NationalWatch

Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was exhausted and in physical pain when Pastor David Engelhardt persuaded him to pause his work week for one day and honor the Sabbath by turning off his phone and disconnecting from politics. 

Years later, Kirk authored a book championing how honoring the Sabbath transformed his life and opened doors to build better foundations for his relationships — whether it be with his wife, Erika, and their children, family and friends, and his relationship with God. 

“He would turn his phone off so he wouldn’t be distracted by his work. … He would spend his time with his wife and kids and they would rest, and they would go on walks and …spend some time in scripture. He practiced it from Friday to Saturday. That’s what worked best for his schedule,” Englhardt, a TPUSA board member who has been a friend and pastor to the Kirks stretching back years, told Fox News Digital. 

Engelhardt, who is the pastor of Kings’ Church in New York City, spoke to Fox News Digital following the release of Kirk’s best-selling posthumous book, “Stop, in the Name of God: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life,” which celebrates that honoring the Sabbath is the answer to an exhausted, anxious, always-online America. 

TURNING POINT USA HOLDS AMERICAFEST CONFERENCE FOLLOWING CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION

Engelhardt met Charlie Kirk through Erika Kirk when she lived in New York City, the pastor explained. He took Fox Digital through a conversation he shared with Charlie Kirk in 2021, when Englhardt took notice that the TPUSA chief was physically and mentally drained and on a trajectory to burnout. 

“He was physically in pain,” Engelhard told Fox News Digital. “He was having back issues, and knee issues and the burden of the organization was really heavy on his shoulders. And I said, ‘Charlie, I don’t think you can continue to do this unless you take the Sabbath. Unless you take this biblical command.'” 

The TPUSA chief initially resisted shutting off for one day to recalibrate for the next week. 

VANCE SAYS ‘AMERICA FIRST’ MOVEMENT REJECTS ‘PURITY TESTS,’ WELCOMES CRITICAL THINKERS

“I think one of the things Charlie said was, like, ‘What if the president calls me? Like, what am I supposed to do?’ We live in a day and age where anyone can call you at any time … and he’s dealing with massive important matters of state. And you know the pushback, the response is like you actually have to care for yourself more than you care about your appearance in the eyes of the world. And you actually have to know that if you obey this and you actually turn off for 24 hours, it will bring blessing into your life,” he said. 

Engelhardt recounted that the pair “kind of argued about it for a minute” before Kirk warmed to the idea and adopted it with great success. 

“I just said, ‘Trust me, if you rest, you’ll have more energy and more capacity and more ability.’ And because he’s insanely disciplined, or was insanely disciplined, he started, I think, the next week after I challenged him, and he told me it saved his life, he told it changed his life. And I think that’s there’s so many people that burn out and crash and burn their lives, because they just don’t care for themselves They don’t take care of the body. They don’t recognize that we’re not machines, that we need seasonal rest.”

DAVID MARCUS: ERIKA KIRK IS THE MOTHER SQUABBLING CONSERVATIVES NEED

Honoring the Sabbath is one of the 10 Commandments, with Engelhardt pointing to both the Old and New Testaments outlining that God, Himself, did not need to rest on the seventh day as described in the Book of Genesis, as He is all powerful, but showed people that they need a pattern of weekly cycles of ends and new beginnings. 

“The commandment is that you’re not supposed to work on the Sabbath,” Engelhardt said. “And the idea is, the scripture says, in six days you shall labor and on the seventh day you shall rest because it is holy. And so it follows a pattern, the same pattern that we see in Genesis, where God works. He creates the whole world and then He rests on that seventh day.”

“The scripture says, His mercies are new every morning. And so, it’s a really important scripture or principle in the scripture that allows us to start again, to start afresh, to incorporate things like repentance,” the pastor said. 

Kirk’s posthumous book was released Dec. 9 and quickly became a best seller on Amazon lists, walking readers through how “observing the Sabbath isn’t a rejection of modern life but a rebellion against busyness and a pathway to genuine connection, peace, and presence,” the book description outlines, specifically, “how to unplug, recharge, and reconnect with God, family, and yourself in a way that nurtures your soul.”

ERIKA KIRK WELCOMES ATTENDEES TO FIRST AMERICAFEST SINCE HUSBAND’S DEATH, ENDORSES JD VANCE FOR PRESIDENT

The book’s release was followed by TPUSA holding its AmericaFest event in Arizona from Dec. 18 to Dec. 21, where conservatives, supporters of President Donald Trump and others took the stage, frequently celebrating Trump’s accomplishments following his return to office, as well as remembering Kirk following his assassination in September. 

Engelhardt told Fox Digital that Kirk’s book on the Sabbath was one of about four book projects he was thinking about and working on ahead of his death, remarking that “Charlie was really excited about it … he just kept saying, ‘I have to get this Sabbath book out.’”

During AmFest, old footage of Kirk celebrating his embrace of the Sabbath was projected out to the crowds. 

“I actually don’t work one day out of the week, so I take a Sabbath every Saturday, turn my phone off,” Kirk was heard saying in footage played on the first day of AmFest. “No work, just kids, just family. It’s an amazing blessing. If you are feeling overrun by society, you might be feeling depressed or anxious. Turn your phone off for one day.”

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“That is a day for worship. That is a day for the Lord,” Kirk continued. “That is a day to go be with God and be out of the busyness and the hurried ness and the noise of this world.”

2025 didn’t just expose Democratic divisions — it created a short list of political losers whose missteps are already shaping the battlefield for 2026. From establishment leaders squeezed by a restless progressive base to national figures who burned precious time, this past year has left behind a series of cautionary tales for a party out of power.

MODERATE DEMOCRATS PUSH BACK AS PROGRESSIVES MOVE TO OUST JEFFRIES, CLARK OVER TRUMP STRATEGY

Establishment and old-school Democrats

The loudest, most visible Democratic figures haven’t just voiced opposition to the Trump administration — they’ve also made it clear they expect a new version of the party to emerge going forward. From Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in New York City promising expansive government program increases to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s hint that she could beat Vice President J.D. Vance in a bid for the presidency, progressives can easily say they had some of the most visible momentum in 2025.

And that’s bad news for old-school Democrats. 

As recently as last month, both House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and House Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., faced primary challenges from their progressive base. These challengers cited dissatisfaction with their resistance against the administration. It’s unclear if those calls are disproportionately loud in a moment where Democrats find themselves out of power. But many moderate Democrats told Fox News Digital they don’t think it’s helping win over the electorate’s political middle.

Should progressives continue to crowd out the picture in 2026, more establishment Democrats may find it increasingly difficult to ignore pressure from their far-left flank as the nation heads into the midterms.

GOP SEIZES ON DEM CIVIL WAR AS PROGRESSIVES JUMP INTO KEY 2026 SENATE RACES: ‘THEY’RE IN SHAMBLES’

Gavin Newsom

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is running out of time to prove why he could be something more than a party messaging figure. In the past year, he’s pigeonholed himself into exactly that role. 

In 2025, Newsom cemented himself as one of the key Democratic foils to Trump’s agenda. And on that front, there’s little question he capitalized on the attention.

Most notably, Newsom pushed through a redistricting effort meant to squeeze five Republicans out of office after Texas advanced a similar plan earlier this year. While the plan received mixed reviews — even from Democrats in the state who were wary of fighting fire with fire — it has certainly advanced Newsom’s national status.

But like every would-be Trump foil, Newsom finds himself somewhat reliant on Trump for his next move. Should Newsom begin to position himself for a 2028 bid for the White House, he won’t have that luxury around forever, and he only has one more year as California’s governor. 

