NationalWatch

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Friday that more than 2.5 million illegal immigrants have left the United States since President Donald Trump returned to office this year, citing a sweeping immigration crackdown it says has led to the “most secure border in American history.”

In a year-end report highlighting the agency’s accomplishments, DHS claimed that illegal border crossings plunged 93% year-over-year, fentanyl trafficking was cut in half and hundreds of thousands of criminal illegal immigrants were either arrested or deported, amounting to a dramatic shift from the Biden administration.

“In less than a year, President Trump has delivered some of the most historic and consequential achievements in presidential history, and this administration is just getting started,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. 

“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are making America safe again and putting the American people first. In record time we have secured the border, taken the fight to cartels and arrested thousands upon thousands of criminal illegal aliens.”

EXCLUSIVE: MILLIONS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LEAVE US IN RECORD-BREAKING YEAR UNDER TRUMP POLICIES, DHS SAYS 

While Trump’s first year back in office was “historic,” the administration “won’t rest until the job is done,” Noem added.

Of the 2.5 million illegal immigrants who left the country since Trump took office Jan. 20, an estimated 1.9 million self-deported and more than 622,000 were forced out, according to DHS.

The Trump administration has encouraged anyone living in the United States illegally to return to their native countries using the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Home Mobile App, which allows users to claim a complimentary plane ticket home and a $1,000 exit bonus upon their return.

BIDEN ADMIN MARKED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT, ALLEGED MURDERER AS ‘NON-ENFORCEMENT PRIORITY,’ DHS REVEALS

CBP seized nearly 540,000 pounds of drugs this year, almost a 10% increase compared to the same time frame in 2024, DHS said, adding that the U.S. Coast Guard has retrieved roughly 470,000 pounds of cocaine, enough to kill 177 million people.

Taxpayers have saved more than $13 billion at DHS, the agency said, noting that several agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Secret Service have returned “to their core missions.”

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Secretary Noem awarded $10,000 bonuses earlier this year to TSA officers and personnel who displayed exemplary service, overcame hardships and displayed the utmost patriotism during the 43-day government shutdown.

DHS touted the administration’s achievements, asserting that “countless lives have been saved” this year, and “the American people have been put first again.”

The Department of Justice’s efforts to release all of its files related to Jeffrey Epstein’s and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking cases by the legal deadline fell short of expectations on Friday, resulting in complaints ranging from technological glitches to excessive redactions and missing documents.

Just after 3 p.m., the highly anticipated website containing the documents went live with a message informing visitors they were “in line.” The page never advanced and would occasionally crash. Once the files became visible, some people were reporting that they still could not access the website.

“Got me waiting in line for these Epstein files like it’s a 2019 Yeezy drop,” one user wrote on X.

The law required that the files be searchable, but New York University law professor Ryan Goodman was among those who observed that the search bar feature on the website was also not reliably capturing content. Some on the left pointed out that President Donald Trump’s name was initially not showing up in any of the documents. Trump was one of many of Epstein’s affluent friends before Epstein faced charges. The search bar appeared to be working as of Friday night.

SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF EPSTEIN FILES ‘COVER-UP’ AMID DOCUMENT DISPUTE

The most common criticism, however, focused on what critics described as an incomplete release and extensive redactions. The DOJ has said it was required to redact information that could identify victims or minors.

In a letter to Congress, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche touted the DOJ’s effort to fulfill its obligations under the Epstein Files Transparency Act as “historic.”

Blanche said the documents underwent a rigorous review and redaction process involving more than 200 lawyers and that certain DOJ components produced tranches of files this week that required more time to review. He said he expected the rest of the files to be uploaded to the website within two weeks.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., highlighted the statutory language of the Epstein Files Transparency Act on X.

“Unfortunately, today’s document release by @AGPamBondi and @DAGToddBlanche grossly fails to comply with both the spirit of the letter of the law that @realDonaldTrump signed just 30 days ago,” Massie wrote.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a co-sponsor of the legislation, said he and Massie were “exploring all options,” including potential contempt proceedings or other actions against DOJ officials.

“It is an incomplete release with too many redactions,” Khanna said.

DOJ PUBLISHES TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES, SAYS MORE TO COME AFTER FRIDAY DEADLINE

Tim Young, a media fellow with the conservative Heritage Foundation, panned the redactions in a post on X and took a jab at Attorney General Pam Bondi over the DOJ’s botched rollout of already-public files earlier this year. Bondi had given right-wing social media influencers binders of files in February, but the records were a dud and enraged a faction of Trump’s base.

Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., appeared on MSNOW on Friday evening and accused the administration of “breaking the law.”

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Still, the DOJ has stood by its work as exemplary, saying in a statement online that “President Trump’s DOJ is delivering historic transparency while protecting victims.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ for comment.

The White House is escalating pressure on the Smithsonian Institution, demanding extensive internal records and warning that congressionally authorized funding could be withheld if the museum system does not comply by a mid-January deadline, according to a report by Bloomberg.

In a letter sent Thursday to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch, Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said the administration wants assurances that Smithsonian leadership is prepared to present American history in a positive light as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026.

“We wish to be assured that none of the leadership of the Smithsonian museums is confused about the fact that the United States has been among the greatest forces for good in the history of the world,” the letter said, according to Bloomberg.

“The American people will have no patience for any museum that is diffident about America’s founding or otherwise uncomfortable conveying a positive view of American history.”

