NationalWatch

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., blocked Senate Republicans’ attempt to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the rest of the year, teeing up a likely shutdown.

The upper chamber tried and failed to pass the original DHS funding bill on Thursday, testing Senate Democrats’ resolve as the deadline to fund the agency approaches Friday.

The bill failed largely along party lines, save for Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., who joined Republicans in their attempt to fund DHS. 

SCHUMER, DEMS CHOOSE PARTIAL SHUTDOWN AS NEGOTIATIONS HIT IMPASSE

Senate Democrats have demanded a stringent list of reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They weren’t persuaded by border czar Tom Homan that operations in Minneapolis would be drawn down as negotiations continue.

“The administration doesn’t actually want to reform ICE,” Schumer said. “They never do it on their own. That is why we need, we are fighting for, legislation to rein in ICE and stop the violence.”

It was a déjà vu moment from months earlier, when Thune repeatedly tried to peel Democrats away from Schumer during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history but failed to break their blockade.

Failure to send the full-year DHS funding bill to President Donald Trump’s desk leaves Congress with few options as the midnight Friday deadline looms. 

The Senate is now expected to take another shot at preventing a partial shutdown with a short-term extension of DHS funding. Republicans are eyeing at least four more weeks of funding for the agency, though that plan is also expected to fail.

SHUTDOWN CLOCK TICKS AS SCHUMER, DEMOCRATS DIG IN ON DHS FUNDING DEMANDS

Still, negotiations are ongoing in the background, and Thune said there was some form of progress, despite Democrats continuing to publicly reject Republicans’ offers.

“They’re posturing right now, I think,” Thune said. “But I do think the progress has been real. I think the concessions on the part of the administration have been real.”

Senate Democrats received the legislative version of Republicans’ and the White House’s counteroffer Wednesday night, but many said it was “not sufficient.” Several Democrats leaving a closed-door meeting Thursday morning said a deal remains out of reach.

“We’re still looking at it, but no, not today,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said. “They have not addressed most of our major concerns at all.”

Murray signaled Democrats would present their own counterproposal to the White House — a sign negotiations are ongoing, though likely not fast enough to avert a shutdown.

SCHUMER, JEFFRIES TRASH TRUMP’S DHS PROPOSAL AS ‘INCOMPLETE AND INSUFFICIENT’

Meanwhile, lawmakers are facing the Friday deadline as both chambers prepare for a weeklong recess. Several members of the House and Senate are expected to travel to Germany for the annual Munich Security Conference.

While Thune said a deal could still be within reach, he indicated lawmakers may leave Washington while talks continue.

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“But you know, until then, I don’t know if there’s any point keeping people around here and sitting around doing nothing,” he said.

A U.S. federal judge has ordered the Venezuelan men that the Trump administration deported to El Salvador early last year be returned to the United States, stating that they did not receive due process in some cases.

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued the order on Thursday.

The high-profile case involves the U.S. deportation of 252 suspected Venezuelan nationals, who were also suspected Tren de Aragua gang members, to CECOT prison in El Salvador early last year. 

Department of Justice lawyers told Boasberg on Monday that bringing over 100 Venezuelans back to the U.S. for immigration hearings would be preferable to remote hearings from El Salvador, Venezuela or other locations outside the U.S.

This is a breaking news story; check back for updates.

Fox News’ Jake Gibson contributed to this report.

Republicans remain firmly behind President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown even as support among independents declines and more Americans say he has “gone too far,” according to a new poll.

The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released the findings on Thursday, showing that roughly half of Republicans say Trump’s actions are “about right,” and another quarter believe he hasn’t gone far enough.

The survey found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults believe Trump has crossed the line in sending federal immigration agents into American cities, including nearly 9 in 10 Democrats and about 7 in 10 independents. Only about one-quarter of Republicans agree.

The poll was conducted before Trump’s border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday that a federal immigration surge in Minnesota would conclude. Federal authorities have previously said the immigration sweeps focused on the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area have led to the arrest of more than 4,000 people.

LEAVITT SAYS TRUMP WILL NOT ‘WAVER’ ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN DESPITE DEMOCRATIC BACKLASH

Trump’s overall approval on immigration stands at 38%, largely unchanged since January despite weeks of unrest tied to federal enforcement operations, including high-profile clashes in Minneapolis.

Trump’s standing with independents, however, appears to be eroding, according to the poll.

Approval among independents dropped from 37% in March 2025 to 23% in the new poll, with about 6 in 10 independents now saying Trump has gone too far in deporting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally — up from 46% in April.

MORE THAN HALF OF VOTERS THINK DHS SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM SHOULD BE REMOVED: POLL

The partisan divide is especially sharp when it comes to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Only about 3 in 10 U.S. adults have a favorable view of ICE overall. Roughly 7 in 10 Republicans view the agency favorably, compared to just 2 in 10 independents and 1 in 10 Democrats.

The poll also suggests the GOP’s long-held advantage on immigration may be narrowing.

In October, Republicans held a 13-point edge over Democrats on which party Americans trusted more to handle immigration. In the latest survey, that gap has shrunk to just 4 points, with about 3 in 10 Americans favoring each party and another 3 in 10 saying neither would do a better job.

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Trump’s overall job approval stands at 36%, slightly down from the start of his second term. His ratings on the economy and foreign policy remain similar and largely unchanged in recent months.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

A partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is all but guaranteed unless the Senate rams through a short-term extension of current funding levels sometime on Thursday.

But avoiding a DHS shutdown means the same measure must also pass the House of Representatives, where success will depend on delicate political maneuvering by Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to persuade a House Republican Conference with varying ideas of what a path forward should look like.

“It would have to be for 60 or 90 days, I would think,” said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. “I don’t know what’s going to happen in 30 days, I don’t know what’s going to change.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is expected to unveil a stopgap funding measure for DHS called a continuing resolution (CR), which would extend the department’s current budget for a yet-unknown amount of time.

ICE SHUTDOWN FIGHT MIGHT RESTRICT FEMA, COAST GUARD TO ‘LIFE-THREATENING’ EMERGENCIES

It comes after Democrats walked away en masse from a bipartisan deal to fund DHS through the end of fiscal year (FY) 2026 over what they saw as insufficient guardrails on agencies responsible for President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minneapolis and elsewhere.

Congress has funded 97% of the federal government through FY2026 at this point. But DHS is a vast department with a broad jurisdiction that includes the U.S. Coast Guard, the Secret Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) — all of which will see varying levels of disruptions if a shutdown happens.