Newsom burned precious time in 2025 to show voters in California and across the country what kind of executive he could be. 

DEMOCRATIC HEAVYWEIGHTS HARRIS, NEWSOM TURN HEADS, FUEL 2028 SPECULATION

Joe Biden

On several key issues, former President Joe Biden’s legacy has already grown old in 2025. 

It took just weeks for the Trump administration to dismantle the claim that Biden was doing everything he could to stop illegal border crossings from pouring into the United States. With a few key executive orders, Trump brought the country to one of its lowest levels of border encounters ever.

And while that’s the most notable entry, the list of double-takes doesn’t end there.

An autopen investigation in the House of Representatives revealed Biden had delegated an unprecedented amount of authority to his aides. Moreover, a book put out by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson took a deep look at just how hard his inner circle had worked to maintain the president’s image amid concerns about his age and cognitive ability. 

Taken together, Biden’s administration just one year removed has plunged Democrats into questions of where to go next and provided Republicans with a wealth of evidence to make the case Democrats weren’t as transparent about the country’s problems as they could have been. 

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Chuck Schumer

Few political figures have had as politically damaging a year in 2025 as the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.

He received most of the blame for a disastrous 43-day government shutdown that largely left Democrats empty-handed. While Schumer himself didn’t vote with the eight Democrats who eventually supported a Republican plan to end the shutdown, he received calls to step aside in the aftermath for failing to keep Senate Democrats on the same page.

According to many Republicans, the political calculus for Schumer during the shutdown was more about putting up a good enough fight to appease the progressive side of the Democratic base. 

But Schumer also failed to do that too.

During the shutdown, the New York City mayoral race had come to its final stretch with little word from the Senate Minority Leader. When it became clear the self-proclaimed socialist Zohran Mamdani would capture the party’s nomination, Schumer tried to dodge questions about whether he would support his bid. That reluctance never went away and questions about the relationship between the two Democrats only intensified. 

Just days removed from the election, Schumer continued to give non-answers about Mamdani. 

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Now at the close of 2025, Schumer has left questions unanswered about whether he can still effectively lead the party and whether he represents the party’s future. 

President Donald Trump will host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday in the latest effort to close out four years of war.

Zelenskyy will meet Trump in Florida at the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate, where he has spent much of his time over the holiday period. Ukraine’s leader emphasized the need to negotiate from a position of strength in a public statement released prior to their meeting.

Russian and Ukrainian negotiations have repeatedly broken down over where the final territorial lines will fall in a peace agreement.

“Ukraine is willing to do whatever it takes to stop this war,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “For us, priority number one – or the only priority – is ending the war. For us, the priority is peace. We need to be strong at the negotiating table. To be strong, we need the support of the world: Europe and the United States.”

TRUMP’S TEAM REPORTS CONCRETE PROGRESS IN UKRAINE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS WITH EUROPEAN PARTNERS

“In this war of Russia against Ukraine, we want peace, and Russia demonstrates a desire to continue the war. If the whole world – Europe and America – is on our side, together we will stop Putin. Because together we will all want the same thing: an end to the war, peace – a normal peace, a sustainable peace, safe for the whole world,” he continued.

“If anyone – whether the U.S. or Europe – is on Russia’s side, this means the war will continue. There are no other options here. And this is a risk for all countries in the world. Because Russia will not stop, regardless of any agreements, any eloquent messages from them. They will not stop at Ukraine,” Zelenskyy warned.

Zelenskyy’s statement came after Russia redoubled its attacks against Kyiv, sending an overnight assault involving hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles on Saturday. Zelenskyy said the attack put the “true attitude” of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his inner circle on display.

TRUMP TOUTS ‘TREMENDOUS PROGRESS’ BUT SAYS HE’LL MEET PUTIN AND ZELENSKYY ‘ONLY WHEN’ PEACE DEAL IS FINAL

The overnight blitz in Ukraine’s capital left at least one person dead and 27 injured, local authorities told The Associated Press.

Trump, ahead of the meeting with Zelenskyy, has said he will call the final shots on a peace deal to end the conflict.

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“He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump told Politico Friday. “So we’ll see what he’s got.” 

Fox News’ Greg Norman contributed to this report.

FBI Director Kash Patel said Saturday that the Trump administration is ramping up its efforts to combat the growing threat posed by drones used by criminal networks, terrorist groups and foreign adversaries, launching a new national training program to help law enforcement detect and stop unlawful drone activity.

Patel said the bureau has invested significant time and resources this year into modernizing its capabilities to counter unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

“Unmanned aircrafts are increasingly exploited by criminals, terrorists, and hostile foreign actors — making the counter UAS program a critical area for the FBI to modernize and adapt to stay ahead of the threat,” Patel wrote on X.

Patel said President Donald Trump signed an executive order in June that led to the creation of a National Counter-UAS Training Center, which the FBI operates out of its Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.

FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL SAYS BUREAU RAMPING UP AI TO COUNTER DOMESTIC, GLOBAL THREATS

The FBI director said the new training center prepares law enforcement to safely detect, identify, track and mitigate unlawful drone activity when legally authorized, in compliance with the National Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress this year.

Patel said the facility will play a key role in preparing security operations for major upcoming events in the U.S., including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics.

“This is an investment that will pay huge dividends for America’s national security in the years to come,” he added.

TRUMP ADMIN CUTS RED TAPE ON COMMERCIAL DRONES TO COMPETE WITH CHINA’S DOMINANCE OF THE MARKET

Patel’s post underscores how the FBI is making counter-drone operations a top modernization priority, framing drones as an evolving national security threat.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino wrote on X Saturday that the “drone threat isn’t in the future, it’s in the now,” adding that the Trump administration was taking action to adapt to a “new threat ecosystem.”

On Monday, the Federal Communications Commission announced it would ban new foreign-made drones due to national security concerns.

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The FCC added UAS and their critical components made in China and other foreign countries to its “covered list” that includes equipment determined to pose an “unacceptable risk” to U.S. national security and the safety of Americans.

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

A Honduran national had an “unlucky” encounter with Border Patrol enforcement on Friday.

The woman allegedly ran a red light in Slidell, Louisiana, and rammed into an Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) vehicle, U.S. Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino wrote on X.

ICE AGENTS OPEN FIRE ON VAN DRIVER WHO ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO RUN THEM OVER ON CHRISTMAS EVE

“Apparently she never learned the lesson that red means stop,” Bovino wrote. “Not ‘accelerate and collide with a government vehicle actively enforcing federal law.’”

No injuries were reported as a result of the crash, according to the post, but Bovino said she was “certainly taken into custody” following the accident.

“Unlucky for her. Lucky for us,” Bovino continued in the post.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT BITES ICE OFFICER IN ‘GROSS ATTACK’ WHILE RESISTING ARREST: DHS 

Federal agents were reportedly in the area as part of the Operation Catahoula Crunch. The operation targets illegal immigrants in the New Orleans area, according to officials. 

“Catahoula Crunch targets include violent criminals who were released after arrest for home invasion, armed robbery, grand theft auto and rape,” Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

ICE has reportedly apprehended approximately 370 people in the area, according to a Dec. 18 update. 

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCK DRIVER ACCUSED IN FATAL WASHINGTON CRASH RELEASED ON $100,000 BOND

“DHS is making the New Orleans community safer as it continues to arrest illegal alien drug dealers, hit-and-run criminals, and one monster who was convicted for arson and threatening a person with intent to terrorize,” McLaughlin said.