AMERICAN HISTORY WON’T BE DISPLAYED ‘IN A WOKE MANNER’ AT SMITHSONIAN, TRUMP SAYS

The report said the White House set a Jan. 13 deadline for the Smithsonian to turn over the requested records, warning that the administration could use the Office of Management and Budget’s apportionment authority to delay or withhold federal funding if the institution fails to comply.

This marks an intensification of a dispute that began earlier this year, when President Donald Trump signed an executive order accusing the Smithsonian of operating “under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology” and directing the institution to eliminate exhibits or programs that “degrade shared American values.”

The White House letter, according to Bloomberg, accused the Smithsonian of slow-walking previous information requests and providing only cursory details about its programming, particularly with respect to future exhibitions planned between 2026 and 2029. 

The administration said it wants detailed schedules and budgets as part of its review.

MICHELLE OBAMA PORTRAITIST’S EXHIBIT WITH TRANS STATUE OF LIBERTY PULLED AFTER PRESSURE FROM VANCE

The Smithsonian oversees some of the nation’s most prominent museums, including the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Air and Space Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian.

Founded by Congress in 1846, the Smithsonian is governed by a Board of Regents that includes members of Congress and the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

The funding warning builds on earlier criticism from the Trump administration of Smithsonian exhibit content. In a July 5 Fox News Digital exclusive, White House official Lindsey Halligan accused the Smithsonian of using taxpayer dollars to promote “one-sided, divisive political narratives,” pointing specifically to content in the National Museum of American History’s Entertainment Nation exhibit.

LIZ PEEK: TRUMP DECLARES WAR ON WOKE — AND THIS BELOVED MUSEUM IS IN HIS CROSSHAIRS

“American taxpayers should not be funding institutions that undermine our country or promote one-sided, divisive political narratives,” Halligan told Fox News Digital at the time. She said exhibits should present history “in a way that is accurate, balanced, and consistent with the values that make the United States of America exceptional.”

The Smithsonian said then that it is “committed to continuous and rigorous scholarship” and was reviewing exhibit content to ensure it meets institutional standards.

Bloomberg reported that the latest letter frames the records request as part of the administration’s preparations for the semiquincentennial, which Trump has signaled he wants to use to emphasize patriotism and a unifying national narrative.

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The Smithsonian receives roughly two-thirds of its annual budget from federal appropriations, according to prior reporting by Fox News Digital.

The White House and the Smithsonian did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

-US judge dismisses Trump-linked lawsuit against Justice Roberts, in a blow to Trump allies

-Conservative groups declare 2025 a tipping point on ‘climate hysteria’ as Trump unleashes energy agenda

-Schumer accuses Trump admin of Epstein files ‘cover-up’ amid document dispute

Trump administration targets Maduro’s inner circle, family in major narco-state crackdown

The Treasury Department announced new sanctions Friday that target seven family members and associates tied to Nicolás Maduro’s regime, which the Trump administration continues to put in its crosshairs.

The action, carried out by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), seeks to address corruption and deceptive practices involving the Venezuelan state.

“Today, Treasury sanctioned individuals who are propping up Nicolás Maduro’s rogue narco-state. We will not allow Venezuela to continue flooding our nation with deadly drugs,” Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said…READ MORE.

White House

ELITE UNDER SIEGE: Trump administration appeals ruling restoring $2.7B in federal funding to Harvard

COLOR CODING: Law group asks Trump admin to get rid of race in CDC tool used by local officials to steer funds based on DEI

LEGACY REWRITTEN: Trump’s name added to Kennedy Center following unanimous board vote to rename historic building

‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s pregnant daughter rips ‘unconstitutional’ TSA after ‘invasive pat-down’

MAGA MOVE: 2028 power move: Turning Point’s Erika Kirk throws support behind JD Vance as MAGA ‘heir apparent’

World Stage

‘INTOLERABLE’: Rubio identifies ‘single most serious threat’ to the US from the Western Hemisphere

ENEMY WITHIN: Deadly attack on US troops tests Trump’s counter-ISIS strategy and reliance on Syria’s new leader

Capitol Hill

NAMES OR NOTHING: Massie sets litmus test for DOJ’s Epstein disclosures as deadline slips

BIG TECH LEASH: Graham leads bipartisan demand for tech reform vote to ‘bring social media companies to heel’

TRUST BUT VERIFY: 134 House Republicans demand ‘assurances’ as US eases Syria sanctions

NO REGRETS HERE: Ilhan Omar defends MEALS Act despite ties to massive Minnesota fraud scheme

DEMS SAY NO: Democrats’ last-minute move to block GOP funding plan sends lawmakers home early

Across America 

PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN: ICE is nice: AMfest attendees overwhelmingly call for DHS to target their hometowns as Dems spurn agents

FREEDOM VOW: Ex-Hamas hostage freed after 505 days in Gaza tunnels warns ‘evil is spreading’ across the world

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

FIRST ON FOX: The Trump administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling out both the Biden administration and one Northern Virginia county’s “sanctuary policies” after an illegal immigrant with a lengthy criminal history was released by police and allegedly killed a man in his home a day later.

