NationalWatch

Former special counsel Jack Smith spent hours publicly defending the parameters of his investigation into President Donald Trump on Thursday in the face of sharp questions from Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee — including one lawmaker in particular who repeatedly accused Smith of “spying” on certain lawmakers. 

During one of the most contentious portions of the hearing, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., pressed Smith over the so-called “tolling records” Smith sought as part of the special counsel investigation, which included investigating Trump’s alleged attempts to subvert the results of the 2020 election. 

Unlike wiretaps, tolling records are phone logs that reveal the phone numbers of incoming and outgoing callers, as well as the time and duration of calls. Republicans have zeroed in on the tolling records in recent months, blasting them as an aggressive tactic by Smith and an act of “political weaponization,” which Smith vehemently denied.

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Issa, in particular, excoriated Smith for the decision to seek the tolling records of Republicans in the House and Senate — which he said Thursday was tantamount to spying on his political “enemies.”

Smith, for his part, defended the tolling records as “common practice” in such investigations.

“Maybe they’re not your political enemies, but they sure as [heck] were Joe Biden’s poltiical enemies, weren’t they?” Issa asked Smith. “They were Harris’s political enemies,” he said, referring to the former vice president. “They were the enemies of the president — and you were their arm, weren’t you?” 

“No,” Smith said. 

JACK SMITH SUBPOENAED FOR DEPOSITION WITH HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

“So, you spied on the speaker of the House and these other senators and so on, and informed no one — and in fact, put a gag order in — so they couldn’t discover it,” Issa said.

Smith attempted to respond before Issa continued. 

“Why did Congress, a separate branch that you, under the Constitution, have to respect — why is it that no one should be informed — including the judges?” Issa pressed. “As you went in to spy on these people, did you mention that you were spying on, [that you were] seeking records so you could find out about when conversations occurred between the U.S. Speaker of the House and the president?”

“Did you inform the judge?” Issa continued. “Or did you hold that back?”

“My office didn’t spy on anyone,” Smith said, before Issa cut back in. 

“Wait a second,” he interjected sharply. “The question I asked you, Mr. Smith, was pretty straightforward.”

Before Smith could respond again, the panel’s ranking Democrat, Rep. Jamie Raskin, interjected to address House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan. 

“Mr. Chairman, would you please instruct the gentleman to allow the witness to answer the question?” he said. “The witness has the right to answer the question.”

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Smith previously said that the Public Integrity Section had signed off on the subpoenas, a point corroborated by previously released public records. Those records also showed that the Public Integrity Section told prosecutors to be wary of concerns lawmakers could raise about the Constitution’s speech or debate clause, which gives Congress members added protections.

The subpoenas to the phone companies were accompanied by gag orders blocking the lawmakers from learning about the existence of the subpoenas for at least one year.

Smith previously told the House lawmakers in a closed-door hearing that the D.C. federal court, which authorized the gag orders, would not have been aware that they applied to Congress members. 

“I don’t think we identified that, because I don’t think that was Department policy at the time,” Smith said.

Asked during the earlier deposition about who should be held accountable for lawmakers who felt that the seizure of a narrow set of their phone data was a constitutional violation, Smith said Trump should be held accountable.

“These records are people, in the case of the Senators, Donald Trump directed his co-conspirators to call these people to further delay the proceedings,” Smith said.

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“He chose to do that. If Donald Trump had chosen to call a number of Democratic senators, we would have gotten toll records for Democratic Senators. So responsibility for why these records, why we collected them, that’s — that lies with Donald Trump,” he said at the time.

FIRST ON FOX: As the National Education Association, one of the most prominent teachers unions in the country, continues to face criticism over placing far-left agenda items over the needs of children, a whistleblower organization spoke to Fox News Digital about the “toxic” politics inside headquarters.

“It’s a very liberal place, there’s only a handful of conservatives that work at NEA, and if you are, it’s like you just don’t say anything, because it’s a very toxic environment if you do say something,” an NEA employee, who is remaining anonymous due to concerns of retribution, told Fox News Digital. “It’s crazy, they’ll send out this weekly newsletter of ‘Trump’s a fascist’ and blast it to all the states.”

The whistleblower described a workplace where staff members are often subject to staff meetings and breakout sessions focused on “social justice and White supremacy and all that nonsense” that feel more like “brainwashing” than they do education. 

“It’s a cult. It’s 100% a cult and if you don’t have their mindset, you’re the enemy.”

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Earlier this month, Fox News Digital exclusively reported on a federal NEA filing showing the union funneled millions of dollars to far-left activist groups, ballot initiatives and social justice organizations.

Among the largest expenditures was more than $3.5 million sent to Education International, a global teachers federation where NEA President Becky Pringle serves as a vice president.

“Why are we sending money internationally?” The whistleblower told Fox News Digital. “They’re not American teachers.”

In November, Fox News Digital first reported on NEA training sessions instructing members on a variety of far-left causes, including how to go through a gender transition at work, best practices for using gender pronouns and combating transphobia, while also being provided with literature labeling conservative opposition as “villains.”

“They don’t care about the students, they care about pushing these leftist, liberal Democrat people [politicians] so that they can get more money and just fund all these stupid initiatives,” the whistleblower told Fox News Digital. 

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Additionally, Fox News Digital obtained an email sent on Jan. 16 from NEA Executive Director Kim Anderson that included more heated rhetoric directed at ICE and President Donald Trump. 

“Masked ICE agents are operating with impunity in Minneapolis, attacking students on school grounds and abducting neighbors from locations that are considered places of safety and care, including churches and hospitals,” the email said. “ICE agents are harassing, frightening, abusing, detaining and killing our neighbors. They abuse power and disregard the rule of law.”

The email continued, “Violent ICE raids disproportionately targeting Black and brown students, families, and communities, have forced public schools to close their doors. Keeping students safe from ICE also keeps them from their classrooms, their friends, and the support they deserve.”

The email referred to Trump’s actions enforcing immigration law as “Un-American” and an “authoritarian threat.”

“People talk about turning down the temperature and how rhetoric is getting people killed, like it is, and they’re doing it, they’re the ones saying all this crazy nonsense,” the whistleblower told Fox News Digital. 

Mika Hackner, director of research at the North American Values Institute, told Fox News Digital that a union’s purpose is “to advocate for and to represent effectively and fairly its union members” and that it’s “difficult to see how the NEA can do this when it ensures that a particular political position and worldview is woven into the fabric of its organization.”

Another area the whistleblower flagged is union revenue, claiming NEA leadership is especially focused on protecting dues collection by shifting members to “auto-pay” in states where payroll deductions face pushback. “That’s the biggest thing they’re worried about right now,” the whistleblower said, claiming the union is fighting efforts that prevent dues from being “take[n]… directly out of your paycheck.”

On the day following Trump’s victory over former Vice President Kamala Harris, endorsed by the NEA, in the 2024 presidential election, the whistleblower told Fox News Digital the NEA offices were filled with distraught employees. 

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“Everybody in the office had their doors closed. They were crying. It was a whole thing. It was wild, grown-ass people crying over an election.”

Erika Sanzi, senior director of communications for Defending Education, told Fox News Digital in November that the union’s federal charter should be re-evaluated given the organization has become more of a political operation than a union pushing for better student outcomes.

Sanzi explained, “Their federal charter was granted because they promised to ‘elevate the character and advance the interests of the profession of teaching; and to promote the cause of education in the United States.’ Seeing as their leadership — and by extension, the organization itself — has morphed into a far-left insane asylum that is actively destroying the cause of education, that charter is no longer defensible.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the NEA for comment.

“Few organizations have done more to erode trust in American public education than the National Education Association,” Terry Stoops, director of state affairs at Defending Education, told Fox News Digital this week. 

“The National Education Association has little interest in improving the lives of America’s public school educators. Instead, it’s committed to dispensing millions of dollars in membership dues to Democrats, while infiltrating classrooms and corrupting young minds with the grotesqueries of the far Left.”

While some Democrats have accused the Trump administration of politically targeting Democratic cities for enforcement, former acting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Sandweg shared insight about how the agency selects the next city for operations.