Republicans largely want to avoid such a situation but have made clear they believe that its effects would fall squarely on Democrats’ shoulders.

DEMOCRATS SPLIT ON SHIELDING COAST GUARD, SECRET SERVICE AS DHS SHUTDOWN THREAT NEARS

Conservatives like Norman favor an extended CR, arguing that it would fund Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a higher level than the initial bipartisan funding deal would have while removing Democrats’ negotiating leverage for more guardrails on those agents.

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital last week that he would support a full-year CR for DHS to “make sure that FEMA is funded and TSA is funded, and stop the drama.”

Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., similarly said on Wednesday, “I think we’d like to push it out as far as we can so we can avoid the constant uncertainty for the agency.”

THUNE BLASTS JEFFRIES, SCHUMER AS ‘AFRAID OF THEIR SHADOWS’ AS DHS FUNDING FIGHT HEATS UP

“As long as this hangs up in the air, let’s say you do it for three, four months, the Democrats are gonna want a pound of flesh to help pass whatever it is. And I think that’s gonna weaken the efforts of … immigration enforcement,” Crane told Fox News Digital.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., told reporters earlier this week that he would favor a mid-length CR over something shorter.

“If we do two weeks and they leave for a week, it’s really a one-week CR. Nothing’s going to happen when that many important people are gone. So I think four weeks makes a lot more sense,” Cole said.

But committee member Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., panned the idea of a CR altogether.

“CRs don’t work. CRs are not without pain. It disrupts a lot of your supply chain and purchasing and acquisition,” he told Fox News Digital. “I can’t believe they’re even thinking about it.”

Rutherford, a former sheriff, argued that a shutdown or CR would harm critical national security operations during a year that’s expected to see a host of high-security events in the U.S. like America’s 250th anniversary celebration, the FIFA World Cup and others.

Johnson declined to share his thoughts on CR length when asked by Fox News Digital on Tuesday, but emphasized the House GOP’s position that the Senate should take up the bipartisan bill that Democrats initially walked away from.

“I’m not going to prejudge the length of it or what it should be. I’m very hopeful. I mean, we still have time on the clock. When there’s a will, there’s a way. And if they can come to an agreement on this and get it done, that will behoove the whole country,” Johnson said.

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House GOP leaders will likely need nearly all Republicans on board to pass a CR for DHS, with many Democrats warning they will not support any funding for the department without seeing proof of critical reform.

Jeffries would not go into specifics about what he would support or oppose in terms of DHS funding during his weekly press conference on Monday, but he suggested to reporters that a simple stopgap funding bill with no changes to ICE funding was out of the question. 

“ICE is out of control right now. The American people know it, and ICE clearly needs to be reined in,” Jeffries said. “Our position has been clear. Dramatic changes are needed at the Department of Homeland Security before a DHS funding bill moves forward. Period. Full stop.”

President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan announced Thursday that the administration will conclude Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota.

Homan told reporters during a news conference at the Bishop Whipple Federal in Minneapolis that the operation succeeded in reducing public safety threats with “unprecedented levels of coordination” from state officials and local law enforcement, “I have proposed, and President Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude.”

“A significant drawdown that’s already been underway this week and will continue through the next week,” Homan said. “We have a lot of work to do across this country to remove public safety risk. 

Homan said a “small footprint of personnel” will remain for a period of time to close out and transition full command back to the field office along with ensuring agitator activity continues to decline in the state.

WHITE HOUSE REAFFIRMS ANY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CAN BE DEPORTED AS TRUMP TEAM ZEROES IN ON ‘WORST OF THE WORST’

“Additionally, federal government personnel assigned to conduct criminal investigations into the agitators, as well as the personnel assigned here for the fraud investigations, will remain in place until the work is done,” Homan said.

Homan added that he will also remain on the ground to oversee the operation’s drawdown and success.

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This is a breaking news story; check back for updates.

JP Cooney, who worked on the criminal prosecutions of President Donald Trump with former special counsel Jack Smith, has mounted a congressional bid in Virginia as a Democrat.

“I was fired by Donald Trump’s Department of Justice because of my work to prosecute him. But I won’t let Trump – or anyone – stop me from serving. I’m J.P. Cooney, and I’m running for Congress in Virginia’s 7th District,” he wrote in a Wednesday post on X.

Fox News Digital reached out to Cooney’s campaign and the White House for comment on Thursday.

FIRED TRUMP PROSECUTORS LAUNCH NEW WASHINGTON FIRM THEY SAY WILL BATTLE GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION

Cooney’s LinkedIn profile states, “As Principal Deputy to Special Counsel Jack Smith, Cooney was a lead prosecutor in both criminal prosecutions of President Trump for obstruction of justice and conspiracy.” 

Smith praised Cooney in a statement reported by the New York Times.

JACK SMITH SAYS TRUMP ‘WILLFULLY’ BROKE THE LAW, BLASTS DOJ ‘RETRIBUTION’ IN SECOND TERM

“I’ve known J.P. for a long time and I think the world of him as a person and as a public servant,” Smith noted, according to the outlet. “He’s a man of integrity who has committed his career to upholding the rule of law, and he’s the model of who our country needs in public service.”

Cooney aims to run in a district that does not actually exist yet, the Times noted, explaining that Virginia’s 7th Congressional District would be altered under a redistricting push by Democrats. The plan would need to surmount legal challenges and clear a ballot referendum. 

TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM JACK SMITH’S TESTIMONY ON CAPITOL HILL

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“Never has there been a Congress that has been such a weak and ineffective check on a president’s abuses of power,” Cooney said, according to the Times. “I lie awake every night worrying that Donald Trump does not have the best interests of our country in mind, and that’s a seismic shift in American leadership and politics.”

The Trump Department of Homeland Security is clapping back at New Jersey Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill after she pledged to help members of the public track U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers through an online portal.

After Sherrill, a U.S. Navy veteran, recently announced, “We are going to be standing up a portal, so people can upload all their cell videos and alert people,” adding, “If you see an ICE agent in the street, get your phone out, we want to know.”

In response, a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “This certainly looks like obstruction of justice.”

“This action by the Governor encourages violence against our officers and obstruction of our operations,” the spokesperson went on, pointing out that “our officers are already facing a highly coordinated campaign of violence against them and a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them.”

DEM GOVERNOR DUCKS QUESTION ON ‘MONSTER’ ILLEGAL ALIEN WHO FRACTURED 8-YEAR-OLD’S SKULL WITH ROCK ATTACK

The spokesperson suggested that Sherrill’s policies are the real danger to New Jerseyans, not ICE agents.

