN ENDORSEMENT IN THE 2028 GOP NOMINATION RACE?

Pence, who has seen Advancing American Freedom, his policy and advocacy organization, dramatically expand over the past year, highlighted that he’s going to “continue to lean into advocating that broad mainstream conservative agenda that’s defined the Republican Party for the last 50 years.”

“The truth is if, if we don’t return the Republican Party to the principles of a strong defense, limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the right to life, it won’t matter who we nominate in 2028.”

Pence partially blames the GOP’s midterm shellacking, which saw the Democrats win a large House majority and also regain control of the Senate, on what he argues is President Donald Trump‘s second term retreat from conservative principles and towards a populist agenda.

Pence, who served as Trump’s first term vice president, claimed that “this version of Republicanism was just rejected by the American people” in what he called “the wreckage of the 2026 midterm elections.”

Asked for comment, White House Spokesman Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital, “Mike Pence’s total and complete lack of courage caused untold damage to our great country. If Republican voters cared what Mike Pence had to say, he wouldn’t have had to drop out of the presidential race months before the Iowa caucuses.”

VANCE, CRUZ, DESANTIS DIAGNOSE GOP’S MIDTERM DISASTER AS 2028 BATTLE BEGINS

Looking ahead, Pence said, ” I don’t know what the future holds, but all of my energies, all of my focus and my calling now is to be a champion and an advocate for the conservative principles that have defined our party, led us to our greatest successes, and always made America strong and prosperous and free.”

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Asked if he doesn’t run, he could support Vice President JD Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio if either seeks the GOP nomination, Pence answered, “What I’m gonna be looking for is men and women who embrace that historic traditional conservative agenda of the Republican Party.”

He argued that “there’s a lot of folks on the populist right that suggest that people that that hew to that old Reagan tradition don’t know what time it is, and I think the midterm elections have given a verdict on their approach to Republicanism.”

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday that he will decide within the next two months whether to seek the presidency, revealing that he plans to make up his mind by early January about a potential 2028 bid.

Newsom, who will leave office in January, was asked about his presidential aspirations while attending the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference in Antalya, Turkey.

“As it relates to 2028, we’ll make that decision in the next few months,” Newsom told Turkey’s Anadolu news agency.

“I’ll make the determination at the beginning of the year,” he continued. “So we’ll spend the next few weeks with the family and make a decision early January.”

GAVIN NEWSOM SEEKS COUNSEL FROM ‘MASTER’ BILL CLINTON AS HE PLOTS PROJECT 2029

Newsom has long been discussed as a potential 2028 contender, frequently mentioned among possible Democratic candidates, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga.

However, fellow Californian and 2024 Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris could complicate Newsom’s plans if she decides to launch another White House bid.

Newsom previously said he would not run for president if Harris entered the race.

“I don’t know if she runs, but we’ll see,” Newsom told CNN’s Jake Tapper in a September interview. “But I wouldn’t run if she ran.”

“If she runs, you will not,” Tapper responded.

NEWSOM ROASTED ONLINE FOR ‘STAGED’ FLY-FISHING INTERVIEW WITH CNN ANCHOR WHERE HE DROPPED MAJOR 2028 HINT

“Of course not. Why would I?” Newsom said. “I wouldn’t do that to her … I wouldn’t do that to you. I wouldn’t waste everyone’s time. Who needs that?”

Newsom also suggested during the interview that spectators would feast on the “mutual-assured destruction” among Democrats competing for the nomination.

“I mean, you do whatever you want. I don’t care,” Tapper told Newsom. “But [the] counterargument would be, like, you know, she had her shot. And you’ve never run, and she’s run twice.”

“Yeah,” Newsom responded. “I mean, that’d be the approach to the campaign, certainly. That’d be the case you’d make. Pretty good one, actually. That’s objectively true.”

KATHY HOCHUL ENTERTAINS MASSIVE POLITICAL PROMOTION AS DEMOCRATS LOOK AHEAD TO 2028

Newsom, who is term-limited after 2026, outlined his political timeline just over a week after Republicans suffered sweeping defeats in the midterm elections, losing control of both chambers of Congress and several traditionally Republican strongholds.

Newsom said he was “particularly pleased with the outcome of the election.”

“Donald Trump’s presidency, as we know it, ended last week in the U.S.,” he said. “It was an historic rebuke of his tenure and now it’s incumbent upon those that were successful to govern and to lead my party. The Democratic Party now has to set forth a positive alternative agenda to Donald Trump.”

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Fox News Digital’s Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.