Sandweg, who served as acting ICE director under President Barack Obama from 2013 to 2014, told Fox News Digital during an interview that the existence of sanctuary policies harboring illegal aliens does play a major role in determining cities for targeting. However, Sandweg said that this is not for purely political reasons.

“The biggest driver would be immigrant population, how significant a population is there in that particular community. And then the second thing is, is there something like a sanctuary policy that would increase the number of at-large targets, meaning people who ICE wants to take into custody who are not currently in a prison or jail,” he explained. “Those are the traditional factors that ICE would rely on in making determinations about where to do at-large surges.”

In 2025, the Trump administration surged ICE agents to cities like Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago. All of these were major cities with significant immigrant populations, and all had sanctuary policies. Sandweg said that he expects crackdowns such as these to be “just beginning.”

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“You want to go where the criminals are … and so, you’re going to be looking at data about where is it that we can find the biggest bang for our buck,” he explained, adding, “Traditionally, that’s going to be in larger urban cities, just because they’re higher density population, and you’re more likely to find your criminal populations there.”

When it comes to the role of sanctuary cities in ICE’s targeting process, Sandweg said that “sanctuary policies are not all equal.”

“ICE is really good at getting people in prisons and jails. There isn’t a person booked into a prison or jail in the United States today that ICE doesn’t get visibility on,” he explained. “While we’re paying a lot of attention to these kinds of very public standoffs between protesters and DHS agents in Minneapolis and other places, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes the public doesn’t understand, including the picking up of people in prisons and jails, federal, state, local, across the country.”

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Though he said that some sanctuary jurisdictions are willing to cooperate with ICE in arresting illegals with serious criminal charges, such as violent crimes, there are some that are not willing to do that. 

Sanctuary jurisdictions that refuse to honor requests by ICE to hold illegal aliens, called “detainers,” present their own operational challenge, said Sandweg. This, in turn, can potentially lead to the agency deciding to surge more agents and resources to the area.

US CITIZENS ARE ONLY ARRESTED BY ICE IF THEY VIOLATE A STATUTE ICE ENFORCES: TOM HOMAN

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“There are jurisdictions … that have very restrictive sanctuary policies, where you’re sitting there scratching your head saying, these are bad guys, why won’t they give us custody of this person in jail?” he said. “In those jurisdictions, you’re going to find more targets because those people, ICE normally would take custody of them in jail or prison.” 

Louisiana state Rep. Julie Emerson announced on Thursday that she was nixing her U.S. Senate bid in light of President Donald Trump-backed U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow entering the GOP primary.

“With Congresswoman Letlow’s entrance into the race, the path to victory that was visible a couple of months ago has diminished. I support President Trump and respect his decision to endorse Julia Letlow to defeat Bill Cassidy. Because of this, I’m choosing to end my campaign now,” Emerson said in a statement.

Incumbent Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 2015, is running for re-election.

TRUMP ENDORSEMENT ROCKS LOUSIANA SENATE RACE AS LETLOW JUMPS IN

After the House impeached Trump in 2021, Cassidy was one of the Senate Republicans who voted to convict during a vote that occurred after Trump had already departed from office — the Senate vote ultimately fell short of the threshold required to convict Trump.

The president pledged his endorsement to Letlow in a Truth Social post on Saturday.

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“Should she decide to enter this Race, Julia Letlow has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JULIA, RUN!!!” the president exclaimed in the post.

Letlow launched a Senate bid days later.

GOP LOUISIANA STATE SENATOR SAYS HE’S RUNNING FOR US SENATE BECAUSE INCUMBENT REPUBLICAN ‘SUCKS’

“Today, I am announcing my candidacy for the United States Senate to ensure the nation we leave our children is safer and stronger. Louisiana deserves a conservative Senator who will not waver. I am honored to have President Trump’s endorsement and trust. Let’s Geaux!” she declared in a Tuesday post on X.

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Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming and state Sen. Blake Miguez are also running in the Republican U.S. Senate primary in the state.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has yet another hat to wear and new title under his belt.

President Donald Trump announced the United States’ intention to bid for the World Expo 2035 event in a post on social media. 

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“The great state of Florida has expressed strong interest in hosting the Expo in Miami, which I fully support,” said Trump in a Truth Social post. “Miami Expo 2035 can be the next big milestone in our new Golden Age of America.”

Trump appointed Rubio to chair the coordinating efforts and “advance this exciting opportunity,” according to the post made on Thursday, Jan. 22.

“I am appointing Miami native Secretary of State Marco Rubio to [c]hair the efforts of coordinating and advancing this exciting opportunity to convene the world,” wrote Trump in the post.

Rubio agreed with Trump in an X post, stating he was “honored” to be appointed.

“The event is an incredible stage to showcase our nation’s Golden Age and American exceptionalism before the world,” wrote Rubio in the post. “There is nothing quite like Miami hospitality and it would be a privilege to bring the World Expo back to the U.S. for the first time since 1962.”

The World Expos, known as International Registered Exhibitions, are a gathering of nations intended to, “[find] solutions to pressing challenges of our time,” according to the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).

The event offers “engaging and immersive activities” under one universal theme, according to the organization’s website.

Trump also touted the opportunity would create more jobs in the country and stimulate economic growth.

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“In my [f]irst [t]erm as President, I fought hard to bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 LA Summer Olympics to the [U.S.],” Trump continued. “I now have the [h]onor of hosting as the 47th President, plus America250, G20 Doral and the G7.”

The most recent World Expo event took place in Osaka Kansai, Japan in 2025. The event, which was held from April 13 to Oct. 13, welcomed more than 29 million visitors, according to BIE.

The theme was “Designing Future Society for Our Lives” and provided the opportunity for attendees to come together in a physical place to explore the theme of “life,” according to the information page. This was the first post-pandemic World Expo event.

The next World Expo event will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2030, under the theme “Foresight For Tomorrow,” according to the organization’s information page.

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“In keeping with this global commitment, Expo 2030 Riyadh will be an Expo built by the world, for the world,” said a statement on the event page. “It will open opportunities for countries and companies to create a meaningful Expo together, ensuring that the benefits of Expo 2030 Riyadh are shared widely.”

The expo will explore the sub-themes of transformational technology, sustainable solutions and prosperous people.

Egypt has shown “strong interest” in also hosting the 2035 event, according to reports, citing “new administrative capital” and the country’s growth. After losing the bid to host the 2030 event, South Korea floated the idea of exploring a 2035 bid.

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“I will speak with the central government and Busan residents to review whether we should bid for the World Expo in 2035,” Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon said in 2023. “Busan will continue to take on the challenge to create a better future for humanity.”

Fox News reached out to the Department of State and the White House but had not received comment at the time of publication.

The United States has formally completed its withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday. 

Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office in 2025 announcing the intention of the U.S. to withdraw from the WHO due to its mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and a host of other issues the president took issue with, such as “onerous payments” that didn’t match contributions from other member states. 

A year later, nearly to the day, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of State announced that the withdrawal from the health organization is complete. 

The U.S. has been a member of the WHO since its establishment in 1948. The WHO is a specialized agency within the United Nations responsible for coordinating global public health efforts, including disease surveillance and outbreak response. 

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At the heart of the withdrawal is the Trump administration’s dissatisfaction with the agency for its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and its ties to China. 

“The WHO delayed declaring a global public health emergency and a pandemic during the early stages of COVID-19, costing the world critical weeks as the virus spread,” HHS said in a press release on the official withdrawal. “During that period, WHO leadership echoed and praised China’s response despite evidence of early underreporting, suppression of information and delays in confirming human-to-human transmission.” 

TRUMP FLOATS ‘BOARD OF PEACE’ TO REPLACE UN, SIGNALS MAJOR GLOBAL POWER SHIFT

A senior HHS official stressed to the media during a call Thursday previewing the withdrawal that the U.S. will remain a global leader on public health following the change. 

The senior HHS official said that despite the U.S. funding up to 25% of the WHO’s operations, there has never been a U.S. director of the organization, while citing other nations that have provided far less funding to the organization. 