“ICE law enforcement would not have to be in the field in New Jersey if we had state and local cooperation. Governor Sherrill is not letting that happen, which puts New Jerseyans in danger,” the spokesperson said.

DHS pointed to just a few of ICE’s recent arrests in New Jersey, which they said include pedophiles, rapists and murderers.

“While Governor Sherrill continues to encourage agitators to obstruct law enforcement and release pedophiles, rapists, gang members, and murderers onto New Jersey’s streets, our brave law enforcement will continue to risk their lives to arrest heinous criminals in New Jersey,” said the spokesperson.

DHS said that it recently arrested a Mexican criminal illegal alien named Jose Ortega Villalva, who it said is convicted of sex offense against a child, fondling and molestation of a minor.

PHILLY DA’S ‘HUNT YOU DOWN’ WARNING TO ICE DRAWS CALLS FOR DOJ CRIMINAL PROBE

Another illegal arrested in New Jersey is Ecuadoran national Rodrigo Roman Basantes, who the agency said is convicted of endangering the welfare of a child through sexual contact and sexual assault of a victim under 13.

A third, Felix Quintana Diaz, from Cuba, was also recently arrested by ICE in New Jersey and is convicted of homicide.

Wilmer Patzan Pirir, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, was arrested and has been convicted of making a terroristic threat.

The agency also said ICE had arrested Manuel Mejia Morales, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, who is convicted of rape and assault.

In response, a spokesperson for the governor told Fox News Digital that “keeping New Jerseyans safe is Governor Sherrill’s top priority,” and that Sherrill and Acting Attorney General Jennifer Davenport “will announce additional actions to protect New Jerseyans from federal overreach” in the coming days.

Sherrill cited the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in confrontations with ICE agents in Minneapolis. She accused agents of shooting Pretti “execution style,” which she called “unacceptable.”

“They have not been forthcoming,” the governor said of ICE. “They will pick people up. They will not tell us who they are. They will not tell us if they’re here legally. They won’t check. They’ll pick up American citizens.”

Regarding the planned portal, Sherrill said, “We want documentation, and we are going to make sure we get it.”  

These comments also drew criticism from the White House, which backed ICE and federal immigration officers in a statement to Fox News Digital.

TRUMP ADMIN SLAMS DEMS’ ‘CALL 911 ON ICE’ PUSH AS RECKLESS, LINKS POLICY TO RIOTS AND VIOLENT ARRESTS

Abigail Jackson, a spokesperson for the White House, remarked, “If Sherill was as committed to tracking down criminal illegal aliens as she was ICE officers, New Jersey residents would be much safer.”

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Jackson told Fox News Digital, “ICE officers are facing a 1,300% increase in assaults because of dangerous, untrue smears by elected Democrats.”

“Just the other day, an officer had his finger bitten off by a radical left-wing rioter,” she continued. “ICE officers act heroically to enforce the law and protect American communities, and local officials should work with them, not against them.”

Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report.

Republican Rep. Greg Steube of Florida has introduced legislation aimed at eliminating the nation’s controversial H-1B visa program.

“Prioritizing foreign labor over the well-being and prosperity of American citizens undermines our values and national interests,” Steube said, according to a press release.

“Our workers and young people continue to be displaced and disenfranchised by the H-1B visa program that awards corporations and foreign competitors at the expense of our workforce,” he continued.

ARE AMERICAN WORKERS BEING REPLACED? INSIDE THE H-1B VISA CONTROVERSY

“We cannot preserve the American dream for our children while forfeiting their share to non-citizens. That is why I am introducing the EXILE Act to put working Americans first again,” the congressman said in the statement.

“EXILE Act” is short for “Ending Exploitative Imported Labor Exemptions Act.”

In September, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation to require a $100,000 payment with each petition for an H-1B worker.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S $100K ONE-TIME FEE FOR NEW H-1B VISA APPLICATIONS SPARKS RAGING DEBATE

“The Secretary of State shall verify receipt of payment of the amount described in section 1 of this proclamation during the H-1B visa petition process and shall approve only those visa petitions for which the filing employer has made the payment described in section 1 of this proclamation,” the proclamation reads, in part.

The congressman argued that H-1B is bad for Americans.

TRUMP’S BACKING OF H-1B VISA PROGRAM EXPOSES CRACKS WITHIN MAGA MOVEMENT

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“American workers have been ripped off by the corrupt H-1B visa program for far too long. Corporations have repeatedly abused this system to help their bottom line by importing cheaper foreign labor which has suppressed wages and left millions of Americans locked out of good-paying jobs,” Steube wrote in a post on X.

The Trump administration is preparing to expand passport revocations for parents who owe significant child support, limiting their ability to travel internationally until their arrears are addressed.

The State Department plans to increase enforcement of a 30-year-old federal law that allows the government to revoke U.S. passports for individuals with substantial unpaid child support, according to The Associated Press, which cited three U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

It is unclear how many people could ultimately be affected, though officials indicated the number could reach into the thousands. The State Department is expected to implement the changes in phases due to the potentially large number of passport holders who owe back child support, the officials said.

HUNTER BIDEN ACCUSED OF GHOSTING DAUGHTER WITH LUNDEN ROBERTS AND VIOLATING CHILD SUPPORT AGREEMENT

The first group to be targeted will be passport holders who owe more than $100,000 in past-due child support, the officials told the outlet. One official said fewer than 500 people meet that threshold. Those individuals could retain their passports if they enter into a payment plan with the Department of Health and Human Services after being notified of a pending revocation.

The official added that lowering the past-due threshold in the future would significantly increase the number of parents subject to enforcement.

It remains unclear when any further changes would take effect or how many people might have their passports revoked as a result.

STATE DEPARTMENT LISTS MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS IN ADDITION TO WORLD CUP, OLYMPICS EXEMPT FROM TRUMP’S VISA BAN

Passport revocations for unpaid child support exceeding $2,500 have been permitted under a 1996 law known as the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. In recent years, however, the State Department typically acted only when an individual applied to renew a passport or sought other consular services.

Under the updated approach, the department would begin revoking passports based on data shared by the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the officials who spoke to The Associated Press.

The State Department said in a statement to The Associated Press that it “is reviewing options to enforce long-standing law to prevent those owing substantial amounts of child support from neglecting their legal and moral obligations to their children.”