A man was found shot dead in his Northern Virginia home in Fairfax County on Wednesday. The suspected shooter, 23-year-old Marvin Morales-Ortez — an immigrant from El Salvador residing illegally in the United States — had been in custody Tuesday on malicious wounding and brandishing a firearm charges, but police released him after the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office dropped the charges and Morales-Ortez committed a murder the next day. 

Morales-Ortez illegally entered the United States in September 2016, along with his mother, near Hidalgo, Texas, according to DHS. Morales-Ortez was then “released into the country by the Obama administration,” the agency added. Meanwhile, in 2022, the Biden administration dismissed Morales-Ortez’s immigration proceedings and eventually marked him as “a non-enforcement priority,” according to DHS. 

“There is blood on the hands of Fairfax County politicians for pushing policies that released this illegal alien from Salvadoran from jail and onto the streets of Virginia,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Fairfax county refused to honor ICE’s detainer and release him into their custody. Just hours after being released from jail, he committed murder in cold blood. Sanctuary policies have deadly consequences. We pray for the victim and his family.”

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CAUGHT AND RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION NOW CHARGED IN WASHINGTON VEHICULAR HOMICIDE

Officers investigated the murder scene Wednesday afternoon and night, according to local media. Following a manhunt, Morales-Ortez was eventually tracked down and arrested. Court records showed Morales-Ortez had been charged with at least seven crimes in Fairfax County at the time of his latest arrest and was a suspected MS-13 member. 

Morales-Ortez was arrested on Sept. 14 and, according to the office of George Soros-backed district attorney, Steve Descano, the charges were eventually dropped because the victim in the case left the country and indicated they would not cooperate with court proceedings.  

“The charges were nolle prossed due to insufficient evidence to move forward with the criminal case,” a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, headed by George Soros-backed Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano, told Fox News Digital. “The victim told police that they had moved out of the country and would not be coming to court to cooperate in proceedings, regardless of timing. Sadly, without the victim’s necessary testimony, we could not move forward.”

Both Fairfax County Police and Descano’s office said that the decision on whether to follow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers ultimately falls under the purview of the sheriff’s office, led by Stacey Kincaid. Fox News Digital reached out to the sheriff’s office for an explanation about how it handles ICE detainers and whether it cooperates, or not, with federal immigration enforcement.

TWICE-DEPORTED HONDURAN ACCUSED OF STABBING PASSENGER ON CHARLOTTE LIGHT RAIL FACES FEDERAL CHARGES 

“The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office follows all local, state, and federal laws when determining whether a person is subject to release from the ADC. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is automatically notified any time a person is booked into the ADC. In this instance, ICE was aware of Morales Ortez’s incarceration and elected not to seek a judicial warrant to ensure he remained in custody,” Fox News Digital was told. “Accordingly, and consistent with our policies and the law, once the court issued an order dismissing his cases, Mr. Morales Ortez was released.” 

Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger, according to local Virginia news outlet WJLA-TV, is currently considering Kincaid for a top Virginia State Police position.

Virginians 4 Safe Communities, a public safety group critical of Descano, slammed the Northern Virginia county’s Soros-backed top cop amid news of Morales-Ortez’s alleged murder and the fact he was released from custody just a day before committing it.

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“For Steve Descano’s office, letting violent criminals out to commit more crimes isn’t a bug, it’s a feature. But he bungles so many cases you can’t always tell where the incompetence ends and the ideology begins,” Sean Kennedy, Virginians for Safe Communities president, told Fox News Digital. “That a dangerous offender would go free and create more victims is so commonplace in Fairfax that may have become numb to it. Descano exploits that.”

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., on Friday announced that she is ending her bid for governor and will not seek re-election, just over a month after launching her campaign. 

In a message posted to X, Stefanik cited her family as her reason for stepping out of the race to unseat Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. 

POTENTIAL GOP CHALLENGER WARNS HOCHUL THAT A CORPORATE TAX HIKE WOULD BE A ‘DISASTER’ FOR NEW YORK’S ECONOMY

“While spending precious time with my family this Christmas season, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for Governor and will not seek re-election to Congress. I did not come to this decision lightly for our family,” she wrote on X. 

“And while many know me as Congresswoman, my most important title is Mom,” she added. “I believe that being a parent is life’s greatest gift and greatest responsibility. I have thought deeply about this and I know that as a mother, I will feel profound regret if I don’t further focus on my young son’s safety, growth, and happiness – particularly at his tender age.”

KEY TRUMP ALLY JUMPS INTO NEW YORK GOVERNOR’S RACE DAYS AFTER SHOCKING MAMDANI MAYORAL VICTORY

In her message, Stefanik thanked her supporters for their donations but said it wouldn’t be an “effective use of our time or your generous resources to spend the first half of next year in an unnecessary and protracted Republican primary, especially in a challenging state like New York.”

Staefanik launched her gubernatorial campaign in November with a platform centered on crime, taxes and affordability across the Empire State.

Stefanik, who represents a conservative-leaning district in upstate New York, has often criticized Democratic leaders within her state. 

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The 2026 race between her and Hochul was anticipated to be one of the most closely watched statewide contests in the country.

EXCLUSIVE: More than a dozen politically exposed people and government officials’ names appear in the hundreds of thousands of pages of Jeffrey Epstein files made public Friday, sources said — while Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the DOJ discovered more than 1,200 victims and their families during the exhaustive review, and explained the process behind determining which files could be released in a letter to Congress exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital.

Sources told Fox News Digital that new photos of Epstein with former President Bill Clinton are part of the release. 