The U.S. is “walking away” from organizations that “fail the United States,” the official said, and is not walking away from “being a global health leader,” pointing to the Department of State inking multiyear bilateral agreements on Global Health Cooperation with dozens of countries in December 2025. The official said more updates on the agreements are forthcoming. 

Health and Human Services chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered a fiery prerecorded speech for the World Health Assembly in May 2025, slamming the WHO for becoming “mired in bureaucratic bloat, entrenched paradigms, conflicts of interest and international power politics.”

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“While the United States has provided the lion’s share of the organization’s funding historically, other countries such as China have exerted undue influence over its operations in ways that serve their own interests and not particularly the interests of the global public,” he said. 

“Not only has the WHO capitulated to political pressure from China, it’s also failed to maintain an organization characterized by transparency and fair governance,” he continued. “The WHO often acts like it has forgotten that its members must remain accountable to their own citizens and not to transnational or corporate interests.” 

Trump formally initiated a WHO withdrawal under his first administration in 2020, sparking sharp criticisms from Democrats who argue leaving the organization weakens global disease surveillance and leaves the United States less prepared to respond to future pandemics.

Then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi described the withdrawal as “true senselessness” in 2020, arguing “millions of lives” were at risk.

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The withdrawal from the WHO comes as President Donald Trump is in Davos, Switzerland, for the World Economic Forum, which has been underscored by Trump’s pressure on Europe to strike a deal for the U.S. to control Greenland. 

Seven Democrats voted with Republicans on Thursday to pass a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spending bill, despite opposition from their own leadership over unmet demands for additional guardrails on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations.

The DHS bill will be bundled alongside three other spending bills, totaling a combined $1.2 trillion in federal spending. The entire package’s passing is a significant step toward averting a government shutdown come Jan. 30.

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives voted on two separate packages on Thursday afternoon. One groups together three spending bills to fund the departments of War, Education, Labor, Transportation and Health and Human Services. The second is a standalone bill funding DHS, which includes ICE.

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The DHS bill passed by a 220-207 vote with the help of seven Democrats. Only one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., voted in opposition. The larger package passed with much broader bipartisan support in a 341-88 vote, with 149 Democrats joining Republicans to pass it.

Most Democrats bucked the DHS funding legislation after House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and other top Democrats said they were opposed to the bill due to insufficient restrictions against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

With the legislation in the rearview mirror, the House advanced the last pieces of the puzzle needed to avoid a government shutdown by the end of the month. It’s also the first time in nearly 30 years that Congress has avoided funding the government through one massive spending bill known as an “omnibus” or through short-term incremental funding extensions called “continuing resolutions” (CRs).

CONGRESS UNVEILS $1.2T SPENDING BILL AS PROGRESSIVE REVOLT BREWS OVER ICE FUNDING

With the passage of Thursday’s package, lawmakers will have advanced four small bundles of two to three of their 12 annual appropriations bills.

While some conservatives still called for the 12 bills to be passed as individual pieces of legislation, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., framed the GOP effort as a step toward returning Congress to the way the process is supposed to work on paper.

“This is a big thing,” Johnson told Fox News Digital. “We will be making history this week, having moved 12 [appropriations] bills through the process. A lot of people thought it would be impossible. But we stuck to it, stuck together — it’s a big thing.”

House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., echoed Johnson’s framing.

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“We aren’t here for just another stopgap temporary fix,” Cole said on the House floor. “We are here to finish the job by providing full-year funding. This measure is a product of sustained engagement and serious legislation.”

If passed by the Senate, the bills will eliminate the possibility of a government shutdown for the remainder of FY 2026.

Despite eventually drawing support from Democrats, the final DHS bill faced fierce opposition from most of the party. In their view, the bill failed to shore up safeguards against ICE abuses in the wake of a fatal confrontation between an ICE agent and a woman named Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. Good was shot and killed in her car and was accused by Republicans of impeding ICE operations just before her killing.

“Kristi Noem and ICE are out of control. Taxpayer dollars are being misused to brutalize U.S. citizens, including the tragic killing of Renee Nicole Good. This extremism must end,” Jeffries said in a statement ahead of the vote.

While the final bill does include some new safeguards — such as requiring ICE agents to adopt body cameras and to undergo additional training on how to interact with the public — Democrats said those measures fell woefully short.

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“All the guardrails in the world don’t make sense if the administration isn’t going to follow the law and the language that we pass. Members have to take that into account,” Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., the No. 3 Democrat in the House, said. “Ultimately, members are going to vote [for] what’s in the best interest of their districts.”

The Senate will move on the package next week, with the deadline to avert a partial government shutdown fast approaching at the end of this month.

Senate Republicans and Democrats have reached a tenuous truce in the upper chamber after having just exited the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, with neither side inclined to once again shut the lights off in Washington, D.C.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and the bulk of his caucus, contend that the best way to rein in some of the administration’s actions, particularly with Trump’s usage of ICE, was through the government funding process.

But despite the four-bill package being constructed with a bipartisan touch, its passage in the upper chamber isn’t guaranteed.  

That’s because there is a cohort of Senate Democrats frustrated with the restrictions in the DHS funding bill who contend, like their colleagues in the House, that they do not go far enough.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., the top-ranking Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Committee, signaled that he would not support the package once it comes to the Senate despite being a part of negotiations on the final product.

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He argued in a lengthy statement that the bill lacked “meaningful constraints on the growing lawlessness of ICE, and increases funding for detention over the last appropriations bill passed in 2024.”

“Democrats have no obligation to support a bill that not only funds the dystopian scenes we are seeing in Minneapolis but will allow DHS to replicate that playbook of brutality in cities all over this country,” Murphy said.

President Donald Trump on Thursday said the United States should have considered testing NATO by forcing member countries to respond to America’s southern border crisis.

Trump speculated in a post on Truth Social that the U.S. could have invoked Article 5 — the alliance’s collective defense clause that deems an attack on one member as an attack on all — thereby putting NATO “to the test.”

“Maybe we should have put NATO to the test: Invoked Article 5, and forced NATO to come here and protect our Southern Border from further Invasions of Illegal Immigrants, thus freeing up large numbers of Border Patrol Agents for other tasks,” he wrote.

The president’s comments came after he has recently questioned NATO’s commitment to aiding the U.S.

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“We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us,” the president wrote on social media earlier this month.

After meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, Trump announced that he had the “framework of a future deal regarding Greenland.”

Trump wrote on Truth Social that if finalized, the deal “will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations.”

DAVOS BRACES FOR TRUMP AMID TENSIONS OVER NATO, GREENLAND AND GLOBAL DEFENSE

Following the meeting, Trump said he would scrap a plan to impose tariffs on a group of NATO members who sent troops to Greenland amid the president’s efforts to acquire the island. Trump had asserted that those countries would be subjected to a 10% tariff on all goods beginning Feb. 1.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News this week, Rutte said Trump was “totally right” about needing to shore up security in the Arctic region, noting that the chance of Russia or China becoming a threat in that region was increasing.

Rutte applauded Trump’s leadership in getting NATO countries to pay more money for the alliance’s defenses.

“I would argue tonight with you on this program he was the one who brought a whole of Europe and Canada up to this famous 5%,” Rutte said, “which is crucial for us to equalize our spending, but also protect ourselves. And this is the framework which you see in his post that we will work on.”

NATO members were previously spending 2% of GDP on defense, but have now agreed to spend 5% of GDP on defense and national security infrastructure.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.

Former special counsel Jack Smith testified during a hearing Thursday on Capitol Hill, where he faced searing criticism from Republicans and praise from Democrats over his two prosecutions of President Donald Trump.

The hearing gave Smith, a career prosecutor of nearly three decades, a rare chance to speak publicly about his work. He defended his indictments against Trump related to the 2020 election and classified documents as by-the-book and apolitical.

“If asked whether to prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so, regardless of whether that president was a Republican or a Democrat,” Smith said.