“It is simple: deadbeat parents need to pay their child support arrears,” the statement added.

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Since the Passport Denial Program began with the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, nearly $621 million in past-due child support payments have been made, including nine payments of more than $300,000, according to the Office of Child Support Enforcement at the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Attorney General Pam Bondi sparred with members of the House Judiciary Committee during a tense hearing Wednesday, as she sought to defend the Justice Department’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files and push back on Democrats’ accusations of so-called “weaponization” within the department. 

Bondi’s appearance before the House Judiciary Committee was the first since her confirmation last year as the top U.S. law enforcement official. Much of the hearing quickly descended into chaos and shouting matches, as Democrats took aim at Bondi’s actions, and as Bondi doubled down on the department’s decisions under her watch. At times, she responded with barbs of her own. 

Here are the five biggest takeaways and most heated exchanges from the sharp-elbowed hearing.

BONDI HEARING DEVOLVES INTO CHAOS OF SHOUTS AS AG ACCUSES TOP DEMOCRATS OF ‘THEATRICS’

1. Ted Lieu accuses Bondi of lying under oath 

Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., accused Bondi of lying under oath about an alleged witness statement that he said showed President Donald Trump had been accused of rape, saying: “You just lied under oath.”

“Don’t you ever accuse me of a crime!” Bondi fired back: The exchange spiraled into chaos, with Jordan struggling to restore order.

“This is so ridiculous,” Bondi said in response. “And they are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done. There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime; everyone knows that!”

2. ‘Turn around … and apologize’

One of the most widely-shared moments came during an exchange with Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., who demanded that Bondi turn around and apologize to the Epstein survivors seated behind her in the House gallery for publishing documents that failed to redact their names.

“Will you turn to the survivors … and apologize?” Jayapal asked, accusing the department of compounding their trauma. Bondi refused, beginning to cite the actions of the former administration before Jayapal interjected.

“This is not about anybody that came before you. It is about you taking responsibility for your Department of Justice and the harm that it has done to the survivors who are standing right behind you and are waiting for you to turn to them and apologize,” Jayapal said.

“I’m not going to get in the gutter for her theatrics,” she shot back, before muttering moments later, “Unprofessional.”

COMER CALLS GHISLAINE MAXWELL DEPOSITION ‘VERY DISTURBING’ AS SHE REFUSES ANSWERS

3. Massie, Bondi spat 

Notably, some Republicans also posed tough questions for Bondi, largely centered on the handling and publication of the Epstein files. 

Among them was Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who criticized the redactions that occurred on Bondi’s watch. 

Massie noted that, in his view, DOJ was “over-redacting” certain information that could be potentially incriminating, while failing to redact the names of the victims. 

“This cover-up spans decades, and you are responsible for this portion of it,” he told her. 

In response, Bondi shot back that Massie was a “failed politician” with “Trump derangement syndrome.”

House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, intervened multiple times as members sparred over procedure and “reclaiming” time.

4. Bondi confirms criminal referral alleging Brennan perjury 

Bondi confirmed that she received a criminal referral from the House Judiciary Committee alleging that former CIA Director John Brennan lied to Congress.

The news came during an exchange with Jordan, who asked Bondi if Brennan would be indicted. 

The reference comes as the Justice Department for months has been investigating Brennan and others over the origins of the 2016 Russia investigation — a probe Democrats have assailed as politically motivated.

“What I can confirm is that we have received a referral from you, Chairman Jordan, to investigate John Brennan,” Bondi said, responding to Jordan’s question whether Brennan would be indicted. 

She added: “What I will say today I can’t confirm nor deny whether there’s a pending investigation, but what I will say [is] that no one is above the law. Weaponization has ended.”

BRENNAN, STRZOK, PAGE SUBPOENAED AS PART OF FEDERAL RUSSIAGATE PROBE

5. Nadler tangles with Bondi

At one point, Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) directly asked Bondi how many Epstein coconspirators had been indicted by the Justice Department on her watch.

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“How many of Epstein’s co-conspirators have you indicted? How many perpetrators are you even investigating?” Nadler asked.

Bondi did not provide a number. Instead, she shifted the focus to criticism of past impeachment proceedings and reiterated that the department would investigate credible evidence that is brought forward.

Nadler interjected sharply: “The answer is zero.”

The six Democrats who urged U.S. service members to “refuse illegal orders” are threatening a legal battle with President Donald Trump over what they see as a “weaponization” of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

On Wednesday, four House Democrats — Reps. Jason Crow, D-Colo.; Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H.; Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.; and Chris Deluzio, D-Pa. — hinted they had prepared for a case of their own after they escaped an indictment Tuesday evening.

“Yesterday, the Trump Department of Justice tried and failed to indict us on criminal charges based on a video that we filmed last year simply reminding our fellow service members to follow the law and the Constitution,” Crow said. “They failed, and they will always fail.

REPUBLICAN COMBAT VETERANS URGE TROOPS TO ‘STAND STRONG’ AFTER DEMOCRATS’ ‘ILLEGAL ORDERS’ MESSAGE

“We are taking names,” Crow said. “We are creating lists. My lawyers just sent a letter today to the Department of Justice, putting them on notice that there will be costs.” 

Crow did not expand on what kind of suit he would pursue.

The “Seditious Six,” as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth called the group of military veteran Democrats, posted a video to social media in November 2025 urging service members to ignore commands that violated the Constitution.

“Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution. Right now, the threats coming to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad but from right here at home,” they urged. “Our laws are clear. You can refuse illegal orders. You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution.” 

In response, the Department of Justice launched a probe of the group, weighing whether their calls had amounted to sedition.

After those charges fell flat Tuesday, Democrats in the Senate who had also participated in the video similarly blasted the DOJ’s probe.

WASHINGTON DEMOCRAT SAYS HE BELIEVES TRUMP ISSUED ILLEGAL ORDERS TO THE MILITARY

“This is outrageous,” said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. “I want to be clear about something. This is not a good news story. This is a story about how Donald Trump and his cronies are trying to break our system in order to silence anyone who lawfully speaks out against them.” 

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who also appeared in the video, echoed Kelly’s framing.

“The president has used our justice system to weaponize (it) against his perceived enemies,” Slotkin said. “I think that we’ve come to a really sad moment in America, where the paradigm of leadership has become completely reversed in 2026. Instead of looking to our elected leaders, like the president, as setting an example, it is now up to individual citizens in their private capacity to uphold the values of democracy, free speech, liberty, justice.” 