The Justice Department redacted the names and identifiers of victims. Fox News Digital has learned that the same redaction standards were applied to politically exposed individuals and government officials. 

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PREPARES TO DROP TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES AS DEADLINE LOOMS

Fox News Digital exclusively obtained a letter written by Blanche to members of the House of Representatives regarding Friday’s anticipated release of the files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

“We write to notify you that today the Department of Justice is producing hundreds of thousands of pages of responsive materials in compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act,” Blanche wrote. 

“Under the leadership of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, this unprecedented disclosure highlights our commitment to following the law, being transparent, and protecting victims,” Blanche continued, noting that the production of documents comes within the 30 days required under the law signed by the president.”

“This letter will summarize the Department’s historic efforts and disclose specific details regarding the review and production process,” Blanche continued.

“Never in American history has a President or the Department of Justice been this transparent with the American people about such a sensitive law enforcement matter,” he said. “Democrat administrations in the past have refused to provide full details of the Jeffrey Epstein saga. But President Trump, Attorney General, and FBI Director Patel are committed to providing full transparency consistent with the law.” 

In November, the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed, requiring the government to release within 30 days all unclassified material in its possession related to Epstein’s and associate Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking cases. 

President Donald Trump signed the bill into law in November. 

The law allows the DOJ to omit or redact any references to victims and files that could jeopardize pending investigations or litigation, such as a probe Attorney General Pam Bondi recently opened in New York into Epstein’s ties to Democrats. Information could also be left out “in the interest of national defense or foreign policy,” the law says.

Meanwhile, in the letter obtained by Fox News Digital, Blanche revealed that the Justice Department, through its sprawling internal process, learned of more than 1,200 victims.

“This process resulted in over 1,200 names being identified as victims or their relatives,” Blanche wrote. “We have redacted reference to such names. In addition to redacting the names of these victims, we have also redacted and are not producing any materials that could result in their identification.”

Blanche explained that “all unclassified records, documents, communications, and investigative materials that relate to: Jeffrey Epstein including all investigations, prosecutions, or custodial matters” are being released.

SCHUMER ACCUSES TRUMP ADMIN OF EPSTEIN FILES ‘COVER-UP’ AMID DOCUMENT DISPUTE

Also, any records relating to “Ghislaine Maxwell; flight logs or travel records..for any aircraft, vessel, or vehicle owned, operated or used by Jeffrey Epstein or any related entity.”

The DOJ is releasing any records or documents with “individuals, including government officials, named or referenced in connection with Epstein’s criminal activities, civil settlements, immunity or plea agreements, or investigatory proceedings;” as well as any “entities..with known or alleged ties to Epstein’s trafficking or financial networks.”

The documents will also reference “any immunity deals, non-prosecution agreements, plea bargains, or sealed settlements involving Epstein or his associates.

The DOJ also is making public any “internal DOJ communications, including emails, memos, meeting notes, concerning decisions to charge, not charge, investigate, or decline to investigate Epstein or his associates,” Blanche said.

The documents will also include “all communications, memorandum, directives, logs or metadata concerning the destruction, deletion, alteration, misplacement, or concealment of documents, recordings or electronic data related to Epstein, his associates, his detention and death, or any investigative files.”

MASSIE SETS LITMUS TEST FOR DOJ’S EPSTEIN DISCLOSURES AS DEADLINE SLIPS

Blanche also said that any “documentation of Epstein’s detention or death, including incident reports, witness interviews, medical examiner files, autopsy reports, and written records detailing the circumstances and cause of death” will also be released.

Blanche said the DOJ is continuing to review additional documents and other items for “potential responsiveness.” 

“Just this week, one of the Department’s components provided additional victim information requiring updated review of materials, and in the last few weeks multiple courts have granted the Department’s unsealing motions, requiring detailed review of thousands of pages of investigative and gran jury material.

Blanche pointed to a ruling in the Southern District of New York requiring “additional layers of review to minimize the risk of inadvertent production of protected victim information.”

DOJ FACES FRIDAY DEADLINE TO RELEASE EPSTEIN FILES AS LAWMAKERS PUSH FOR TRANSPARENCY

“We anticipate this ongoing review being completed over the next several weeks.”

Blanche explained that prior to the passage of the new Epstein law, the DOJ conducted “a thorough review, including digital searches of databases, hard drives, and network drives as well as searches of real and personal properties.” 

“This review did not reveal credible evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals, nor did it undercover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties,” Blanche explained, adding that judges in the Southern District of Florida and the Southern District of New York have authorized the DOJ to produce materials “previously prohibited from production by protective orders and grand jury secrecy laws.”

Blanche explained that the review protocol instructed attorneys to redact or withhold material that contained personally identifiable information of victims; depicted or contained child sexual abuse materials…;would jeopardize an active investigation or prosecution; depicted images of death, physical abuse, or injury; and property classified national defense or foreign policy information.”

“Protecting victims is of the highest priority for President Trump, the Attorney General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Justice,” Blanche wrote. “As part of the review and production, the Department solicited counsel for any victims of Jeffrey Epstein and invited counsel to provide us with names of victims, whether previously identified or not.”

“This process resulted in over 1,200 names being identified as victims or their relatives,” Blanche wrote. “We have redacted reference to such names. In addition to redacting the names of these victims, we have also redacted and are not producing any materials that could result in their identification.” 