JACK SMITH SUBPOENAED FOR DEPOSITION WITH HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

Republicans made clear they felt the cases, brought while Trump was a leading presidential candidate, were driven by politics and designed to interfere with the 2024 election.

“It was always about politics,” Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said in his opening statement.

1. Smith collected ‘months’ worth of phone data on the Republican speaker of the House

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, grilled Smith over the controversial subpoenas of phone records belonging to several Republicans. Gill zeroed in on a subpoena that sought about three months of data belonging to former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023.

“Sixteen days after becoming the highest ranking Republican in the House of Representatives, you subpoenaed his toll records,” Gill said, asking if Smith felt that could have violated the Constitution.

“I do not,” Smith replied.

“You were collecting months’ worth of phone data on the Republican speaker of the House, the leader of the opposition, right after he got sworn in as speaker. … That sounds like a flagrant violation of the speech or debate clause,” GIll said.

Smith has repeatedly defended the subpoenas as proper, noting that his team sought a narrow set of data as part of his 2020 election probe and that the phone records did not contain contents of messages or calls.

“If Donald Trump had chosen to call a number of Democratic senators, we would have gotten toll records for Democratic senators,” Smith said in a closed-door deposition last month.

2. Issa accuses Smith of ‘spying’

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., accused Smith of “spying” on the lawmakers whose records were subpoenaed. Those targeted by Smith’s team included McCarthy, Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., and several others.

Smith also obtained court-authorized gag orders that temporarily blocked phone carriers from notifying the lawmakers of the subpoenas, meaning they had no immediate recourse to challenge them.

It is common practice for prosecutors to seek gag orders, but Issa demanded to know why Smith did not inform the D.C. federal court that the subpoenas pertained to members of Congress, who have added layers of immunity under the Constitution.

“Why did Congress, a separate branch that you, under the Constitution, have to respect — why is it that no one should be informed — including the judges?” Issa pressed. “As you went in to spy on these people, did you mention that you were spying on, [that you were] seeking records so you could find out about when conversations occurred between the U.S. speaker of the House and the president?”

Smith has said he followed the DOJ’s policy at the time, which did not require him to give such notice to the court. That policy has since changed.

3. Former D.C. police officer gets escorted out of hearing after fiery clash

Former Metropolitan Police Officer Michael Fanone was briefly escorted out of the hearing after a tense exchange with Ivan Raiklin, a one-time Army reservist and right-wing operative.

Raiklin called out to Fanone and introduced himself amid a packed hearing room, prompting Fanone to turn around and say, “Go f— yourself. … Don’t pretend like we’re not mortal enemies.”

The confrontation, which occurred during a hearing recess, escalated to a near-physical altercation, as Fanone repeatedly lobbed obscenities at Raiklin and Raiklin told Fanone to “control his Tourette syndrome.”

A fellow former officer restrained Fanone, and a police officer guided him out of the hearing room while Democrats applauded him. Fanone was violently assaulted during the Jan. 6 attack, according to video footage and court papers, and has since been outspoken against those who breached the Capitol and attacked officers.

4. Smith predicts DOJ will try to indict him

Trump posted on social media during the hearing that Smith was “being DECIMATED” by Republican lawmakers and was a “deranged animal.”

“Hopefully the Attorney General is looking at what he’s done,” Trump wrote.

JACK SMITH DEFENDS SUBPOENAING REPUBLICANS’ PHONE RECORDS: ‘ENTIRELY PROPER’

In response to a question about Trump’s post from Rep. Rebecca Balint, D-Vt., Smith said he expected the DOJ would attempt to charge him.

“I believe they will do everything in their power to do that, because they have been ordered to by the president,” Smith said.

Trump later wrote on social media: “Based on his testimony today, there is no question that Deranged Jack Smith should be prosecuted for his actions. … At a minimum, he committed large scale perjury!”

5. Smith reveals his one regret about his work

Smith was asked if the intense scrutiny and public threats against him have made him wish he did not prosecute Trump.

“I don’t regret it,” Smith said.

However, when Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., pressed Smith on the matter, Smith vouched for his staff, who all left or were fired when Trump took office.

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“If I have any regret, it would be not expressing enough appreciation for my staff, who worked so hard on these investigations,” Smith said, adding they “sacrificed endlessly and endured way too much just doing their jobs.”

Fox News’ Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump on Thursday called for an investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., alleging in a social media post that the lawmaker is worth “over $30 Million Dollars” and questioning how such wealth could have been accumulated while serving in public office.

“Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is worth over $30 Million Dollars,” Trump wrote. “There is no way such wealth could have been accumulated, legally, while being paid the salary of a politician.”

Trump said Omar “should be investigated for Financial and Political Crimes, and that investigation should start, NOW!”

TRUMP RIPS ‘CROOKED’ ILHAN OMAR AS HOUSE RAMPS UP INVESTIGATION INTO EXPLODING NET WORTH

The comments were posted to Truth Social Thursday, and the post quickly drew thousands of reactions on the platform.

Omar, a Somalia-born Democrat who represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, is the subject of a House Oversight Committee investigation into her and husband Tim Mynett’s finances, though no formal charges have been filed against her.

ILHAN OMAR VOWS ‘NOT TO GIVE ICE A SINGLE CENT’ IN HEATED CONGRESSIONAL FUNDING FIGHT

Her net worth allegedly skyrocketed nearly $30 million in just one year, according to financial disclosures released last week.

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., has previously said his panel is seeking answers on Omar and Mynett through congressional oversight.

Omar is expected to attend an “ICE Out of Minnesota” protest Friday in Minneapolis.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and Rep. Ilhan Omar’s office for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this reporting.

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Canada was no longer welcome to his newly established Board of Peace.

In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump rescinded Canada’s invitation, informing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney that his country could no longer join the “most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled.”

“Dear Prime Minister Carney: Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time,” Trump wrote.

Trump unveiled the board during a speech and signing ceremony Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, with leaders from Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Central and Southeast Asia joining him on stage.

TRUMP FLOATS ‘BOARD OF PEACE’ TO REPLACE UN, SIGNALS MAJOR GLOBAL POWER SHIFT

The president’s rebuff came after he said Wednesday that the United States should control Greenland to build a large-scale “Golden Dome” missile defense system, which he said would also protect Canada, which he argued depends on U.S. security.

“We’re building a Golden Dome that’s going to, just by its very nature, going to be defending Canada. Canada gets a lot of freebies from us, by the way. They should be grateful also,” Trump said during the forum in Davos.

“But they’re not. I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn’t so grateful. They should be grateful to us, Canada. Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements,” he said, referring to remarks Carney made earlier this week.

US TRADE REP SHRUGS OFF WORLD LEADERS’ SWIPES AT TRUMP AMID DAVOS BACKLASH

While Carney did not mention Trump by name, he warned in his remarks that the rules-based international order is breaking down as “great powers” increasingly wield economic and security leverage to coerce allies.

The prime minister argued that “middle powers” like Canada must heed the “wake-up call” that compliance does not guarantee safety, urging instead a strategy focused on diversification, collective action and respect for sovereignty.

Trump said he will chair the new peace board, which will also feature senior political, diplomatic and business figures, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and billionaire Marc Rowan.

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The president has invited Russia, Belarus, France, Germany, Vietnam, Finland, Ukraine, Ireland, Greece, Israel and China, to join the board.

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.

Newly sworn-in Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones drew swift online mockery Thursday after his office released a statement referring to him as “Attoney General,” an error that critics seized on as emblematic of his first major move in office.

The error appeared in a graphic accompanying Jones’ announcement defending Virginia’s in-state tuition law for undocumented students.

Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, Jones’ predecessor, struck a lighter tone in a post that quickly gained traction online.

“Go easy folks,” Miyares wrote on X with a screengrab of the faux-pas circled in red. “Perhaps someone on the staff was just saying ‘Hey, Tony’ in a Jersey accent?”

JAY JONES OVERCOMES MOUNTING SCANDALS TO DEFEAT JASON MIYARES FOR VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL

The Virginia GOP offered a sharper jab, saying it “took him a whole day to fix this,” suggesting the mistake lingered longer than it should have.