When asked how he would distinguish between political prosecution and a good-faith effort to uphold the law, Crow pointed to past statements from the administration but declined to offer a litmus test for future cases.

“I’ve learned to take Donald Trump’s words and to listen to him,” Crow said. “He actually came right out and said what he thought about this and said this is because he wants to silence political opposition. So, let’s actually just listen to what the man says.” 

DEM CONGRESSMAN PRESSED ON WHAT TRUMP ORDERS ‘SPECIFICALLY’ WERE ILLEGAL

Trump has accused the six lawmakers of being “traitors” who engaged in “sedition at the highest level” and “should be in jail.” 

He even suggested they should be executed over the video, although he later retracted that comment.

Crow declined to answer questions about when he would press his legal strategy and hinted that it might depend on what Trump does next.

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“So, that’s actually a ball that’s in the Trump administration’s court,” Crow said. “We’ve been very clear about our position and that it needs to stop. If it doesn’t stop, then we’ll take all necessary actions.”

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security is speaking out against immigration rhetoric from Democrats and launching an investigation after a U.S. citizen in Oregon was arrested and found with a manifesto stating his plans to kill U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. 

Last week, the St. Helens Police Department north of Portland arrested an 18-year-old during a traffic stop after he was found with knives and materials used to manufacture Molotov cocktails, according to police, Fox 12 Oregon reported.

The individual, Rayden Coleman, is also alleged to have authored a manifesto outlining a plan to kill ICE agents at a Portland ICE office in an attack using Molotov cocktails and a gun. Additionally, Coleman reportedly told investigators about his plan and that he planned to pick up an AR-15 the next day from a licensed dealer to carry out the attack. He also reportedly admitted making statements about beheading ICE agents. 

“Every day there are more assaults, more vehicle-ramming attacks, more attempts to kill our officers,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. “Now, we have an American citizen planning to kill ICE officers with Molotov cocktails and gun them down. It’s disturbing.

DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN SPARKS ONLINE OUTRAGE OVER ‘DERANGED’ QUESTION TO ICE DIRECTOR ABOUT ‘GOING TO HELL’

“Sanctuary politicians comparing ICE day-in and day-out to the Nazi Gestapo, the Secret Police and slave patrols have real-world consequences. The men and women of ICE and CBP are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters. They get up every morning to try and make our communities safer. Like everyone else, they just want to go home to their families at night. The violence and dehumanization of these men and women who are simply enforcing the law must end.” 

The DHS statement comes the day after several House Democrats railed against ICE during a hearing with acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, comparing ICE agents to Nazis and the Gestapo as they slammed the Trump administration over the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two anti-ICE activists killed while opposing federal immigration authorities. 

ICE REVEALS ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ARRESTS IN JUST ONE DAY AFTER ROUNDING UP ‘THUGS’ CONVICTED OF VILE CRIMES

DHS says there is an ongoing investigation into the Oregon arrest with ICE Homeland Security Investigations and that Coleman is facing state charges on six counts of manufacturing a destructive device and two counts of conspiracy to commit first-degree assault. 

Coleman is being held in the Columbia County jail, and his bail is listed at $400,000.

ICE officers are facing a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them, according to DHS, along with an 8,000% increase in death threats. 

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As Democrats rally against ICE across the country, Congress has until Friday at midnight to fund DHS. Democrats are threatening to shut down the government if their demands for ICE reforms are not met, and, as days go by, the odds of doing so are becoming increasingly slim.

“I think they (Democrats) are using families as political weapons,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem exclusively told Fox News Digital last week. “And this is a little bit different, because when it’s the whole government that they shut down, they’re not necessarily just attacking security.

“This feels like a direct attack on the security of our country, our homeland. And it’s almost as though they’ve gotten so extreme, they don’t care if we’re out there on the front lines keeping our country safe from terrorists, keeping our country safe from murderers and rapists.”

Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller and Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced she was ending the work of a task force that sought to reform the U.S. intelligence community, including rooting out what she described as the politicization of intelligence gathering, after less than a year since its creation.

Gabbard established the group in April, when it was also tasked with probing ways to reduce spending on intelligence and whether reports on high-profile topics such as COVID-19 should be declassified.

In a statement on Wednesday, Gabbard said the task force’s work was always intended to be temporary after she was tapped to oversee coordination of the 18 U.S. intelligence agencies.

“In less than one year, we’ve brought a historic level of transparency to the intelligence community,” Gabbard said in her statement. “My commitment to transparency, truth, and eliminating politicization and weaponization within the intelligence community remains central to all that we do.”

TULSI GABBARD DENIES WRONGDOING OVER DELAYED WHISTLE-BLOWER COMPLAINT REFERRAL TO CONGRESS MEMBERS: ‘BASELESS’

The number of officers assigned to the task force, as well as their identities, are classified, according to Gabbard’s office.

The officers will now return to other intelligence agencies to continue the work the group started, her office added.

The group sparked criticism against Gabbard after its creation, with Democrats and some intelligence insiders raising questions about whether it would be used to undermine intelligence agencies and bring them under tighter control of President Donald Trump.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-VA, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said last year that the group appeared to be a “pass for a witch hunt” designed to target intelligence officers deemed disloyal to Trump.

TRUMP CLAIMS DNI TULSI GABBARD WAS AT GEORGIA ELECTION HUB SEARCH BECAUSE AG PAM BONDI WANTED HER THERE

“This seems to be just a pass for a witch hunt and that’s going to further undermine our national security,” Warner told Reuters at the time.

Gabbard has implemented significant changes to the country’s intelligence gathering in the last year, including by using agencies to back up Trump’s claims about alleged interference in the 2016 and 2020 elections.

In August, she revealed plans to cut her office’s workforce and slash more than $700 million from its annual budget. She also fired two top intelligence officials in May after concluding that they opposed Trump.

Since Gabbard took over as director, the federal government has revoked the security clearances of dozens of former and current officials, including high-profile political opponents of the president, which critics have panned as being a punishment for siding against Trump rather than posing security risks.

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Gabbard’s presence for a recent FBI search of a Georgia election office in connection to the 2020 election has led to criticism from Democrats who argue she is blurring the traditional lines between foreign intelligence collection and domestic law enforcement.

The CIA has also released additional information about its investigations into the origins of COVID-19, such as an assessment released last year that affirmed the position that it most likely originated in a lab in China.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The House of Representatives passed a massive election integrity overhaul bill on Wednesday despite opposition from the vast majority of Democrats.