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Blanche said the Justice Department’s review team consisted of more than 200 DOJ attorneys working to determine whether materials were responsive under the Act and, if so, whether redactions or withholding was required.

The review had multiple layers, according to Blanche, including 187 attorneys from the DOJ’s National Security Division conducting a review of all items for responsiveness. Next, a quality control team of 25 attorneys conducted a second-level review to ensure that victim personally identifying information was properly redacted and that materials that should not be redacted were not marked for redaction.

Then, assistant U.S. attorneys from the Southern District of New York reviewed the responsive materials to confirm appropriate redactions.

“The Department will continue to follow the Review Protocol and add to the public website materials that are responsive under the Act, and the Department will inform Congress when that review an production are complete by the end of this year,” Blanche said.

“The Department’s commitment to transparency, following the law, and protecting all victims under the leadership of President Trump, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and FBI Director Patel will never waver.”

Fox News’ Ashley Oliver contributed to this report. 

FIRST ON FOX: The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL), a conservative legal group, is requesting the Trump administration remove race from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “Social Vulnerability Index,” which the groups claim is being used by liberal localities to steer funds to communities based on race.

WILL refers to what has been taking place as “DEI redlining” in its letter to Trump administration officials at the CDC and the Health and Human Services Department (HHS). They say the tool helps localities prioritize Black and Hispanic neighborhoods over White neighborhoods due to racial composition, independent of any other factors, like poverty.  

“In the name of ‘racial equity,’ local officials prioritize certain geographic areas for public safety, parks improvements, public swimming pool closures, broadband access, safe drinking water, and disaster assistance,” the letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and CDC Acting Director Jim O’Neill stated. “And these governments point to CDC’s SVI as the reason for their race-based spending.”

HUD LAUNCHES CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION INTO BOSTON’S DEI HOUSING POLICIES OVER ALLEGED RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

Among various examples the group highlights is Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s county parks department, which states on their website that the Milwaukee Parks Foundation “works to reduce or eliminate racial disparities through investments and activation of park spaces that rank high on the Milwaukee County Park’s Equity Index.” 

Meanwhile, an inter-office communication from 2024 obtained by WILL, updating officials on the “Parks Equity Index,” the Milwaukee Parks Foundation points out that “the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index” is part of its “weighted composite data analysis” meant to help streamline decision-making within the department.         

“In other words, parks in white neighborhoods are de-prioritized, while parks in non-white neighborhoods are prioritized,” WILL argues in their letter to HHS and the CDC.

To show the real life consequences of this, the conservative law group pointed to a community pool that has been closed for the past few years in a local town that is 90% White.  According to local media reports, the pool needs about $600,000 in repairs, but WILL said those will likely never come to fruition since the community ranks low on the parks department’s “Racial equity Index.” 

Milwaukee County Parks Department came out with a study indicating it was considering shutting down the pool, or transferring it to be run through a public-private partnership similar to other pools in the area, according to local outlet Urban Milwaukee.

WASHINGTON POST PRAISES BONDI FOR ROLLING BACK WOKE RACIAL ELEMENT AT DOJ, SLAMS ‘BOGUS’ CRITICISM OF MOVE

“According to Milwaukee County, Hales Corners ranks 128 out of 153 parks in Milwaukee County, with a 3 out of 10 score and a 0.33 SVI score. So the kids and families in Hales Corners will lose their swimming pool, which has been a community fixture since 1968, because the residents are too white,” WILL argued in their letter. “Race-based SVI encourages the use of race for its own sake, or at best, as a proxy for other elements already accounted for within the SVI.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Milwaukee Parks Department for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.

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WILL pointed to numerous examples of case law determining such activities are unconstitutional, including the recent Students for Fair Admission case that resulted in an overhaul of affirmative action rules in higher education. 

Besides Milwaukee, WILL also highlighted examples from California’s Community Development Block Program, run by the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development, which the conservative law group alleges is using the CDC’s SVI index to help prepare for, and respond to, natural disasters. Connecticut’s “Drinking Water State Revolving Fund,” which helps maintain public water systems, was listed as well, which assigns a “Social Vulnerability Index score to each project.”

Cook County, in Chicago, was also among those listed. Their “Comprehensive Broadband Planning Initiative” says explicitly on its website that it “prioritizes communities with the highest Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) in Illinois.”

Lawyers for the Trump administration said Friday they are appealing a judge’s order to restore $2.7 billion in frozen federal research funding to Harvard University, the latest twist in a months-long, high-profile court fight that has pitted the administration against the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university.

At issue is a ruling issued in September by U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs, which blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to terminate the more than $2 billion in federal funding for Harvard, which she said violated its First Amendment and due process protections.

“A review of the administrative record makes it difficult to conclude anything other than that defendants used antisemitism as a smokescreen for a targeted, ideologically-motivated assault on this country’s premier universities,” Burroughs said in a blistering, 84-page order. She described the actions as tantamount to “an ideologically-motivated assault.”

“We must fight against antisemitism, but we equally need to protect our rights, including our right to free speech, and neither goal should nor needs to be sacrificed on the altar of the other,” she added. 

News of the appeal revives a high-stakes court fight that has shaken, if not displaced, Harvard’s status at the uppermost echelons of higher education in the U.S. It comes as other private and public universities have also come under scrutiny by the administration, prompting fresh criticism that the administration is seeking to exercise undue influence over curriculum and leadership at major institutions.