The Republican National Lawyers Association (RNLA) mocked both Jones’ error and the timing of the correction.

“Jay Jones is struggling,” RNLA posted. “This time he moved so quickly to change the letterhead from his last embarrassment that he forgot how to spell his new title.”

SPANBERGER TAKES SWIPE AT TRUMP ADMIN, SAYS VIRGINIANS WORRIED ABOUT ‘RECKLESSNESS COMING OUT OF WASHINGTON’

National Review senior editor Jim Geraghty argued the typo barely registered compared to Jones’ broader record.

“The thing is, misspelling ‘attorney’ probably isn’t even in the worst 200 things that Jay Jones has ever sent electronically,” Geraghty quipped.

Other users leaned into sarcasm, including one account that joked Jones was “the Valedictorian of the Quality Learing Center.”

A newly updated post now sits on Jones’ official government X page, the graphic’s typo scrubbed.

Jones began his term under heightened scrutiny after facing backlash on the campaign trail over resurfaced text messages where he fantasized about the death of political opponent House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his children.

Despite the controversy, Jones was elected in what was considered a blue wave election last November alongside Democrat Gov. Abigail Spanberger.

The misspelling appeared to overshadow Jones’ announcement that he was moving to defend Virginia’s in-state tuition law, framing the decision as resistance to the Trump administration.

“On day one, I promised Virginians I would fight back against the Trump Administration’s attacks on our Commonwealth, our institutions of higher education, and most importantly – our students,” Jones said in the release. “Virginians deserve leaders who will put them first, and that’s exactly what my office will continue to do.”

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Critics argued the optics of the typo undercut Jones’ message, with the error quickly becoming an easy target amid a contentious fight over in-state tuition and immigration policy.

When reached by Fox News Digital, Jones’ office did not acknowledge the typo.

“In his first week in office, Attorney General Jay Jones has gotten to work protecting the Commonwealth from Donald Trump’s actions that would raise costs on Virginia families and defending Virginians’ rights from the Trump administration’s attacks,” a spokesperson for the Attorney General wrote in an email to Fox News Digital. “He has acted quickly to block overreach and stand up for the people of Virginia. Attorney General Jones is already scoring wins on affordability and accountability while delivering real results for the Commonwealth.”

FIRST ON FOX — The Republican National Committee (RNC) is taking a big step towards holding its first ever midterm convention.

The RNC on Thursday advanced a change to the party’s rules which would allow chairman Joe Gruters “to convene a special ceremonial convention outside a presidential election cycle,” according to a memo shared first with Fox News Digital.

National political conventions, where party delegates from around the country formally nominate their party’s presidential candidates, normally take place during presidential election years.

But with Republicans aiming to protect their narrow control of the Senate and their razor-thin House majority in this year’s elections, President Donald Trump announced last September that the GOP would hold a convention ahead of the midterms “in order to show the great things we have done” since recapturing the White House.

SHOWDOWN FOR THE HOUSE: DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS BRACE FOR HIGH-STAKES MIDTERM CLASH

The new memo highlights “the possibility of an America First midterm convention-style gathering aligned with President Trump’s vision for energizing the party this fall.”

The party in power, which is clearly the Republicans, normally faces stiff political headwinds in the midterms. And the hope among Trump and top Republicans is that a midterm convention would give the GOP a high-profile platform to showcase the president’s record and their congressional candidates running in the midterms.

The RNC’s rules are currently based around holding a convention every four years. The proposed rule change will allow the RNC to hold a midterm convention. If adopted, the rule states that the convention must be called at least 60 days in advance and no business would be conducted during the gathering.

RNC CHAIR BETS ON ‘SECRET WEAPON’ TO DEFY MIDTERM HISTORY, PROTECT GOP MAJORITIES

The proposed change was adopted Thursday evening by the RNC’s Rules Committee, as the party holds its winter meeting in Santa Barbara, California.

It’s unclear if the full RNC membership will vote on the rule change when they gather Friday at the confab’s general session. If the rule isn’t adopted by the full RNC, it’s expected to be approved at the party’s spring meeting.

Gruters, in a statement to Fox News Digital, highlighted that the RNC’s winter meeting “shows how completely united Republicans are behind President Trump and our efforts to win the midterms. The RNC has been aggressively focused on expanding our war chest, turning out voters, and protecting the ballot in this fall’s elections. We’re building the operation needed to protect our majorities and give President Trump a full four-year term with a Republican Congress.”

Details on the date and location of the midterm convention will come at a later date, and will likely be announced by the president.

But a Republican source told Fox News Digital that it’s probable that the convention would be held at the same time as the RNC’s summer meeting, which typically occurs in August.

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The rival Democratic National Committee (DNC) may also hold a midterm convention. Sources confirmed to Fox News Digital last summer that DNC chair Ken Martin and other party leaders were quietly pushing the idea of a convention ahead of the midterms.

Democrats held a handful of midterm conventions in the 1970s and 1980s.

EXCLUSIVE: From the music, to the cinematography, to the lighting, the marketing and beyond, first lady Melania Trump has planned “every element” of her upcoming first film, “MELANIA,” with her agent and exclusive senior advisor telling Fox News Digital that her involvement in bringing her vision to life has been “unparalleled.” 

“MELANIA,” a 104-minute film, is set to hit the big screen globally Jan. 30, appearing in theaters across North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and more.

TRUMP, FIRST LADY SET FOR WASHINGTON TRUMP–KENNEDY CENTER PREMIERE OF ‘MELANIA’ AHEAD OF GLOBAL RELEASE

But the night before, on Jan. 29, premiere events will be hosted across the nation, as Amazon brings the film to theaters.

Fox News Digital has learned that President Donald Trump and the first lady will attend the premiere event at the newly renamed Trump–Kennedy Center in Washington Jan. 29.

Premiere events also will be held in New York; Phoenix; Salt Lake City; Chicago; Miami; San Diego; Nashville, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; Orange County, California; San Francisco/Palo Alto; Minneapolis; Philadelphia; Denver; Detroit; Kansas City, Missouri; Boston; Austin, Texas; Houston; Las Vegas; Dallas; and Los Angeles.

Fox News Digital has learned that Amazon executives will attend premiere events for the film.

Marc Beckman, the first lady’s agent and exclusive senior advisor — and her right-hand-man — told Fox News Digital that the first lady has been hands-on from day one. 

“The first lady’s involvement and her participation in this film is unparalleled,” Beckman said. “She is fully committed from ideation of the concept itself to the creative direction across all touchpoints.”

“As everyone knows, the first lady is a very visual person — she is best in class when it comes to style and design,” Beckman said. “She had the idea of getting into the film industry for many, many years.”

Beckman said that from the get-go, the first lady’s idea was “to create a very rich, cinematic experience unlike anything that has been created before. This is not a documentary. This is a film.”

“It is to give her fans, and Americans, and people around the world the opportunity to look into the life of a first lady who has been very, very private,” he explained.

The film will give the audience a look into the first lady’s business, her philanthropic efforts and her family life, “all as she prepares to be the first lady of the United States again.”

“She brings the audience into certain moments — interacting with her husband; the U.S. Secret Service for security; geopolitical moments; moments with world leaders; and — of course, for those who want it — there is tons of fashion here.”

Beckman added: “I call it a fashion explosion. Vogue can’t keep up with the first lady’s fashion. She is undeniably the most fashionable first lady in history.” 

“She brings the audience into incredible meetings that no one has ever seen before of a first lady and a president of the United States going into office — this is unprecedented access that all Americans, and people all over the world, would love to see.”

Beckman said that the film, on one hand, is about Melania Trump.

“But on the other hand, it is about what a first lady of the United States has to do to get her family ready, on the personal side, to retake the office, on a professional side,” he said.

Beckman detailed the original negotiations he led with major companies like Amazon, who ultimately bought the rights, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Paramount, Netflix and Disney.

EXCLUSIVE: FIRST LOOK AT ‘MELANIA’ FILM

Fox News Digital has learned that Disney sought to obtain the exclusive rights to the film, as well as Netflix and Paramount. Amazon and MGM had the highest bid, purchasing the license for the film for $40 million — the largest documentary deal in history.