The House passed Rep. Chip Roy’s SAVE America Act, legislation that’s aimed at keeping non-citizens from voting in U.S. federal elections. All but one House Democrat — Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas — voted against the bill. It passed 218 to 213.

It is an updated version of the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, also led by Roy, R-Texas, which passed the House in April 2025 but was never taken up in the Senate.

Whereas the SAVE Act would create a new federal proof of citizenship mandate in the voter registration process and impose requirements for states to keep their rolls clear of ineligible voters, the updated bill would also require photo ID to vote in any federal elections.

MURKOWSKI BREAKS WITH GOP ON VOTER ID, SAYS PUSH ‘IS NOT HOW WE BUILD TRUST’

It would also require information-sharing between state election officials and federal authorities in verifying citizenship on current voter rolls and enable the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to pursue immigration cases if non-citizens were found to be listed as eligible to vote.

Democrats have attacked the bill as tantamount to voter suppression, while Republicans argue that it’s necessary after the influx of millions of illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. during the four years of the Biden administration.

“If we want to rebuild confidence again in American elections, we need to pass the SAVE Act,” Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. “What better way to eliminate that distrust than to make sure that whoever votes in an American citizen who is truly eligible to vote?”

House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., accused Republicans of trying to make it harder for women to vote. She argued that the legislation would make it more difficult for married women to cast ballots if their surname is different from their maiden name on their birth certificate.

“Republicans aren’t worried about non-citizens voting. They’re afraid of actual American citizens voting. Why? Because they’re losing among women,” Clark said during debate on the House floor. “This is a minefield of red tape that you have put in front of women and American citizens and their right to vote.”

REPUBLICANS, TRUMP RUN INTO SENATE ROADBLOCK ON VOTER ID BILL

But House GOP Policy Committee Chairman Kevin Hern, R-Okla., emphasized that it was about keeping illegal immigrants from voting in U.S. elections.

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“This really is about feeding the narrative that Democrats want illegally from all over the world to come here to support them,” Hern said of Democrats’ opposition.

Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital, “The American people did not give Republicans a mandate to make excuses. They gave us one to deliver wins, and the SAVE America Act is exactly that. Every single Democrat who voted no today proved they would rather let illegal aliens tip the scales in our national elections than protect your vote.”

If implemented, the bill could see new requirements imposed on voters in this year’s November midterm elections.

But it would have to pass the Senate, where current rules dictate that at least several Democrats are needed to meet the 60-vote threshold to overcome a filibuster.

A federal judge in Louisiana has released four illegal immigrants with lengthy rap sheets that include convictions for murder and child sex crimes from law enforcement custody earlier this month.

On Feb. 6, Judge John deGravelles, an Obama appointee who sits on the bench for the Middle District Court of Louisiana, granted the four defendants release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, the Department of Homeland Security said. 

“The ramifications will only be the continued rape, murder, assault, and robbery of more American victims,” said Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Releasing these monsters is inexcusably reckless. President Trump and Secretary Noem are now enforcing the law and arresting illegal aliens who have no right to be in our country.”

EXCLUSIVE: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT RELEASED UNDER BIDEN ‘CATCH-AND-RELEASE’ ALLEGEDLY KILLS DRIVER IN POLICE CHASE

“We are applying the law as written,” she added. “If an immigration judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them. Period.”

The four defendants include Ibrahim Ali Mohammed, an Ethiopian citizen convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor. An immigration judge issued him a final order of removal on Sept, 5, 2024. 

He was released into the United States by the Biden administration.

DHS HONORS ILLINOIS WOMAN WHOSE CORPSE WAS ALLEGEDLY ABUSED BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FREED UNDER SANCTUARY LAWS

Luis Gaston-Sanchez, from Cuba, has convictions for homicide, assault, resisting an officer, concealing stolen property, and two counts of robbery. 

An immigration judge issued a deportation order for him on Sept. 24, 2001.

Ricardo Blanco Chomat, also a Cuban citizen, has convictions for homicide, kidnapping, aggravated assault with a firearm, burglary, robbery, larceny, and selling cocaine. 

A deportation order was issued for him on March 27, 2002.

Francisco Rodriguez-Romero was previously convicted of homicide and a weapons offense. He was ordered to be deported on May 30, 1995.

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In Sept. 2025, DHS announced a partnership with Louisiana to expand ICE detention space at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, also known as Angola Prison. The facility, dubbed the “Louisiana Lockup,” houses some of the criminal illegal immigrants arrested by ICE.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Middle District Court of Louisiana for comment. 

The Internal Revenue Service improperly disclosed the confidential taxpayer information of thousands of people with the Department of Homeland Security as part of the agencies’ controversial agreement to share immigrant data to help identify those living in the country illegally, according to a new court filing.

The Treasury Department, the IRS and the Department of Homeland Security finalized a deal last spring to allow taxpayer data to be shared with immigration authorities to help them find illegal immigrants.

The agreement, which led to the resignations of top IRS officials, authorized Immigration and Customs Enforcement to submit names and addresses of illegal immigrants to the IRS for cross-verification against tax records.

In a declaration filed Wednesday, IRS Chief Risk and Control Officer Dottie Romo said the IRS was able to verify roughly 47,000 of the 1.28 million names ICE requested that were then disclosed to the immigration enforcement agency.

SECOND FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS IRS FROM SHARING ADDRESSES WITH ICE

The IRS gave ICE additional address information for under 5% of those names, potentially violating privacy rules created to protect taxpayer data.

The tax-collecting agency said it recently discovered the mistake and is working with other federal agencies to resolve the matter.

Romo said the Treasury notified DHS last month of the error and asked for its assistance in “promptly taking steps to remediate the matter consistent with federal law,” which includes “appropriate disposal of any data provided to ICE by IRS based on incomplete or insufficient address information.”

MINNESOTA SUES TRUMP ADMIN OVER SWEEPING IMMIGRATION RAIDS IN TWIN CITIES

The agreement last year between the IRS and DHS sparked litigation against the Trump administration and broke a longstanding IRS policy that encouraged immigrants to pay taxes even if they are not in the U.S. legally by assuring them that their data was safe.

A lawsuit was filed against Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on behalf of several immigrant rights groups shortly after the agreement was signed.

Last week, a federal judge ordered the IRS to stop disclosing residential addresses to ICE, marking the second ruling blocking the IRS-DHS agreement.

In November, a different federal judge blocked the IRS from sharing information with DHS, saying the IRS illegally disseminated the tax data of some migrants over the summer, violating a taxpayer confidentiality law.