CONTINUED COURT FIGHTS COULD PUT HARVARD IN UNWINNABLE POSITION VS TRUMP

Harvard sued the Trump administration in April over its attempt to freeze the federal funding, and argued in court that the actions amounted to an unconstitutional “pressure campaign” to influence and exert control over elite academic institutions.

“Ultimately, this is about Trump trying to impose his view of the world on everybody else,” Harvard Law professor Noah Feldman said in a radio interview discussing the Trump administration’s actions. 

The Trump administration, for its part, accused Harvard of “fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.” 

Lawyers for the Justice Department argued it had “every right” to cancel the funding for Harvard after it failed to comply with its demands.

Trump officials had immediately vowed to appeal the lower court’s ruling in September, but declined to provide a time frame as to when it would do so. The administration and university officials have also reportedly been engaged in negotiations, though the status of those efforts remains unclear. 

A spokesperson for Harvard told Fox News Digital that the court’s September order reinstated “critical research funding that advances science and life-saving medical breakthroughs, strengthens national security, and enhances our nation’s competitiveness and economic priorities.”

“We remain confident in our legal position,” this person added.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the appeal. 

 HARVARD, TRUMP BATTLE FOR BILLIONS IN FEDERAL FUNDS AS JUDGE WEIGHS NEXT STEPS

The move follows a January blitz by the Trump administration of civil rights investigations into dozens of prominent universities. Harvard, for its part, was the first school to sue the Trump administration over its efforts — and the school argues it has been hit by punitive efforts and investigations the months since, which it argues is an act of retaliation. 

At least six federal agencies have launched investigations into Harvard this year, university officials said. The administration also previously sought to ban Harvard’s ability to host international students by attempting to revoke its certification status under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) – a program led by the Department of Homeland Security that allows universities to sponsor international students for U.S. visas. (That action was temporarily blocked by a lower court.)

JUDGES V TRUMP: HERE ARE THE KEY COURT BATTLES HALTING THE WHITE HOUSE AGENDA

Still, experts said the actions have not been without consequence for the university. Regardless of the court’s outcome, the efforts – including attempts to revoke the school’s SEVP certification – have created “a chilling effect” for international students at Harvard, Aram Gavoor, an associate dean at George Washington University Law School and former Justice Department attorney, told Fox News Digital earlier this year.

Even if the Trump administration loses on the merits of the case, Gavoor said, “there’s a point to be argued that it may have won as a function of policy.”

Meanwhile, any long-term financial fallout the university might suffer as a result remains to be seen. 

Harvard, in October, reported a budget deficit of $113 million for the fiscal year — its first deficit since the COVID-19 pandemic – and which the school’s president attributed to the tumult and uncertainty created as a result of the protracted court fight.

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“Even by the standards of our centuries-long history, fiscal year 2025 was extraordinarily challenging, with political and economic disruption affecting many sectors, including higher education,” Harvard President Alan Garber said in a statement. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused the Trump administration of orchestrating a “cover-up” as the deadline for the release of documents and materials related to the late Jeffrey Epstein arrives.

Schumer on Friday blasted the Department of Justice (DOJ) following Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche’s admission that the administration would not be releasing all the documents in one, massive tranche.

Congress last month passed a law, later signed by President Donald Trump, that compelled the DOJ to dump all the documents, albeit with certain exceptions, including materials that reveal victims’ identities or medical files, child sex abuse materials, information that could jeopardize active investigations, images of graphic death or injury, or classified national security information.

DOJ FACES FRIDAY DEADLINE TO RELEASE EPSTEIN FILES AS LAWMAKERS PUSH FOR TRANSPARENCY

“This just shows the Department of Justice, Donald Trump, and [Attorney General] Pam Bondi are hellbent on hiding the truth,” Schumer said in a statement. “Senate Democrats are working closely with attorneys for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and with outside legal experts to assess what documents are being withheld and what is being covered up by Pam Bondi. We will not stop until the whole truth comes out.”

“People want the truth and continue to demand the immediate release of all the Epstein files,” he continued. “This is nothing more than a cover-up to protect Donald Trump from his ugly past.”

FEDERAL JUDGE APPROVES RELEASING GHISLAINE MAXWELL CASE GRAND JURY MATERIAL

Earlier in the week, Schumer warned that failure to release the documents on Friday would result in legal and political ramifications for Trump and the DOJ.

His ire came after Blanche, in an interview with Fox News, said that the DOJ would be following through with releasing hundreds of thousands of documents related to Epstein, his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, known associates and entities linked to Epstein and Maxwell, internal DOJ decision-making on the Epstein case, records on destroying or tampering with documents, and all documents on his detention and death.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT PREPARES TO DROP TROVE OF EPSTEIN FILES AS DEADLINE LOOMS

But, it wouldn’t be every shred of information on the late pedophile.

“Now the most important thing that the attorney general has talked about, that [FBI Director Kash] Patel has talked about, is that we protect victims,” Blanche said. “And so what we’re doing is we are looking at every single piece of paper that we are going to produce, making sure that every victim, their name, their identity, their story, to the extent it needs to be protected, is completely protected.”

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“And so I expect that we’re going to release more documents over the next couple of weeks,” he continued. “So today, several hundred thousand, and then over the next couple weeks, I expect several hundred thousand more.”