Beckman stressed that he negotiated the deal on behalf of the first lady while dealing with “all the studios directly.”

“Effectively, we created a bidding war,” he said. “I was able to have a very competitive bidding process between best-in-class companies.”

Beckman said the decision to select Amazon was “not only for their financial offer, but because they had the most impressive team for what the first lady wanted to create — a quality film in theaters, and later, the docuseries.”

“The docuseries will allow the first lady to unpack these stories in a much bigger, detailed way,” he said.

As for the deal, Beckman said it was structured in a way that made “both sides very enthusiastic.” 

“Amazon has been incredible,” he said. “They have been so great and so committed to the first lady and the success of this film. We’re very grateful.”

The film is directed by Brett Ratner, director of the “Rush Hour” film series, who worked hand-in-hand with Melania Trump to bring her vision to life.

“Brett Ratner has been amazed — he says it is as if Mrs. Trump has been working in Hollywood for her whole life — she’s a natural,” Beckman explained. “She has been involved in setting the tone with regard to, not just the concept, but lighting and filming.”

Post-production, the first lady was very hands-on alongside the director with editing, color-correcting and hand-selecting all the songs for the film.

“Beyond that, the first lady is also involved in the developing of all of the marketing elements,” Beckman said, noting that she built the trailer with the director and the Amazon team, commercials, and the ad and print campaign as well.

Meanwhile, the first lady’s team tapped famous fashion photographer Ellen von Unwerth for the photography of the film.

“This is something the fashion industry will not expect,” Beckman said. Ellen is at the top of her game — a modern legend.

Unwerth works on some of the biggest fashion campaigns for Chanel, Dior and more. She has been featured in Vanity Fair and Vogue.

“They worked together years ago on a campaign and, for obvious reasons, we thought it would be amazing to have Ellen involved,” Beckman said. “Ellen and Melania have an incredible relationship.”

MELANIA TRUMP, AMAZON PARTNER TO RELEASE NEW FILM ABOUT HER LIFE IN THEATERS WORLDWIDE

Unwerth will travel to Washington, D.C., from Europe for a private viewing of the film at the White House, Beckman said.

“Ellen personally was an orphan when she was young, and she is very fond of Melania’s work for the foster care community,” Beckman said. “It is just an interesting part of their relationship — a sensitive component which makes their relationship even stronger.”

Meanwhile, the film is launching in the United States, but also around the globe in 30 countries, including Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Israel, Mexico, Hungary, Slovenia and more.

“All 30 countries have an ad campaign in different languages,” Beckman said. “Melania supervised the campaign in every region of the world.” 

One ad campaign, in Florence, Italy, features the movie images on the Duomo church, he said.

MELANIA TRUMP TO RELEASE ‘COLLECTOR’S EDITION’ OF MEMOIR FEATURING IMAGES PHOTOGRAPHED BY FORMER FIRST LADY

As for the premieres, on Jan. 29 in multiple cities, Beckman said the first lady has planned “every element” of the events, from the gifts being given to guests, to the seating, the food, the menus and more.

“She has even created amazing packaging designs for collectible popcorn tubs,” he said. “It is all her.”

Fox News exclusively obtained the trailer in December 2025, which opens with the first lady walking into the U.S. Capitol rotunda ahead of her husband’s second inauguration. She looks to the camera in her now-iconic inauguration outfit, and says, “Here we go again.”

The trailer jumps from the first lady and president at the inauguration; to standing together outside of Mar-a-Lago; behind-the-scenes of the inauguration showing Barron Trump and Melania Trump’s father; to a series of images of the first lady; Air Force One; the presidential seal and more.

The famous Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer lion roars and takes over the screen. 

The launch of the film comes a year after the release of her book, “Melania.” The memoir presents an intimate portrait of Melania Trump and includes personal stories and family photos she had not previously shared with the public. 

“Melania” has been at the top of The New York Times’ bestsellers list since its release to the public. 

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Upon the release of the memoir in 2024, the first lady told Fox News Digital that writing her story was “an amazing journey filled with emotional highs and lows.”

“Each story shaped me into who I am today,” she said. “Although daunting at times, the process has been incredibly rewarding, reminding me of my strength, and the beauty of sharing my truth.” 

The first lady released the original “Melania” book along with a special collector’s edition that includes photos she hand-selected, many of which she took herself, of her home and of various trips she has taken around the world. 

A majority of House Republicans banded together on Thursday to defeat a bipartisan war powers resolution that could have restricted President Donald Trump from taking future military action in Venezuela.

The House GOP managed to defeat the measure with its razor-thin majority in a victory for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and the White House.

The resolution failed in a 215-215 vote, falling short of securing a majority needed to succeed. Only two Republicans, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., voted in favor of the package. 

RAND PAUL BREAKS WITH TRUMP ON VENEZUELA, CALLS ACTION ‘WAR’ AS SENATE PREPARES CONSTITUTIONAL SHOWDOWN

Speaker Johnson held the vote for over 20 minutes, buying Republicans time to vote against the resolution. Eventually one Republican latecomer, Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Tx., arrived at the chamber, breaking the stalemate and dooming the measure.

“Close the vote!” Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., yelled as Republicans struggled to solidify their opposition. “This is serious s—!” 

The bill was sponsored by Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.

The resolution directs Trump to remove troops deployed to Venezuela and mirrors a similar effort in the Senate aimed at restricting the administration from taking future military action in the country.

Administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, say there are currently no U.S. armed forces in Venezuela, although Trump has ordered a naval blockade off the country’s coast.

The White House sharply rebuked the legislation when asked by Fox News Digital on Thursday.

“It’s a shame that these members of Congress want to usurp the authority of the commander in chief to take vital actions to strengthen our national security and stop drugs and criminals from entering our homeland,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.

Ahead of Thursday’s vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he expected Republicans would stick together to defeat the resolution.

LOOMING WAR POWERS SENATE VOTE RAMPS UP PRESSURE ON HAWLEY AFTER MAGA BACKLASH

“I don’t think we will have any breaks on that,” Johnson told Fox News Digital that morning.

“We are the last great superpower, and we have to allow the president the authority to use what is his under the Constitution,” Johnson said, referring to Trump’s role as commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces. “I don’t think we need to get in the way of that.”

The McGovern-Massie resolution comes after Trump ordered the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month in what the administration has framed as a narrowly tailored law enforcement operation.

The White House contends that the U.S. has simply detained an alleged criminal. Maduro and his wife were indicted in a New York court for allegedly facilitating drug trafficking in the U.S.

“The entire Trump administration coordinated to execute the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, who headed a major narco-trafficking foreign terrorist organization and was a fugitive of American justice,” Kelly said.

Democrats like McGovern have pushed back on the GOP’s portrayal, raising concerns that the U.S. may carry out more military operations in Venezuela.

But the bipartisan House duo’s resolution was slightly different from a similar piece of legislation by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., also dealing with Trump’s power in Venezuela.

The House version would require the Trump administration to remove any U.S. forces in the region, despite officials telling lawmakers that there were no boots on the ground in the country following the surprise strikes and capture of Maduro.

The likelihood that Massie and McGovern’s resolution would survive in the Senate is made more difficult given that lawmakers in the upper chamber already killed Kaine’s push to require congressional authorization for any future military activities in the region.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: REPUBLICANS SEEK EXIT FROM VENEZUELA WAR POWERS DEBATE AFTER RECENTLY VOTING FOR IT

Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., flipped their votes to kill the resolution after assurances and guarantees from administration officials, most notably Rubio, that there were no boots on the ground in the country.

Still, Rubio is set to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee next week to lay out the administration’s plan in the region. His appearance also comes amid uncertainty about Trump’s plans with Greenland.

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Rubio already teased that plan after one of several classified briefings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. For now, the administration is considering a three-pronged plan in the region focused on stabilization, recovery and transition.

The White House is experiencing a baby boom. 

At least three women with close ties to the White House are pregnant, including second lady Usha Vance, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Katie Miller, who is married to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. 