The DHS reported that it has deported more than 622,000 individuals in 2025 as of Dec. 19. 

The department also reported that 2.5 million illegal immigrants have left the country, and an estimated 1.9 million self-deportations have occurred since President Donald Trump‘s crackdown on immigration.

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Details about the Honduran woman were not made publicly available. 

DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Elon Musk on Friday slammed incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani for selecting a woman without operational firefighting experience as the head of the Fire Department of the City of New York City (FDNY).

“People will die because of this,” the billionaire provocateur, who served in President Donald Trump’s administration, wrote on X. “Proven experience matters when lives are at stake.”

Mamdani, who will take office Jan. 1, appointed Lillian Bonsignore, a 31-year FDNY veteran who led EMS Operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, as FDNY commissioner this week.

She retired in 2022.

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“The first woman to achieve a 4-star rank in FDNY history, she’s joining us as the FDNY Commissioner to bring her crisis leadership and operational expertise to this administration,” Mamdani wrote on X Tuesday.

Bonsignore will be only the second woman to hold the position and the first openly gay person in the role.

LETITIA JAMES, BERNIE SANDERS TO SWEAR IN FAR LEFT NYC MAYOR-ELECT MAMDANI

Mamdani quickly responded to Musk on X, writing on Saturday, “Experience does matter, which is why I appointed the person who spent more than 30 years at EMS. You know, the workforce that addresses at least 70% of all calls coming into FDNY?”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the FDNY and Mamdani’s team for comment.

“I am honored, so honored, and humbled to stand before you as the new fire commissioner,” Bonsignore said at a Tuesday news conference. “This appointment represents a significant responsibility, one I accept with humility, dedication and a deep sense of commitment to the city and its people.”

Outgoing NYC Mayor Eric Adams also made his own FDNY commissioner appointment this week, FDNY First Deputy Commissioner Mark Guerra. 

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“Under our administration, keeping New Yorkers safe and protected has always been our North Star, and having principled, qualified public servants in place to lead our critical public safety agencies is crucial to fulfilling that goal; there’s no person who meets those high standards (like) Commissioner Mark Guerra,” Adams said Tuesday. 

“Lillian’s light is one that can’t be dimmed by anything else that takes place,” Mamdani said in response, according to FOX 5. “The mayor is free to continue to be the mayor until the end of this year and make decisions as such.”

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin on Saturday took aim at Kilmar Abrego Garcia for “making TikToks” while DHS remains constrained by an “activist judge.”

McLaughlin was reacting to a minute-long video that appears to show Abrego Garcia, an El Salvadoran illegal immigrant who became a flashpoint in the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, filming himself lip-syncing to a song in Spanish. 

“So we, at [DHS], are under gag order by an activist judge and Kilmar Abrego Garcia is making TikToks,” McLaughlin wrote. “American justice ceases to function when its arbiters silence law enforcement and give megaphones to those who oppose our legal system.”

JUDGE BLOCKS ICE FROM RE-DETAINING ABREGO GARCIA — BUT SIGNALS RULING COULD COME FAST

KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA RELEASED AFTER JUDGE RULES TRUMP ADMIN LACKED VALID REMOVAL ORDER

A court order had previously been issued by an Obama-appointed federal judge that restricts DHS and other Trump administration officials from publicly discussing Abrego Garcia’s human smuggling case. That order was later narrowed, according to The Tennessee Star.

Abrego Garcia had repeatedly sought to curb public criticism from Trump administration officials, arguing the remarks threaten his right to a fair trial, Politico reported.

ABREGO GARCIA RELEASED FROM JAIL, WILL RETURN TO MARYLAND TO AWAIT TRIAL

Abrego Garcia’s case has drawn national attention since March, when he was deported to his home country of El Salvador in violation of a 2019 court order and in what Trump officials acknowledge was an “administrative error.”

Upon his return to the U.S., Abrego Garcia was immediately taken into federal custody and detained on human smuggling charges from a 2022 traffic stop. The Trump administration has claimed he is a member of MS-13, which Abrego Garcia denies. 

A federal judge this week canceled Abrego Garcia’s trial and scheduled a hearing to review whether prosecutors pursued the human smuggling charges vindictively, according to The Associated Press.

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis on Monday also extended a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from immediately detaining Abrego Garcia again after failing to produce a final removal order. 

The ruling keeps in place an earlier order that secured his release from ICE custody.

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DHS and a defense attorney for Abrego Garcia did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano, Breanne Deppisch and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.

Politicians took to social media Saturday to criticize Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz after a viral video raised questions about a Minneapolis daycare center that allegedly received millions of dollars in state funding despite appearing largely inactive.

Responding to an X post highlighting allegations of Somali Medicaid fraud and voter fraud in the state, Vice President JD Vance described the situation as “a microcosm of the immigration fraud in our system.”

“Politicians like it because they get power. Welfare cheats like it because they get rich,” Vance wrote. “But it’s a zero sum game, and they’re stealing both money and political power from Minnesotans.”

TRUMP CABINET OFFICIAL CALLS ON WALZ TO RESIGN OVER MASSIVE FRAUD SCANDAL IN SCATHING LETTER: ‘SHAME ON YOU’

Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., demanded Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz be “held accountable.”

“Folks need to be arrested and prosecuted and the Governor of Minnesota needs to be held accountable,” Lawler posted to X on Saturday. “Congress should hold a hearing immediately and start getting answers.”

A 42-minute video posted to X and YouTube on Friday by independent reporter Nick Shirley shows Shirley and another man visiting several childcare centers in the blue state, including a location on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis.

The footage shows no visible activity at the site, which displays a misspelled sign that says “Quality Learing Center,” even though the center is reportedly supposed to account for 99 children and received roughly $4 million in state funds.

HHS PROBES MINNESOTA’S USE OF BILLIONS IN FEDERAL SOCIAL SERVICE FUNDS AMID FRAUD CONCERNS: REPORT

Several other high-profile figures also weighed in on Shirley’s video Saturday.

Donald Trump Jr. wrote on X, “If you haven’t watched this yet. Watch it. All of it. Understand that this is what journalists are supposed to do, but no one in the mainstream media will even bother to look let alone actually publish it. This is what they’re doing to your country with your tax dollars!!!”

Elon Musk shared similar concerns, accusing the “radical left” of exploiting government programs to bring in and retain immigrants to “win elections and turn America into a single-party state.”

MINNESOTA SENATE CANDIDATE WEARS HIJAB IN VISIT TO SOMALI MARKET AS FRAUD SCANDAL UNFOLDS

“The more you look at it, the more you will be horrified at what your tax money is doing and the fact that, if this is not reversed, your vote will mean nothing,” Musk posted to X. “The most obvious case example is the Somali voting bloc in Minnesota, a state that historically had zero Somalis, electing Ilhan Omar to the US Congress.”

A day earlier, Musk posted, “Prosecute [Tim Walz].”

The video went viral this week amid the burgeoning scandal enveloping the Walz administration that notably included at least $1 billion lost to alleged social services fraud largely tied to the Somali community in the Twin Cities.

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A portion reportedly ended up in the hands of the Somali terror group Al-Shabab.

Lawler and Walz did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

The economy, the issue that hurt Democrats in the 2024 elections, gave them a major boost in this year’s ballot box showdowns.

“Look, we know what’s important right now,” Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chair Ken Martin said in his speech at the DNC’s winter meeting earlier this month. “S‑‑‑ is too expensive.”