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Advocate groups expressed concern that the potential unlawful release of taxpayer records could be used to maliciously target U.S. citizens and violate their privacy.

“Once taxpayer data is opened to immigration enforcement, mistakes are inevitable and the consequences fall on innocent people,” Tom Bowman, policy counsel for the Center for Democracy & Technology, told The Associated Press. “The disclosure of thousands of confidential records unfortunately shows precisely why strict legal firewalls exist and have — until now — been treated as an important guardrail.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Child sex charges continue to pile up against an illegal alien soccer coach accused of sexually attacking and murdering one of his players. 

Mario Edgardo Garcia-Aquino, 44, an illegal immigrant “gotaway” from El Salvador, faces more child sex charges after he was charged with raping and murdering a teen boy he coached. He was also charged with sodomy and oral copulation with a minor under 16.

Garcia-Aquino, after entering the United States, established himself in the San Fernando Valley as a soccer coach. His work managing these teams made him a visitor of Whitsett Fields Park in North Hollywood, where youth soccer games are played and where Garcia-Aquino allegedly met 13-year-old Oscar Hernandez, who he allegedly sexually assaulted and then murdered.

ICE ARRESTS MURDERERS, PEDOPHILES DURING SUPER BOWL WEEKEND AS AGENTS SAY HALFTIME SHOW ‘DEMONIZED’ THEM

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed nine more child sex charges against Garcia-Aquino this week — eight counts of sodomy of a person under age 16 and one count of oral copulation of a minor under 16, according to an amended complaint obtained by Fox News Digital. 

Garcia-Aquino reportedly pleaded not guilty to the additional charges through his attorney, according to local media reports. Fox News Digital inquired with the LA County Public Defender’s Office but did not receive a response in time for publication. 

The LA County District Attorney’s Office, which is prosecuting the case against Garcia-Aquino, declined to comment further on the ongoing case.

A complaint from the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of Los Angeles indicates that, on March 28, Garcia-Aquino murdered 13-year-old Oscar Hernandez while sexually assaulting him. The same complaint also accuses Garcia-Aquino of a second sexual assault and rape of a child in December 2022.

PRITZKER JOINS CHORUS OF DEM GOVERNORS BOYCOTTING WHITE HOUSE DINNER AFTER SNUB IGNITES ‘CHAOS’ 

A separate case involving an alleged sexual assault by Garcia-Aquino on Feb. 22, 2024, was also reportedly added to the case later. He allegedly assaulted this minor numerous other times between September 2022 and July 2023, according to the complaint.

Now, as the charges pile up against the illegal immigrant soccer coach, he could face the death penalty. 

“Thirteen-year-old Oscar ‘Omar’ Hernandez was an innocent child who was exploited and killed by this depraved illegal alien who should have never been in this country,” the Department of Homeland Security said last year. 

“Under President Trump and Secretary Noem’s leadership, child predators, pedophiles and murderers will be hunted down and removed from America’s communities.” 

Hernandez was reportedly last seen leaving his home in Sun Valley to meet the soccer coach, according to family members, but he was later found dead along the side of a road. 

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In one of the other cases, involving the sexual assault of a 14-year-old boy, Garcia-Aquino reportedly “befriended” a family through a local soccer program and the teen’s parents eventually let the teen stay the night at Garcia-Aquino’s home, officials say.

The murdered boy’s brother told CBS News that he believed Garcia-Aquino targeted families who did not have the proper legal status to live in the United States.

President Donald Trump is threatening to back election challengers against the six House Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to reverse his tariffs on Canada.

The president sent out an ominous warning to GOP lawmakers in the House and Senate just before his agenda suffered a blow on Capitol Hill Wednesday evening.

“Any Republican, in the House or the Senate, that votes against TARIFFS will seriously suffer the consequences come Election time, and that includes Primaries!” Trump posted on Truth Social.

He argued that the trade deficit was reduced significantly while U.S. financial markets hit significant high points because of his tariff policies.

TRUMP’S TARIFFS COULD BE UNDONE BY ONE CONSERVATIVE DOCTRINE: ‘LIFE OR DEATH’

“In addition, TARIFFS have given us Great National Security because the mere mention of the word has Countries agreeing to our strongest wishes,” Trump continued. 

“TARIFFS have given us Economic and National Security, and no Republican should be responsible for destroying this privilege.”

Democrats successfully got a vote on a measure to reverse Trump’s national emergency at the northern border using a mechanism for forcing votes over the objections of House majority leadership called a privileged resolution.

TRUMP’S SIGNATURE TARIFFS HANG ON KEY QUESTION ABOUT CONGRESS’ POWER BEFORE SUPREME COURT

The six Republicans who voted in favor of the measure are Reps. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., Don Bacon, R-Neb., Jeff Hurd, R-Colo., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa. 

One Democrat, Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, voted with the majority of Republicans on the matter. It passed 219-211.

It’s not clear how much impact Trump’s threat will have, however.

Both Newhouse and Bacon are not running for re-election in the 2026 midterms, and Trump is already endorsing a primary challenger against Massie.

Kiley, whose district was severely impacted by California Democrats’ new congressional map, has not yet said whether he will run for re-election or where he will do it.

Fitzpatrick and Hurd are both well-liked incumbents in their districts, which are top targets for Democrats come November.

Trump signed an executive order in February 2025, enacting an additional 25% tariff on most goods from Canada and Mexico. Energy from Canada was subject to an additional 15% tariff.

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At the time, the White House said it was punishment for those countries’ unwillingness to do more to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs into the U.S.

Opponents of Trump’s tariff strategy have criticized his moves against Canada in particular, arguing it was unjustly harming one of the closest allies of the U.S. and trading partners to the detriment of Americans themselves.

But Republicans who voted against the legislation pointed out that Trump said the fentanyl crisis was the reason for issuing the emergency in the first place, and said the drug was still killing Americans.

The legislation now heads to the Senate, where Republicans have voted to rebuke Trump’s tariff strategy in the past despite similar warnings from the president.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday directing the Department of War (DoW) to work directly with coal-fired power plants on new long-term power purchasing agreements, arguing the move would ensure “more reliable power and stronger and more resilient grid power.”

“That’s why I’m also pleased to announce that in just a moment, I will sign an executive order that directs the Department of War to work directly with coal plants on the new power purchasing agreements, ensuring that we have more reliable power and stronger and more resilient grid power,” Trump said. 