The Vances announced Tuesday that they are expecting their fourth child in July. The couple share three children together: Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel. 

“Usha and the baby are doing well, and we are all looking forward to welcoming him in late July,” the Vances wrote in a statement shared on social media.

VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE DECLARES MARRIAGE TO WIFE USHA ‘IS AS STRONG AS IT’S EVER BEEN’

“During this exciting and hectic time, we are particularly grateful for the military doctors who take excellent care of our family and for the staff members who do so much to ensure that we can serve the country while enjoying a wonderful life with our children,” they said. 

The Vances have been married since 2014, and met while they were students at Yale Law School. 

Leavitt announced Dec. 26, 2025, that she and her husband Nick were expecting their second child, who is due in May. Leavitt and her husband welcomed their first child, Niko, in July 2024.

VANCE UNLEASHES PROFANITY-LACED TWO-WORD MESSAGE FOR CRITICS OF HIS WIFE USHA

“My husband and I are thrilled to grow our family and can’t wait to watch our son become a big brother,” Leavitt told Fox News Digital. “My heart is overflowing with gratitude to God for the blessing of motherhood, which I truly believe is the closest thing to Heaven on Earth.”

Leavitt told Fox News Digital in December 2025 that she is “extremely grateful to President Trump and our amazing Chief of Staff Susie Wiles for their support, and for fostering a pro-family environment in the White House.”

“Nearly all of my West Wing colleagues have babies and young children, so we all really support one another as we tackle raising our families while working for the greatest president ever,” Leavitt said.

FORMER DOGE ADVISER KATIE MILLER LAUNCHES NEW PODCAST AIMED AT BUSY MOMS

Leavitt is the first press secretary to be pregnant, and is remaining press secretary, according to a senior White House official. 

Likewise, Katie Miller, a conservative podcast host, and Stephen Miller shared a joint Instagram post Dec. 31, 2025, celebrating the new year and depicting Katie holding her baby bump. The couple shares three children: Mackenzie, Jackson and Hudson.

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The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Fox News’ Brooke Singman and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report. 

FBI Director Kash Patel shared a picture of what he said was a “self-awarded” trophy made by former FBI officials to celebrate Operation Arctic Frost – an investigation launched after the 2020 election, targeting President Donald Trump and his allies.

The bizarre metallic-colored, 3D-printed award featured “AF” with a lightening bolt and dollar sign printed along its body and a raised map of the U.S. on its base, which also included miniature buildings and infrastructure. “CR-15” was printed along the base. CR-15 is a now-disbanded FBI unit that served as a public corruption squad. 

“People ask why I said the old FBI was a diseased temple,” Patel wrote on X. “This is what corruption looks like when it thinks no one is watching.”

“I disbanded CR-15 and removed the corrupt actors involved,” he continued. “So when legacy media cries that President Trump’s FBI fired people and made sweeping changes, I have one response: You’re damn right we did.”

FBI FIRES AGENTS, DISMANTLES CORRUPTION SQUAD AFTER PROBE UNVEILS MONITORING OF GOP SENATORS, PATEL SAYS

Patel’s comments come as Republican lawmakers continue to raise alarms about the FBI’s Arctic Frost probe, which later fed into former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s work.

JACK SMITH MEETING WITH THEN-FBI DIRECTOR WRAY RECORDED AS ‘SIGNIFICANT CASE NOTIFICATION’ IN J6 PROBE

In October, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., unveiled 197 subpoenas they said the Biden-era FBI used to seek testimony and documents from hundreds of Republicans and GOP entities.

Johnson called the subpoena list “nothing short of a Biden administration enemies list,” arguing Arctic Frost was used to improperly investigate the Republican political apparatus.

BIDEN DOJ SUBPOENAED JIM JORDAN’S PHONE RECORDS COVERING MORE THAN TWO YEARS

Smith, whose team used Arctic Frost in mounting charges tied to the 2020 election that were later dismissed after Trump’s victory in 2024, has defended his work and appeared on Capitol Hill to face questions from the House Judiciary Committee.

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Republicans have criticized Smith for seeking gag orders against Trump during his presidential campaign, fast-tracking court proceedings, subpoenaing records and phone data of Trump-aligned individuals and entities – including members of Congress – and approving $20,000 in payments to an FBI confidential human source to gather intelligence on Trump, a source familiar told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital’s Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.

Arizona’s Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes emphasized the state’s stand-your-ground laws while criticizing ICE operations, saying that people could shoot agents if they’re wearing masks and can’t be identified as law enforcement.

During an interview with 12 News anchor Brahm Resnik on Monday, Mayes explained why ICE agents could be shot at under Arizona law.

“You know, it’s kind of a recipe for disaster because you have these masked federal officers with very little identification, sometimes no identification, wearing plain clothes and masks,” Mayes explained. 

“We have a stand-your-ground law that says if you reasonably believe your life is in danger, and you’re in your house or your car or on your property, that you can defend yourself with lethal force,” Mayes added.

LA COUNTY EYES ‘ICE-FREE ZONES’ ON GOVERNMENT PROPERTY DESPITE $1B IN FEDERAL FUNDING AT RISK

The host interjected to ensure that the AG wasn’t imploring people to shoot at federal officers.

“I want to be careful with that and understand what you’re saying because you know how that could be interpreted,” the host clarified.

Mayes asserted she wasn’t directly encouraging individuals to shoot officers, but said if law enforcement couldn’t be identified that, under the law, people could fire.

NOEM PRAISES DHS OFFICERS ON LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION DAY AS ATTACKS ON FEDERAL AGENTS SPIKE NATIONWIDE

“Well, it’s the fact,” Mayes responded. “We have a stand-your-ground law, and we have, in other states, un-uniformed masked people who can’t be identified as police officers.”

The host again asks the AG if she is telling Arizonans to shoot ICE agents, to which Mayes responds, “Well… no, but again, if you’re being attacked by someone who is not identified as a peace officer, how do you know? I mean if somebody comes at me wearing a mask, by the way, I’m a gun owner, and I can’t tell whether they’re a police officer, what am I supposed to do?”

The attorney general is also leading an initiative to report ICE behavior, launching a portal on her government website for individuals to report “an incident where ICE engages in assault, or murder, or unlawful imprisonment” that her office will use for investigations.

Mayes clarified she is not telling people to take up arms, but noted that stand-your-ground laws would permit someone to shoot an officer if they are not identifiable as law enforcement. 

“No, I am not suggesting people pull out their guns, but this is a don’t tread on me state,” Mayes added.

‘CRINGE’ SOROS-BACKED PHILLY DA BRUTALLY TORCHED FOR DROPPING ‘FAFO’ IN CHEST-THUMPING WARNING TO ICE

Mayes was elected attorney general of Arizona in 2022 and is up for re-election in 2026.

Rodney Glassman, a Republican running against Mayes for the seat, told Fox News Digital that she is “openly suggesting how to kill ICE officers and avoid prosecution under Arizona’s stand-your-ground law” and accused her of betraying the oath of office of the attorney general.

“From running the Attorney General’s Office like an anti-Trump law firm, to now saying ICE ‘isn’t real law enforcement’ and suggesting plain-clothed ICE officers can lawfully be shot,” Glassman told Fox News Digital. “Kris Mayes is more interested in building a resistance resume, instead of working for Arizonans. Arizonans deserve an attorney general who works for them — not one who trashes law enforcement and is maniacally obsessed with taking down a president Arizona just elected.”

MINNESOTA AGITATORS STALK, PELT BORDER PATROL AGENTS WITH FOOD AND SPIT AT GAS STATIONS, DHS SAYS

U.S. Rep. David Schweikert, an Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate, also called Mayes’ comments “dangerous” and “attention-seeking.”

“Kris Mayes’ dangerous comments on Arizona’s stand-your-ground law were an outrageous and attention-seeking provocation done to pander to her radical leftist supporters,” Schweikert told Fox News Digital. “Her comments not only jeopardized the safety of federal law enforcement agents, but state and local law enforcement as well.”