One year after deep concerns over inflation helped President Donald Trump and Republicans win back the White House and Senate and keep their House majority, Democrats say their decisive victories in last month’s 2025 elections, and their overperformances in special elections and other ballot box showdowns this year were fueled by their laser focus on affordability amid persistent inflation.

Democratic Governors Association Executive Director Meghan Meehan-Draper said Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, who overperformed the public opinion polls as they cruised to double-digit Election Night victories in the blue-leaning states, “stayed laser focused on the economy,” and “talked about it all day, every day.”

DOUBLING DOWN: TOP HOUSE DEMOCRAT SAYS FOCUS ON AFFORDABILITY ‘ABSOLUTELY GOING TO CONTINUE’

The issue also fueled one-time longshot far-left candidate Zohran Mamdani to a mayoral victory in New York City as he made cost of living the centerpiece of his campaign.

Democrats say they’ll double down on the issue of affordability heading into next year’s midterm elections, as they try to win back congressional majorities from the Republicans.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) chair says Democrats will keep their focus squarely on affordability as they aim to “take back those gavels” by capturing the House majority in next year’s midterm elections.

ELECTION REFLECTION: DEMOCRATS ‘FLIPPED THE SCRIPT’ ON AFFORDABILITY 

House Democrats need to flip just three GOP-held seats in 2026 to win back control of the chamber for the first time in four years.

“We’re going to hold Republicans accountable for their policies that are hurting American families,” Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington state, who for a second straight election cycle is chairing the DCCC, told Fox News Digital.

DelBene said she’ll keep her focus squarely on affordability as she aims to “take back those gavels.”

Pointing to last year’s elections, she said, “That was their [Republicans] big message. They were going to lower costs. It has been a big broken promise, and people are feeling that, and that’s had a big impact and will continue. People want folks who are going to stand up to them for them, not just be blindly loyal to the president.”

But GOP Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, chair of the rival National Republican Congressional Committee, highlighted the Republican narrative, as he took aim at former President Joe Biden, telling Fox News Digital, “There are challenges out there with the economy, because Biden broke it, and House Republicans, working with President Trump, are going to fix it, and we’re working very hard to do that. “

CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLL ON TRUMP AND THE ECONOMY

It’s an argument that Trump has repeatedly voiced in recent weeks, as he’s pointed fingers at his predecessor for the persistent high costs.

“When I took office last January, I inherited a mess, and very simply, I’m fixing it,” Trump said this month.

But a recent Fox News national poll was full of apparent warning signs for Trump and the GOP.

Three-quarters of voters questioned in the survey viewed the economy negatively, and large numbers of respondents, including Republicans, said their costs for groceries, utilities, healthcare and housing have gone up this year.

The poll indicated that voters blame the president, with nearly twice as many pointing fingers at Trump than former President Joe Biden, when asked who is responsible for the current economy.

And Trump’s approval rating when it comes to the economy has dropped to record lows in surveys by Fox News and other organizations.

While Trump has repeatedly described the Democrats’ focus on affordability as a “hoax,” he has also become more engaged in combating high prices in recent weeks, as the president has scaled back some of his tariffs and pledged to lower high food prices. And Trump this month made stops in two key battlegrounds — Pennsylvania and North Carolina — to tout his efforts to combat high prices.

Trump was buoyed this past week by better than expected government reports on inflation and economic growth, and Republicans see better days ahead when it comes to the issue of affordability.

Former Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley, the Trump-backed Republican Senate candidate in next year’s race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, told Fox News Digital “we’re seeing signs already that the economy is starting to tick up and is starting to take hold as the President’s policies are getting in place.”

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told Fox News Digital, “2026 is a year of affordability, and the great news is President Trump has been producing time and time again.”

Pointing to the tax cut provisions in the GOP’s sweeping domestic policy measure signed into law this past summer by Trump, Scott said “2026 is shaping up to be the year where Donald Trump’s activities, his actions, the legislation we’ve passed, shows up for the American voter. And consumers all across the country will see a more affordable economy because of President Trump and the Senate majority and the House majority in the hands of the Republican Party.”

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But Martin and the Democrats see it differently.

The DNC chair accuses Republicans of not inheriting a “mess — they manufactured it. They took the economy and drove it straight into a ditch. They took certainty and swapped it for chaos.”

And Martin predicts Trump and Republicans headed for a ballot box disaster.

“Donald Trump has lost the economy, is losing his mind, and is going to lose the midterms,” Martin charged.

It was an off-year when it comes to elections, but 2025 was on fire on the campaign trail, as next year’s looming midterm showdowns took shape.

While it was never expected to match the intensity of the tumultuous 2024 battles for the White House and Congress, this year’s off-year elections grabbed outsized national attention and served as a key barometer leading up to the 2026 midterm contests for the House and Senate majorities.

Here are five of the biggest moments that shaped the campaign trail.

5. Trump pushes mid-decade congressional redistricting

Aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterms, President Donald Trump in June first floated the idea of rare but not unheard of mid-decade congressional redistricting.

HERE ARE THE NEXT BATTLEGROUNDS IN REDISTRICTING FIGHT

The mission was simple: redraw congressional district maps in red states to pad the GOP’s razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats.

Trump’s first target: Texas.

A month later, when asked by reporters about his plan to add Republican-leaning House seats across the country, the president said, “Texas will be the biggest one. And that’ll be five.”

The push by Trump and his political team triggered a high-stakes redistricting showdown with Democrats to shape the 2026 midterm landscape in the fight for the House majority.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas called a special session of the GOP-dominated state legislature to pass the new map.

But Democratic state lawmakers, who broke quorum for two weeks as they fled Texas in a bid to delay the passage of the redistricting bill, energized Democrats across the country.

Among those leading the fight against Trump’s redistricting was Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California.

California voters earlier this month overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50, a ballot initiative which will temporarily sidetrack the left-leaning state’s nonpartisan redistricting commission and return the power to draw the congressional maps to the Democratic-dominated legislature.

That is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts in California, which aimed to counter the move by Texas to redraw their maps.

The fight quickly spread beyond Texas and California.

Right-tilting Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have drawn new maps as part of the president’s push.

SETTING THE STAGE: WHAT THE 2025 ELECTIONS SIGNAL FOR NEXT YEAR’S MIDTERM SHOWDOWNS

Republicans are looking to GOP-controlled Florida, where early redistricting moves are underway in Tallahassee. A new map could possibly produce up to five more right-leaning seats. But conservative Gov. Ron DeSantis and GOP legislative leaders don’t see eye-to-eye on how to move forward.

“We must keep the Majority at all costs,” Trump wrote on social media this month.

In blows to Republicans, a Utah district judge this month rejected a congressional district map drawn up by the state’s GOP-dominated legislature and instead approved an alternate that will create a Democratic-leaning district ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

And Republicans in Indiana’s Senate defied Trump, shooting down a redistricting bill that had passed the state House.

But Trump scored a big victory when the conservative majority on the Supreme Court greenlighted Texas’ new map.

Other states that might step into the redistricting wars — Democratic-dominated Illinois and Maryland, and two red states with Democratic governors, Kentucky and Kansas.

4. Jay Jones text messages revealed, rocking Virginia’s elections

Virginia Democrats were cruising toward convincing victories in the commonwealth’s statewide elections when a scandal sent shockwaves up and down the ballot.

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

Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones instantly went into crisis mode after controversial texts were first reported earlier by the National Review in early October.

Jones acknowledged and apologized for texts he sent in 2022, when he compared then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert to mass murderers Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, adding that if he was given two bullets, he would use both against the GOP lawmaker to shoot him in the head.