“And we’re going to be buying a lot of coal through the military now, and it’s going to be less expensive and actually much more effective than what we have been using for many, many years.”

The executive order, titled “Strengthening United States National Defense with America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Power Generation Fleet,” states: “The United States must ensure that our electric grid … remains resilient and reliable, and not reliant on intermittent energy sources,” calling the grid “the foundation of our national defense as well as our economic stability.”

TRUMP ADMIN TO REPEAL OBAMA-ERA GREENHOUSE GAS FINDING IN LARGE-SCALE DEREGULATION

It adds: “It is the policy of the United States that coal is essential to our national and economic security.”

Under a section titled “Power Purchase Agreements with Federal Installations,” the order states that the Secretary of War, “in coordination with the Secretary of Energy, shall seek to procure power from the United States coal generation fleet by approving long-term Power Purchase Agreements … with coal-fired energy production facilities to serve DOW installations or other mission-critical facilities.”

Speaking at the White House and flanked by members of his cabinet, coal workers and GOP lawmakers, Trump framed coal as vital to defense and industrial production.

BIDEN’S GREEN ENERGY FIASCO, NOT TRUMP’S REFORMS, IS JACKING UP YOUR ELECTRIC BILL

“Coal is also critical to our national security,” he said. “Vital to everything from steel production to shipbuilding and artificial intelligence.”

He also pointed to winter storms as evidence of coal’s reliability.

“More than 200 million Americans across 35 states were impacted by the storm, and the only reason most were able to take a hot shower was thanks to the power provided by the most reliable, dependable of, and really dependable form of energy that we have,” Trump said. “And that’s clean, beautiful coal.”

Trump contrasted his approach with the prior administration.

“On day one of this administration, I ended the war on coal,” Trump said. “We terminated the green new scam and we withdrew from the unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord.”

He also criticized wind energy.

TRUMP TO HOST ‘CLEAN BEAUTIFUL COAL’ EVENT, CALLS IT AMERICA’S MOST RELIABLE ENERGY

“I’m not a big fan of those crazy windmills that are all made in China,” Trump said. “You know, they’re made in China but not used by China.”

Trump said the Tennessee Valley Authority was “taking action to save two major coal plants,” naming the Cumberland Fossil Plant and the Kingston Fossil Plant.

“These two plants were slated for termination,” Trump said, “but we’re going to save over 450 jobs by keeping them going and going strong.”

Trump said he was “directing the Department of Energy to issue funds” to coal plants in several states.

“In addition, I’m directing to the Department of Energy to issue funds to coal plants in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and Kentucky to keep them online and keep those plants open,” Trump said.

On permitting, Trump said: “In one year of Trump, we’ve already approved over 70 permits for very big, very powerful mines that are going to be with us for many, many years to come.”

Trump said coal production and generation had increased during his tenure.

“Since I took office, coal production is up by nearly 4 million tons a month after falling for decades,” he said. “Coal power generation is up by nearly 15% in my first year.”

Late in the event, Peabody Energy CEO Jim Grech presented Trump with an award.

“Sir. Just to show our appreciation,” Grech said, “the trophy says the undisputed champion of beautiful, clean coal.”

Trump closed by returning to what he described as American energy dominance.

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“America is now the number one energy producer in the world,” he said. “We are by far number one.”

The Department of War did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

The House of Representatives passed legislation on Wednesday aimed at reversing President Donald Trump‘s tariffs on Canada after several Republicans joined Democrats for a rare rebuke of the GOP commander-in-chief.

Democrats successfully got a vote on a measure to reverse Trump’s national emergency at the northern border using a mechanism for forcing votes over the objections of House majority leadership, called a privileged resolution.

Trump signed an executive order in February 2025 implementing an additional 25% tariff on most goods from Canada and Mexico. Energy from Canada was subject to an additional 15% tariff.

At the time, the White House said it was punishment for those countries’ unwillingness to do more to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and illicit drugs into the U.S.

TRUMP’S TARIFFS COULD BE UNDONE BY ONE CONSERVATIVE DOCTRINE: ‘LIFE OR DEATH’

Opponents of Trump’s tariff strategy have criticized his moves against Canada in particular, arguing it was unjustly harming one of the U.S.’s closest allies and trading partners to the detriment of Americans themselves.

“In the last year, tariffs have cost American families nearly $1,700. And that cost is expected to increase in 2026,” Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., who is leading the legislation, said during debate on Wednesday.

“And since these tariffs were imposed, U.S. exports to Canada have fallen by more than 21%. When I go home, my constituents aren’t telling me that they have an extra $1,700 to spare. They’re asking me to lower grocery prices, lower the price of healthcare, and make life more affordable.”

TRUMP’S SIGNATURE TARIFFS HANG ON KEY QUESTION ABOUT CONGRESS’ POWER BEFORE SUPREME COURT

Meeks also said, “Canada is our friend. Canada is our ally. Canadians have fought alongside Americans, whether it was in World War II or the war in Afghanistan, where 165 Canadians gave their lives after our country was attacked. There is no national emergency, there is no national security threat underpinning these threats.”

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., argued the text of the resolution itself would end a national emergency related to fentanyl.

“The gentleman over here, 5,000 people per year die in his state alone from fentanyl,” Mast said of Meeks. “So if he wants to beg the question of who’s going to pay the price of him trying to end an emergency, that actually, for the first time, has Canada dealing with fentanyl because of the pressure being put on them — who’s going to pay the price? It’s going to be 5,000 more of his state’s residents. That’s who’s going to pay the price.”

SUPREME COURT TARIFF RULING HAS TRUMP ADMIN, US BUSINESSES BRACING FOR IMPACT

He said the resolution was “not a debate about tariffs” but rather Democrats trying to “ignore that there is a fentanyl crisis.”

The resolution was filed by Democrats months ago but was put on hold by an active measure by House GOP leaders that blocked the House from reversing Trump’s emergency declarations.

The president has used emergency declarations to bypass Congress on the subject of tariffs, a move that has drawn mixed reviews from Capitol Hill.

But that measure expired last month, and House GOP leaders’ bid to extend it through July 31 crashed and burned on Tuesday night when three Republicans joined Democrats to oppose it.

“It is time for Congress to make its voice heard on tariffs,” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., one of the Republicans who voted in opposition to the Trump policy both on Tuesday and Wednesday, told Fox News Digital.

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The legislation now heads to the Senate, which has voted in the past to restrict Trump’s tariff authority.

Even if it succeeds there, however, it’s likely to be hit with a veto from the president.