ICE has been active in the Grand Canyon State, reporting in December that 46 illegal aliens were arrested in Tucson, Arizona, and an additional 2 individuals were arrested for impeding law enforcement.

PHILADELPHIA’S THREAT TO PROSECUTE ICE COULD TRIGGER LANDMARK COURT FIGHT OVER AUTHORITY, EXPERTS WARN

The special agent in charge of the operation addressed mass protests that involved assaults on ICE agents as well as federal vehicles having their tires slashed and barricades being built to impede operations. 

“These enforcement actions have unequivocally disrupted this criminal organization’s ability to exploit our lawful labor and system of commerce,” Special Agent in Charge Ray Rede said in a statement.

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“This agency will not stand for it and those seeking to continue such practices are on notice — there will be more enforcement operations in Arizona,” Rede added.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Mayes but did not receive responses in time for publication. 

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

Longtime Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Thursday made her first move ahead of likely launching a 2026 race for governor in her home state of Minnesota.

The senator’s first steps came a couple of weeks after the stunning announcement by Democratic Gov. Tim Walz to end his re-election bid amid political fallout from the blue-leaning state’s massive fraud scandal.

Klobuchar, who less than 15 months ago was handily re-elected to a fourth six-year term in the U.S. Senate, filed preliminary paperwork with the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board.

“This is a preliminary step necessary for any candidate considering a run. The senator will make an announcement of her plans in the coming days,” a source close to Klobuchar told Fox News Digital.

WALZ ON GOP CALLS FOR HIM TO RESIGN OVER FRAUD SCANDAL: ‘OVER MY DEAD BODY’

Since Walz’s announcement earlier this month that he was scrapping his bid for an unprecedented third term as Minnesota governor, Klobuchar had been receiving calls urging her to run, Democratic sources confirmed.

And sources also confirmed that the senator met with Walz, who was the Democratic Party’s 2024 vice presidential nominee, on the eve of his announcement to discuss his decision to drop his re-election effort.

Klobuchar didn’t weigh in on her future political plans in the hours after Walz’ blockbuster news. But she said the governor “made the difficult decision to focus on his job and the challenges facing our state rather than campaigning and running for re-election.”

A day later, Klobuchar emphasized to CNN, “I love my job, I love my state, and I’m seriously considering it.”

The senator has won all four of her Senate elections by healthy margins, including a nearly 16-point re-election in 2024.

But Klobuchar, who is currently number three in Senate Democratic leadership, faces hurdles to rise higher in party leadership in the chamber.

FRAUD FALLOUT FORCES WALZ TO ABANDON GUBERNATORIAL RE-ELECTION BID

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York is the top Democrat in the upper chamber and isn’t expected to leave his post.

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, the number two Democrat in the chamber, is retiring from Congress, leaving an opening to fill in the leadership pecking order. But Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii is the expected heir apparent for that position.

Before serving in the Senate, Klobuchar was elected twice as county attorney in Hennepin County, Minnesota’s most populous. 

She also ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic Party’s 2020 presidential nomination. And a trip by Klobuchar last summer to the first-in-the-nation presidential primary state of New Hampshire sparked speculation that Klobuchar may be mulling another White House run in 2028.

Walz launched his re-election bid in September, but the past couple of months had been facing a barrage of incoming political fire from President Donald Trump and Republicans, and some Democrats, over the large-scale theft, under his watch as governor, in a state that has long prided itself on good governance.

More than 90 people — most from Minnesota’s large Somali community — have been charged since 2022 in what has been described as the nation’s largest COVID-era scheme. How much money has been stolen through alleged money laundering operations involving fraudulent meal and housing programs, daycare centers and Medicaid services is still being tabulated. But the U.S. attorney in Minnesota said the scope of the fraud could exceed $1 billion and rise to as high as $9 billion.

INSIDE THE RISE AND FALL OF TIM WALZ

Prosecutors said some of the dozens that have already pleaded guilty in the case used the money to buy luxury cars, real estate, jewelry and international vacations, with some of the funds also sent overseas and potentially into the hands of Islamic terrorists.

“This is on my watch, I am accountable for this and, more importantly, I am the one that will fix it,” Walz told reporters last month, as he took responsibility for the scandal.

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But the fraud scandal was eclipsed earlier this month by the fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent of Renee Good, a Minnesota woman and mother of three, who was protesting an ICE operation.

Video of the shooting went viral, sparking protests and a national debate over the agency’s efforts to carry out Trump’s push for the mass deportation of millions of undocumented migrants. And with a massive deployment this month of ICE agents to Minnesota, it’s made the state ground zero in the political battle over the Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to combat illegal immigration.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned Thursday that global inaction toward Iran and other authoritarian regimes is fueling mounting security threats, accusing Europe of relying on symbolism instead of real power at a moment of escalating danger.

“Europe still feels more like geography, history, tradition — not a real political force, not a great power,” he said during an address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, just after meeting with President Donald Trump on negotiations over the war with Russia. Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia Thursday.

Zelenskyy criticized leaders who talk about standing strong while waiting for others to define the limits.

“Many say, ‘We must stand strong,’ but they want someone else to tell them how long they need to stand strong — preferably until the next election,” Zelenskyy said.

ZELENSKYY HOLDING UP RUSSIA-UKRAINE PEACE PROCESS, TRUMP SAYS

Without decisive action, he warned, Europe will remain reactive.

“If Europe’s actions don’t scare bad actors, Europe will always be reacting, always catching up,” he said.

The Ukrainian leader also criticized global inaction in Iran amid a mass protest movement against its regime.

‘OUR POSITION IS CLEAR:’ ZELENSKYY AND EU DISMISS CEDING UKRAINIAN LAND TO RUSSIA

“As for Iran, everyone is waiting to see what America will do,” Zelenskyy said. “And Europe offers almost nothing.”

He warned that refusing to support people fighting for freedom carries long-term consequences, arguing that Western delay repeatedly empowers hostile regimes.

“When you refuse to help people fighting for freedom, the consequences always come back — and they are always negative,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy pointed to Belarus as a warning of what happens when Europe fails to act early. After mass protests against Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko in 2020, Western governments declined to intervene decisively. Russia later deployed missiles to Belarusian territory, now within range of major European capitals.

“No one helped their people,” Zelenskyy said. “Now Russian missiles are deployed in Belarus.”

He said the continent “still remains in Greenland mode,” pointing to symbolic military gestures that fail to deter adversaries.

“If you send 30 or 40 soldiers to Greenland, what message does that send — to Russia, to China, and even to Denmark?” Zelenskyy asked. “Forty soldiers will not protect anything.”

Zelenskyy said European leaders privately question whether NATO, and especially the United States, would respond decisively if Russia attacked a NATO member state such as Poland.

“To believe that the United States will act — that it will not stand aside and will help,” he said. “But what if it doesn’t? This question is everywhere in the minds of European leaders.”

ZELENSKYY CLAIMS TRUMP SAID US WILL CONSIDER GIVING UKRAINE DECADES OF SECURITY GUARANTEES

Relying on faith rather than preparedness, he warned, is dangerous.

“Faith in a lucky turn of events cannot stop force,” Zelenskyy said.

He warned that Russia’s missile production depends on foreign components, even from those aiding Ukraine.

“Russia would not be able to build ballistic or cruise missiles without critical components from other countries,” Zelenskyy said. “It’s not only China. Russia gets components from companies in Europe, the United States and Taiwan.”

“How many are investing in stability around Taiwan to avoid war?,” he asked. “But can Taiwanese companies stop building electronics for Russia’s war?”

“Europe says almost nothing. America says nothing. And Putin makes missiles.”

Cutting off those supply chains, he argued, would be more effective than relying solely on missile defenses.

“It would be cheaper and easier to stop the components than to keep intercepting missiles,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy concluded by framing Ukraine as Europe’s frontline defense, warning that European security is inseparable from Ukraine’s survival.

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“You need Ukraine’s independence too, because tomorrow you may have to defend your own way of life,” he said.

“You can’t build a new world order out of words,” Zelenskyy added. “Only actions build a real order.”