But Jones faced a chorus of calls from Republicans to drop out of the race.

And the GOP leveraged the explosive revelations up the ballot, forcing Democratic Party nominee, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, back on defense in a campaign where she was seen as the frontrunner against Republican rival Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.

Earle-Sears didn’t waste an opportunity to link Spanberger to Jones. And during October’s chaotic and only gubernatorial debate, where Earle-Sears repeatedly interrupted Spanberger, the GOP gubernatorial nominee called on her Democratic rival to tell Jones to end his attorney general bid.

“The comments that Jay Jones made are absolutely abhorrent,” Spanberger said at the debate. But she neither affirmed nor pulled back her support of Jones.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE 2025 ELECTIONS 

While the scandal grabbed national headlines, in the end it didn’t slow down the Democrats, as Spanberger crushed Earle-Sears by 15 points. Democrats won the separate election for lieutenant governor by 11 points and Jones even pulled off a 6-point victory over Republican incumbent Jason Miyares.

3. Democrats overperform at the ballot box

Just eight days into Trump’s second term in the White House, demoralized Democrats had something to cheer about.

Democrat Mike Zimmer defeated Republican Katie Whittington in a special state Senate election in Iowa, flipping a Republican-controlled vacant seat in a district that Trump had carried by 21 points less than three months earlier.

Zimmer’s victory triggered a wave of Democrats overperforming in special elections and regularly scheduled off-year ballot box contests.

Among the most high profile was the victory by the Democratic candidate in Wisconsin’s high-stakes and expensive state Supreme Court showdown.

With inflation, the issue that severely wounded them in the 2024 elections, persisting, Democrats were laser focused on affordability, and the wins kept coming.

In November’s regularly scheduled elections, they won the nation’s only two gubernatorial showdowns — in New Jersey and Virginia — by double digits. And they scored major victories in less high-profile contests from coast to coast.

The year ended with Democrats winning a mayoral election in Miami, Florida for the first time in a quarter-century, and flipping a state House seat in Georgia.

The Democratic National Committee, in a year-end memo, touted, “In 2025 alone, Democrats won or overperformed in 227 out of 255 key elections — nearly 90% of races.”

But Democrats are still staring down a brand that remains in the gutter, with historically low approval and favorable numbers.

ELECTION REFLECTION: ‘DEMOCRATS FLIPPED THE SCRIPT’ ON AFFORDABILITY IN BALLOT BOX SHOWDOWNS

Among the most recent to grab headlines: Only 18% of voters questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey this month said they approved of the way congressional Democrats were handling their job, while 73% percent disapproved.

That’s the lowest job approval rating for the Democrats in Congress since the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking this question 16 years ago.

2. Democrats’ primary problem

The Democrats overperformed in this month’s special congressional election in a GOP-dominated seat in Tennessee — losing by nine points in a district that Trump carried by 22 points just a year ago,

But there were plenty of centrist Democrats who argued that state Rep. Aftyn Behn, the Democratic nominee in the race, was too far to the left for the district.

Republicans repeatedly attacked Behn over her paper trail of past comments on defunding the police.

‘FULL-BLOWN BATTLE’ BREWING IN DEM PARTY AS MAMDANI-STYLE CANDIDATES RISE IN KEY RACES

And the U.S. Senate campaign launch this month in red-leaning Texas by Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a progressive champion and vocal Trump critic and foil, compounded the argument by centrists.

“The Democratic Party’s aspirations to win statewide in a red state like Texas simply don’t exist without a centrist Democrat who can build a winning coalition of ideologically diverse voters,” Liam Kerr, co-founder of the Welcome PAC, a group which advocates for moderate Democratic candidates, argued in a statement to Fox News Digital.

And the center-left Third Way, in a memo following the Tennessee special election, argued that “there are two projects going on in the Democratic Party right now. One is winning political power so we can stop Trump’s calamity. The other is turning blue places bluer.”

“If far-left groups want to help save American democracy, they should stop pushing their candidates in swing districts and costing us flippable seats,” the memo emphasized.

1. Mamdani wins NYC mayoral primary

It was the story that has dominated campaign politics for the past six months.

Zohran Mamdani‘s convincing June 24 victory in New York City’s Democratic Party mayoral primary was the political earthquake that rocked the nation’s most populous city and sent powerful shockwaves across the country.

The capturing of the Democratic nomination by the now-34-year-old socialist state lawmaker over frontrunner former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates propelled Mamdani to a general election victory.

Mamdani’s primary shocker, and later, his general election victory, energized the left.

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But it also handed Republicans instant ammunition as they worked to link the first Muslim New York City mayor with a far-left agenda to Democrats across the country, as the party aimed to paint Democrats as extremists.

But Trump, who had repeatedly called Mamdani a “communist,” appeared to undercut that narrative with a chummy Oval Office meeting with the mayor-elect last month.

This year has had no shortage of alarming Chinese espionage efforts targeting the United States that were uncovered by government officials.

2025 saw the conviction of a former active-duty military member accused of selling Navy secrets to Chinese intelligence, the arrests of Chinese nationals accused of trying to recruit active-duty service members as intelligence assets and smuggle dangerous toxins into the United States, the disruption of a Chinese “Hacker-for-Hire” ecosystem, and more.

“President Trump is not afraid of the Chinese,” Gatestone Institute senior Fellow Gordon Chang said on Fox Business’ “Mornings with Maria” following a new arms sale to Taiwan. However, Chang lamented that Trump was ambivalent to the “information war” with China, noting that “the Chinese are able to tar him and tell the rest of the world that Trump is afraid of the Chinese … but when you look at the reality, President Trump is going after China across the board,” Chang argued.

EX-TRUMP DHS OFFICIAL SOUNDS ALARM OVER NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT WITHIN CRITICAL US INDUSTRY

One of the alarming Chinese espionage headlines to hit the news this year was an effort by several Chinese nationals to smuggle a pathogen described by the government as a “potential agroterrorism weapon” into the United States in 2024. A complaint against the suspects was unsealed by federal officials this year, leading the case to make headlines nationwide. 

One of those individuals complicit in the case, Yunqing Jian, 33, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China and a researcher employed at the University of Michigan, was allegedly receiving money from the Chinese government for her work on the pathogen the suspects were trying to smuggle. Meanwhile, her boyfriend, who worked at a Chinese university conducting research on that same pathogen, initially lied but then admitted to smuggling it through the Detroit airport so it could be taken to the University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend worked.

Jian eventually pleaded guilty. She was later sentenced to time served and then deported back to China. Her boyfriend was immediately deported to China when he was caught at the Detroit airport trying to bring the toxin into the United States.  

Just this month, a separate Chinese researcher from Indiana University was also accused by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of trying to smuggle a dangerous toxin into the country, this time Escherichia coli (E. coli). The FBI identified the smuggling suspect as post-doctoral researcher Youhuang Xiang, who also allegedly made false statements to law enforcement.

FCC, STATE AGS TO JOIN FORCES IN CRACKDOWN ON CHINA-LINKED COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

Federal officials have disrupted Chinese intelligence efforts to recruit assets in the United States this year as well, according to Justice Department communications.

In July, federal officials disrupted a “Clandestine PRC Ministry of State Security Intelligence Network” that was operating in the United States and was attempting to bribe active-duty soldiers with thousands in cash to work for them as assets. 

The following month, in a separate case, a federal jury convicted former Navy sailor, Jinchao Wei, also known as Patrick Wei, who was caught trying to sell military secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer for $12,000.