Vice President JD Vance speaks Sunday at Turning Point USA’s America Fest conference. But the vice president landed a major endorsement when the annual conference, held by the increasingly influential conservative group, kicked off on Thursday.

Ericka Kirk, widow of the assassinated Turning Point co-founder Charlie Kirk, endorsed Vance in the 2028 presidential election during her speech in front of thousands of activists gathered in Phoenix, Arizona.

“We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible,” in 2028, she said. “Forty-eight” refers to the number of the next president.

ERIKA KIRK OPENS FIRST TURNING POINT ANNUAL SUMMIT SINCE HUSBAND’S ASSASSINATION

Kirk, who took over the reins of Turning Point after her husband’s murder, also emphasized, “We are building the red wall.”

“We’re going to make sure that President Trump has Congress for all four years,” she added, as she pointed to next year’s midterm elections, when Republicans will defend their majorities in the House and Senate.

SUCCEEDING TRUMP IN 2028: SIX REPUBLICANS TO KEEP YOUR EYES ON

The backing of the vice president by Turning Point, which is particularly influential among younger conservatives and whose political arm has built up a powerful grassroots outreach operation, could give Vance a major boost should he decide to run for president in the 2028 election.

A longtime adviser to President Donald Trump told Fox News Digital that “it wasn’t a surprise to see her endorse, given that while he was still alive, Charlie couldn’t have been more explicit about supporting Vance in 2028.”

POTENTIAL 2028 DEMOCRATS SPARK SPECULATION AT MAJOR PARTY GATHERING

“Last night simply reaffirmed that Turning Point’s entire political machinery will be behind him if he decides to run. It’s another big get for the vice president and a warning shot to other potential candidates,” added the adviser, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely.

Vance and Charlie Kirk were close friends, and the vice president credits Kirk with his political rise.

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Vance honored his late friend by flying with Kirk’s casket back to Arizona from Utah, where he was assassinated in September, aboard Air Force Two. And Vance hosted Kirk’s popular podcast as it returned following Kirk’s death.

While Vance has yet to say anything publicly on whether he’ll launch a 2028 campaign to succeed the term-limited Trump, he is considered by many on the right to be the president’s heir apparent to eventually take over the MAGA mantle.

Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said she has no regrets about supporting the MEALS Act during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the program becoming linked to Minnesota’s alleged $250 million “Feeding Our Future” fraud scheme.

“Do you regret pushing for that bill, the MEALS Act? Do you think it led to the fraud?” Nicholas Ballasy for Fox News Digital asked Omar on Capitol Hill.

“Absolutely not, it did help feed kids,” Omar said.

Omar introduced the MEALS Act on March 11, 2020, to modify the Department of Agriculture’s food and nutrition programs to allow certain waivers on requirements for school meal programs, including those that raised federal costs during school closures related to the pandemic.

WALZ URGES NOEM TO ‘REASSESS’ IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT STRATEGY IN MINNESOTA AFTER ALLEGED CITIZEN ARRESTS

Minnesota has faced scrutiny for alleged mismanagement of federal funds accessed through these waivers, including in distributing money for the “Feeding Our Future” program, which authorities believe to be the largest fraud scheme in the history of the pandemic. 

INSIDE MINNESOTA’S $1B FRAUD: FAKE OFFICES, PHONY FIRMS AND A SCANDAL HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT 

The scheme exploited the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to waive many of its standard requirements for the Federal Child Nutrition Program during the pandemic, including relaxing its requirement for non-school-based distributors to participate in the program.

Fox News Digital first reported on the status of the fraud in July. FBI Director Kash Patel described it at the time as “one of the worst” in Minnesota history — and as of November 2025, more than 75 individuals have been charged in connection with the scheme, according to federal prosecutors.

President Donald Trump has recently announced a flurry of new actions to crack down and investigate fraud schemes in Minnesota, which he has assailed as a “hub of money laundering activity,” and cited as the basis of his decision to terminate deportation protections for hundreds of Somali migrants.

Senior Trump administration officials announced fresh investigations this month, including a new Treasury Department probe into how taxpayer dollars were allegedly diverted to the terrorist organization al-Shabaab, according to Secretary Scott Bessent. 

Trump and other officials have zeroed in on these alleged fraud schemes, arguing that the criminal activity is a result of mismanagement and “incompetence” from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat and former vice presidential candidate.

‘INCOMPETENCE OR DERELICTION’: MINNESOTA LAWMAKER RIPS TIM WALZ AS STATE FRAUD LOSSES MOUNT 

“It’s not surprising that the president has chosen to broadly target an entire community,” Walz said of Trump’s efforts, adding, “This is what he does to change the subject.” 

Conspirators falsely claimed to have served millions of meals during the pandemic, but instead used the money for personal gain. They also are accused of fabricating invoices, submitting fake attendance records and falsely distributing thousands of meals from hundreds of so-called food distribution “sites” across the state.

Some of the individuals are part of Minnesota’s Somali diaspora, which is the largest in the U.S., though the ringleader of the scheme is not.

“Stealing from the federal government equates to stealing from the American people — there is no simpler truth,” FBI’s special agent in charge, Alvin Winston, told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

Charging documents show that roughly 300 “food sites” in the state served little or no food, with the so-called “food vendors” and organizations fabricated to launder money intended to reimburse the cost of feeding children.