Hacking was a big part of Chinese espionage efforts in 2025 too. 

A major Chinese-linked hacking threat referred to as “Salt Typhoon” was reported this year to have launched an attack compromising at least 200 American companies as part of its broader efforts that have included gaining access to law enforcement wiretapping mechanisms and information on members of Congress, according to the top cyber chief at the FBI. Critical infrastructure manufacturers like AT&T, Verizon, Charter Communications, and others have reportedly been exposed by the group, which was first uncovered publicly in 2024 but whose efforts have dated back several years.

Earlier this year, in March, the Department of Justice also announced that federal officials had disrupted a “Hacker-for-Hire Ecosystem” operating out of China at the direction of Chinese intelligence officers as well. These malicious actors worked for private companies and as contractors in China, which was intended to hack and steal information in a way that would obscure the Chinese government’s involvement, the DOJ said.

China’s increasing acquisition of farmland in the United States has been of growing concern during 2025 as well, with Chinese-linked entities buying up land near military bases, including a trailer park near Missouri’s Whiteman Air Force Base. 

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“From smuggling crop-killing pathogens and E. Coli into the United States, to conspicuously purchasing a trailer park that shares a fence with America’s entire B-2 bomber fleet and selling ‘green’ tech devices that spread kill switches across our electrical grid, Communist China seeks to harm the American homeland,” Michael Lucci, a China-hawk and the founder of State Armor Action, a conservative group with a mission to develop and enact state-level solutions to global security threats such as those emanating from China.

“Furthermore, these events are just the tip of the iceberg,” Lucci continued. “Lawmakers across the country must accelerate action to shield Americans from CCP influence, espionage, and sabotage. Communist China treats the United States as an enemy, and it is past time we recognize the CCP party-state always and everywhere chooses conflict with the United States.”

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

Economic momentum is building under President Donald Trump, but translating those gains into political advantage will require sharper messaging, economist Stephen Moore said, as voters remain skeptical despite improving indicators.

“There’s a perception and there’s reality,” explained Moore in an interview with Fox News Digital. 

“The reality is what the numbers show — that median family income is up by about $1,200 this year, adjusted for inflation. We’re seeing real increases in wealth. Anyone investing in the stock market — not just rich people, but about 160 million Americans — has retirement savings in stocks.”

WHITE HOUSE TEASES MAJOR HOUSING AFFORDABILITY PLAN AS PRICES SQUEEZE AMERICANS

Still, Moore, a former Trump adviser and co-founder of a free-market advocacy organization, Unleash Prosperity, acknowledged that rising costs in everyday life continue to shape how many Americans view the economy.

“People tend to focus on the things that are rising in price, and I understand that,” Moore said. “But there are also areas where costs have fallen, including gasoline, airline tickets and some everyday items.”

That disconnect between economic data and how voters feel about the economy poses a political challenge for Trump, who returned to the White House promising affordability but is now confronting doubts over whether that pledge is being met.

A Fox News national survey found that 76% of voters rate the economy negatively, up from 67% in July and 70% at the end of former President Joe Biden’s term. 

The poll showed voters are more likely to blame Trump than Biden for current economic conditions, with three times as many saying Trump’s policies have hurt them personally.

The sentiment has fueled Democratic messaging focused on affordability, which has resonated in recent state and local elections.

THE SOCIALIST EXPERIMENT COMES TO NYC: MAMDANI’S VISION FOR A MORE AFFORDABLE CITY

That disconnect, Moore said, isn’t just about prices — it’s also about tone.

“I think people want empathy from the president,” Moore said. “People in the middle and working class want to know that this president understands the struggles of working 40 hours a week and still having a hard time meeting their bills.”

To close that gap, Moore compared Trump’s current challenge to Ronald Reagan’s early presidency, which followed economic difficulties after Jimmy Carter — a dynamic he said mirrors the aftermath of the Biden administration.

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“Trump should use an old line from Ronald Reagan, because Reagan’s first 18 months in office were very tough. We had a very bad economy as a residual effect from Jimmy Carter. And Reagan told the American people, stay the course, these policies are going to work and they’re going to make America better off.”

Moore said recent data suggest the recovery is accelerating, and that momentum is likely to continue.

“In the last couple of months, the economy has really sped up,” Moore said. “At 4.3% growth, that’s a very high rate, and the recovery is well in progress. It’s been a very prosperous first year and I expect 2026 to bring very strong continued economic growth.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed he will be meeting with President Donald Trump Sunday, likely to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine.

“Rustem Umerov reported on his latest contacts with the American side. We are not losing a single day. We have agreed on a meeting at the highest level – with President Trump in the near future. A lot can be decided before the New Year,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.

Zelenskyy reportedly confirmed in a WhatsApp chat with Ukrainian journalists that the meeting would take place Sunday, according to NBC News. He told the reporters it is unclear “whether territorial issues will be discussed.”

ZELENSKYY ENCOURAGED BY ‘VERY GOOD’ CHRISTMAS TALKS WITH US

The meeting could indicate that Russia and Ukraine are closer to a peace deal after Trump said last month that he would not meet with Zelenskyy or Russian President Vladimir Putin until a deal to end the war was final or in its final stages.

“Over the past week, my team has made tremendous progress with respect to ending the War between Russia and Ukraine… I look forward to hopefully meeting with President Zelenskyy and President Putin soon, but ONLY when the deal to end this War is FINAL or, in its final stages,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Nov. 25.

On Friday, Zelenskyy also said he had a “very substantive and positive conversation” with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, another sign that Russia and Ukraine could be closer to reaching a deal.

“We coordinated our positions ahead of the meetings in Florida, and we must work at maximum productivity in the coming days, as always,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “Ukraine has never been and will never be an obstacle to peace, and we will continue working efficiently to ensure all necessary documents are prepared as quickly as possible.”

UKRAINE, US NEAR 20-POINT PEACE DEAL AS PUTIN SPURNS ZELENSKYY CHRISTMAS CEASEFIRE OFFER

The announcement of Sunday’s meeting comes just one day after Zelenskyy expressed optimism about the progress of peace negotiations following a conversation with Jared Kushner and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff. Zelenskyy said the Christmas conversation centered on ongoing efforts to end the war and move toward a durable, lasting peace.

Earlier this week, Zelenskyy said Ukraine and the U.S. were close to finalizing a framework for security guarantees and economic arrangements tied to a possible peace deal. He also stated at a news conference that talks with U.S. officials led to a 20-point plan, reduced from the original 28-point plan that Trump proposed.

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Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev told reporters in the U.S. Dec. 20 that peace talks with Ukraine were constructive, even as Russian forces launched a missile strike on Odesa that left eight dead and 27 injured. Despite peace talks, Russia’s efforts against Ukraine have continued in their third year of war after Putin’s February 2022 invasion.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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

EXCLUSIVE: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is expecting a baby girl, Fox News Digital has learned. 

Leavitt and her husband Nick are expecting their second bundle of joy to be born in May 2026. Their first son, Niko, was born in July 2024.

“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 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.

Leavitt added: “2026 is going to be an amazing year for the President and our country, and personally, I am beyond excited to become a girl mom.” 

A senior White House official told Fox News Digital that Leavitt will remain in her post as press secretary.

Leavitt will be the first pregnant press secretary in U.S. history.

President Donald Trump is taking his pressure campaign to the next level against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and making it clear he doesn’t believe the strongman should be leading the country — all while China and Russia are speaking out on the escalating conflict involving their ally.

The Trump administration has launched a series of strikes targeting alleged drug boats off the coast of Latin America in recent months and announced this month a “complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela” as his administration has significantly beefed up its naval assets in the region. 

While the Trump administration has said that these efforts align with the administration’s effort to curb the influx of drugs into the U.S., the campaign also appears geared toward removing Maduro from power. This isn’t the first attempt by Trump to squeeze out Maduro. He previously imposed sanctions on Venezuela and backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó during his first term. 

As a result, Trump said Monday that Washington’s pressure campaign against Venezuela would “probably” be sufficient to coerce Maduro to step down and made it clear he believes that’s something Maduro should be doing.

US COAST GUARD PURSUES THIRD ‘DARK FLEET’ OIL TANKER AS TRUMP TARGETS VENEZUELAN SANCTIONS EVASION NETWORK 

“That’s up to him, what he wants to do,” Trump said Monday. “I think it would be smart for him to do that. But, again, we’re going to find out.”

The White House has historically refused to comment on whether it is pursuing regime change in Venezuela even though it does not recognize Maduro as a legitimate head of state and insists he is the leader of a drug cartel. 

China and Russia are speaking out about U.S. actions in the region, accusing the U.S. of breaking international law after the U.S. seized multiple oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela. The first seizure occurred Dec. 10, and Trump confirmed Monday that the U.S. is still pursuing another oil tanker that a U.S. official told Fox News Digital is a “sanctioned dark fleet vessel that is part of Venezuela’s illegal sanctions evasion.”

TRUMP’S VENEZUELA OIL BLOCKADE PUTS CHEVRON IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGH-STAKES SANCTIONS CRACKDOWN 

“The U.S. practice of arbitrarily seizing other countries’ vessels grossly violates international law,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters Monday. Jian said Beijing opposes anything that “infringes upon other countries’ sovereignty and security, and all acts of unilateralism or bullying.”

Meanwhile, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Yván Gil spoke over the phone Monday, and the “Russian side reaffirmed its all-out support and solidarity with the leaders and people of Venezuela in the current context.” 

“The ministers expressed grave concern in connection with Washington stepping up its escalation actions in the Caribbean, actions fraught with far-reaching consequences for the region and creating a threat for international shipping,” the statement said.

MADURO TRAPPED WITH FEW RETALIATION OPTIONS AFTER TRUMP ADMIN SEIZES VENEZUELAN OIL TANKER 

Katherine Thompson, a senior fellow in defense and foreign policy studies at the libertarian think tank the Cato Institute, previously told Fox News Digital that adversaries like Russia and China are likely perplexed as to why the Trump administration has zeroed in on the Maduro regime. That’s because Caracas doesn’t jeopardize U.S. interests as much as other actors, in addition to the Trump administration’s “American First” mantra, Thompson said. 

“I imagine, for them, it’s probably a bit puzzling if they’re looking at it through a real, brass tacks, realist lens why this administration would be prioritizing ousting the Maduro regime as opposed to conflicts in other theaters,” Thompson said earlier in December. 

The Trump administration has conducted nearly 30 strikes in Latin American waters since September as part of its hard-line approach to crack down on the influx of drugs into the U.S. 

For example, the Trump administration designated drug cartel groups like Tren de Aragua, Sinaloa and others as foreign terrorist organizations and bolstered its naval assets in the region in recent months, including signing off on the unprecedented step of sending the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to the region.

In addition to the strikes against alleged drug vessels, Trump has suggested for months that strikes on land could be the next step.

“We’re knocking out drug boats right now at a level that we haven’t seen,” Trump said Dec. 3. “Very soon we’re going to start doing it on land too.”

Although the Trump administration has said it has the authority to conduct these attacks against alleged drug boats, Democrats and some Republicans have questioned the legality of the strikes.

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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and senators Tim Kaine, D-Va., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced a war powers resolution this month to bar Trump from using U.S. armed forces to engage in hostilities within or against Venezuela.

Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report. 

Palau has struck a deal with the U.S. to accept up to 75 deportees from the U.S. in exchange for $7.5 million in foreign aid.

The agreement will allow “third-country nationals” who have never been charged with a crime to live and work in the Pacific nation, which has a population of about 18,000 people, according to announcements Wednesday from President Surangel Whipps Jr.’s office and the U.S. Embassy in Koror.

“The United States deeply appreciates Palau’s cooperation in enforcing U.S. immigration laws, which remains a top priority for the Trump administration,” the U.S. Embassy in Koror said in a statement. “In this regard, the United States granted $7.5 million to address the needs of relevant Palau public services.”

HOW A TINY AFRICAN ABSOLUTE MONARCHY CAN PLAY A ‘VITAL ROLE’ IN US NATIONAL SECURITY: EXPERT

The agreement was formalized through a memorandum of understanding, with Palau citing labor shortages as a key motivation.

“Palau and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding allowing up to 75 third country nationals, who have never been charged with a crime, to live and work in Palau, helping address local labor shortages in needed occupations,” Whipps’ office said in a statement.

EXCLUSIVE: 17,500 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED UNDER LAKEN RILEY ACT IN TRUMP’S SECOND TERM

The Trump administration will also provide $6 million to support Palau’s struggling civil service pension plan system and $2 million for new law enforcement initiatives, according to Whipps’ office.

Palau, a former filming location for the long-running reality TV series “Survivor,” has long been a recipient of U.S. support and relies heavily on foreign aid, according to the New York Post.

CROCKETT ACCUSES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OF DISHONESTY OVER BORDER ENCOUNTER NUMBERS

Under a deal brokered during the Biden administration, Washington committed $889 million in aid over 20 years, according to the State Department.

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As the Trump administration ramps up mass deportations, many countries have agreed to take illegal immigrants, including Uganda, Rwanda, Eswatini, South Sudan, Costa Rica, Panama and El Salvador.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz contributed to this report.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced Friday that the bureau has finalized plans to permanently close the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building, ending years of debate over the agency’s deteriorating headquarters.

The FBI has scrapped a nearly $5 billion proposal to construct a new building that would not have opened until 2035. Instead, the bureau will relocate most headquarters staff to the existing Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., Patel said.

“After more than 20 years of failed attempts, we finalized a plan to permanently close the FBI’s Hoover headquarters and move the workforce into a safe, modern facility,” Patel posted to X. “Working directly with President Trump and Congress, we accomplished what no one else could.”

KASH PATEL TO SHUT DOWN FBI HOOVER BUILDING, MOVE HQ ACROSS DC TO RONALD REAGAN BUILDING

Patel said the move will save billions of dollars and noted that key safety and infrastructure upgrades are already underway at the Reagan building.

Once renovations are complete, the majority of FBI headquarters employees will move into the building, according to Patel.

“Once complete, most of the HQ FBI workforce will move in, and the rest are continuing in our ongoing push to put more manpower in the field, where they will remain,” Patel said. “This decision puts resources where they belong: defending the homeland, crushing violent crime, and protecting national security. It delivers better tools for today’s FBI workforce at a fraction of the cost.”

CHINESE RESEARCHER ON US VISA CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING E. COLI INTO THE COUNTRY, FBI DIRECTOR KASH PATEL SAYS

Earlier this year, Fox News Digital exclusively obtained a memo Patel sent to the FBI, notifying employees of the relocation, and stressing that it is the “most cost-effective way” to serve the American people.

Patel, in May, first hinted that the bureau would be reallocating its workforce around the country, and would move agents out of the Hoover building, which opened in 1975.

PATEL BLASTS BIDEN’S ‘EMBLEMATIC FAILURE’ AFTER AFGHAN NATIONAL CHARGED IN GUARD SHOOTING

The FBI and the General Services Administration (GSA) had been looking at options for a new FBI headquarters for more than a decade, including locations near D.C. in Maryland and Virginia.

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Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump said he will call the final shots on a peace deal to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy preparing to unveil a new peace plan when the two meet Sunday. 

“He doesn’t have anything until I approve it,” Trump told Politico Friday. “So we’ll see what he’s got.”

Zelenskyy told reporters Friday he will meet with Trump Sunday in Florida and will share a 20-point peace proposal for the president to review. 

Additionally, Zelenskyy said the meeting will likely focus on security guarantees for Ukraine, adding it was unclear if “territorial issues will be discussed.”

MOMENTUM BUILDS IN UKRAINE PEACE PUSH, BUT EXPERTS FEAR PUTIN WON’T BUDGE 

“The 20-point plan that we worked on is 90% ready. Our task (is) to make sure that everything is 100% ready. It is not easy, and no one says that it will be 100% right away, but nevertheless we must bring the desired result closer with each such meeting, each such conversation,” Zelenskyy told reporters Friday.

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

Trump voiced optimism about the meeting with Zelenskyy and future conversations with Putin. 

“I think it’s going to go good with him. I think it’s going to go good with [Vladimir] Putin,” Trump told Politico. Trump also said that he expects to speak with Putin “soon.”

US OFFICIALS TOUT PROGRESS IN TALKS TO REACH ‘LASTING AND DURABLE PEACE’ BETWEEN UKRAINE, RUSSIA

Trump said in November he would not meet with Zelenskyy again — or Putin — unless a deal to end the war was in its final stages. 

Zelenskyy has indicated progress is being made and touted that he had a “a very good conversation” with Jared Kushner and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff Thursday. Specifically, Zelenskyy said, talks focused on ending the war and efforts to ensure lasting peace in the region.

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Trump has met with Zelenskyy multiple times since taking office in January, including in February when Zelenskyy sparred openly with Trump and Vance in the Oval Office over engaging in diplomacy with Russia to end the conflict. Additionally, Trump met with Putin in Alaska in August. 

Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report. 

EXCLUSIVE: President Theodore Roosevelt is known for revolutionizing how America manages and explores. Now, revolutionary artificial intelligence technology will allow Americans to engage with the legendary president one century after he left office, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Fox News Digital.

While Roosevelt was famously brought to life on the big screen by the late Robin Williams in “Night At The Museum,” Burgum said the Interior Department envisioned a slightly different iteration of bringing the president back to life.

Roosevelt will be rendered in a groundbreaking AI exhibit in the form of a human-avatar that will respond intelligently to visitor’s questions at his namesake national park, Theodore Roosevelt National Park on the North Dakota-Montana line.

4 US HOTSPOTS JUST MADE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC’S TOP DESTINATIONS LIST

The exhibit will have its grand opening during the America250 celebration, Burgum told Fox News Digital.

The new site is “one of the biggest things” that the Interior Department is planning for the new year, the former North Dakota governor said.

“That will occur over our Fourth of July weekend,” he said. 

The exhibit will be housed at the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. Burgum noted that Roosevelt authored more books than any other president, and offered more spoken-word than any other president except President Donald Trump.

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Roosevelt came to the “Dakota Territory” in 1883 to hunt bison, and today the lands within his namesake part don’t look much different than they did then. Besides miles of breathtaking landscape, the park explores Roosevelt’s ranch life, conflicts with and cultures of local Native American tribes, and the cattle-ranch boom of the 1880s.

Many of the animal trophies netted by Roosevelt later ended up festooned in the Old Ebbitt Grill, a famous Washington, D.C., saloon near the White House.

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“[If] you come to the library, you’re going to have a chance to visit directly with Theodore Roosevelt,” Burgum said.

While Roosevelt’s maxim was to “speak softly and carry a big stick” — suggesting actions are more important than words — the landmark library will enthrall the public with his own vernacular, Burgum said.

“Ask him a question, he’ll answer in his own words. So it’s going to be a fun experience. Kids are going to be dragging their parents to this museum.”

“And if you love the outdoors, which Theodore Roosevelt did, the library looks into Theodore Roosevelt National Park,” Burgum said, adding that the national park is the only one named for a person instead of a place — like “Hawai’i Volcanoes,” “Yosemite” or “Gettysburg.”

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While Shenandoah National Park is synonymous with its coterminous roadway — Skyline Drive — and Harpers Ferry National Park is home to its own Amtrak station, Roosevelt’s park will also feature another working mode of transportation.

“There’ll be a hitching post in front of this library,” Burgum quipped, as horseback was the mode of choice during that 1858-born president’s time.

Attorneys representing Tina Peters filed a motion to have the former Colorado county clerk released from jail and for the appellate court to recognize a pardon recently issued by President Donald Trump.

Tina Peters, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump earlier this month, spent her Christmas in a Colorado prison after being convicted in October 2024 as the state resists the pressure from Trump.

The motion, which was obtained by Fox News Digital, was filed Dec. 23 and outlined the reasoning behind why Peters should be released.

“There is no question that the Pardon forgave federal offenses,” the motion reads. “However, the Pardon also forgave Colorado state court convictions for actions Clerk Peters ‘may have committed or taken part in related to election integrity and security’ during the applicable time period.”

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Peters was a Republican law clerk who was convicted of official misconduct, conspiracy and influencing a public servant, according to Colorado state law, after she allowed unauthorized access to voting equipment on suspicions that the 2020 election may have been intentionally stolen from Trump.

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She was sentenced by a Colorado judge to nine years in prison in October 2024.

Trump issued a pardon in early Dec. 2025, stating on Truth Social that Peters is “a Patriot who simply wanted to make sure that our Elections were Fair and Honest.”

“Instead of protecting Americans and their Tax Dollars, Democrats chose instead to prosecute anyone they can find that wanted Safe and Secure Elections,” Trump posted. “Democrats have been relentless in their targeting of TINA PETERS, a Patriot who simply wanted to make sure that our Elections were Fair and Honest.”

“Tina is sitting in a Colorado prison for the ‘crime’ of demanding Honest Elections,” Trump continued. “Today I am granting Tina a full Pardon for her attempts to expose Voter Fraud in the Rigged 2020 Presidential Election!”

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Colorado officials and the court argue that the federal government has no jurisdiction over the proceedings and that a pardon applies only to federal cases. 

“We’re not surprised by President Trump shouting into the wind and issuing a meaningless pardon for his friend and fellow election denier Tina Peters,” Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib told Fox News Digital in early December. “The President has no legal authority to demand her release.”

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Peters’ attorney Peter Ticktin said that the pardon should be applicable to state charges. 

“I have great confidence that the appeal will be determined in Tina’s favor,” Ticktin explained. “However, the Pardon which was issued by the grace of President Trump, and for which we are extremely grateful could have put us in a difficult position.”

“Contrary to Colorado’s governor, we see the Pardon as applicable to state charges,” Peters’ attorney added. “Hence, the Colorado Court of Appeals may or may not have jurisdiction to hear the appeal which has been pending.”

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The court issued a response, which was obtained by Fox News Digital, to the motion on Christmas Eve, stating that the prosecution must file a response by early January and did not offer any official stance on the motion. 

Peters is expected to spend New Year’s Day in prison as proceedings remain stagnant until the early January deadline.

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