FBI officials told Fox News that the investigation and resulting trials and indictments continue to impact the state, and have already touched off legislative reform in Minnesota.

They added that the investigation into the fraud remains ongoing, and that additional charges are expected, though they did not immediately share more details.

“The egregious fraud unveiled in the Feeding our Future case epitomizes a profound betrayal of public trust,” Patel told Fox News Digital earlier this year. 

“These individuals misappropriated hundreds of millions in federal funds intended to nourish vulnerable children during a time of crisis, redirecting those resources into luxury homes, high-end vehicles and extravagant lifestyles while families faced hardship,” he added.

Trump suggested earlier this month that Omar, who fled Somalia as a child, “shouldn’t be allowed to be a congresswoman,” prompting fierce backlash from some Democrats and from Minnesota’s congressional delegation. 

Omar, for her part, said Trump’s remarks were “vile.” 

“His obsession with me is creepy,” she said on social media. “I hope he gets the help he desperately needs.”

ICE REJECTS OMAR CLAIM SON WAS PULLED OVER BY FEDS, PRESSED FOR CITIZENSHIP PROOF: ‘ABSOLUTELY ZERO RECORD’

Ballasy later pressed Omar about another incident dominating headlines.

“Congresswoman, the ICE director is saying now that your son was not pulled over by ICE. He’s saying there’s no evidence,” Ballasy said to Omar on Capitol Hill.

The head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) rejected a viral claim from Omar that her son was pressed for proof of U.S. citizenship by agency personnel after stopping at a Minnesota Target over the weekend.

Omar had told CBS’ Twin Cities affiliate that her son was subjected to a traffic stop-type encounter by ICE agents but was ultimately let go without further issue after he was able to produce a U.S. passport or passport card.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons pushed back on the assertion on Tuesday, telling Fox News Digital the incident never happened.

“How do they know that?” Omar countered. “How do they know that? Is he saying he has documentations of all the people they pulled over? Because we’ve been asking for that information. We haven’t gotten it from them, so if ICE confirming now that they collect data and refusing to provide it to members of Congress, then that’s an interesting admission.”

“ICE has absolutely zero record of its officers or agents pulling over Congresswoman Omar’s son,” Lyons said.

“It speaks volumes that Congresswoman Omar is leveling this accusation with absolutely zero proof.”

Lyons called Omar’s comments to the local outlet a “ridiculous effort” to demonize federal law enforcement. He also said her rhetoric contributes to a spike in threats against ICE personnel, citing a 1,150% increase in assaults and an 8,000% increase in death threats.

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When asked to respond to Lyons’ comment, Omar told Ballasy, “Well, their crackdown has terrorized my community, so they need to stop.”

Senate Republicans tried to advance a funding package as their last act of the year, but a last-minute block by Senate Democrats sent lawmakers home frustrated as the deadline to fund the government creeps closer.

Lawmakers have spent the last month since the government shutdown building consensus on a five-bill spending package that would go a long way toward preventing another one come Jan. 30.

The package would have funded the departments of Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Commerce, Justice, Interior, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, which represent a massive chunk of Congress’ overall funding responsibilities.

TRUMP GETS 417 NOMINEES CONFIRMED BY SENATE IN 2025, SURPASSES BIDEN’S FIRST-YEAR TOTAL IN RECORD PACE

But a deal never materialized, and the lights of the Senate chamber went out for the last time of the year as lawmakers beelined from Washington, D.C., back to their home districts. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., remained hopeful that when the Senate returned, Democrats would cross the aisle to finish the job.

“The Democrats are indicating that they want to do them, they just didn’t want to do them today,” Thune said. “So hopefully, when we get back, we’ll test that proposition, and hope that we’ll take them to face value, and hopefully we’ll get moving, and get moving quickly, because we’ve got a lot to do.”

Before the last gavel rang through the chamber, however, there was still hope that a deal could be reached.

As the clock ticked deeper into the night and the smell of jet fumes grew stronger in the Senate, top Republicans kept working the phones and trying to negotiate a path forward on the package.

SENATE SENDS $901B DEFENSE BILL TO TRUMP AFTER CLASHES OVER BOAT STRIKE, DC AIRSPACE

Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, told Fox News Digital that Republicans had cleared the decks on their end after several weeks of holds on the package from fiscal hawks demanding amendment votes on earmarks, among other thorny issues.

When asked if Senate Democrats would play ball, she said, “I don’t know.”

“I’m about to call one of the people,” Collins said before ducking into her office.

When she emerged, Collins said that there was only one hold left. And that last remaining blockage appeared to be from Sens. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who were incensed by the Trump administration’s plan to break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo.

Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought called the facility in a post on X “one of the largest sources of climate alarmism in the country,” and vowed a comprehensive review was underway and that any “vital activities such as weather research will be moved to another entity or location.”

Hickenlooper suggested that he and Bennet would lift their hold only if they received a guaranteed outcome on an amendment vote — a proposition Republicans have time and again this year for several other Democratic issues that they said they couldn’t do.

“We need to find some Republican supporters. All we’re trying to do is just protect the budget that was already there,” Hickenlooper said. “So, whatever disagreement there is between the state, the governor of Colorado, and the President of the United States, that shouldn’t affect a scientific institution. Science should be free of that kind of politics.”

DOJ FACES FRIDAY DEADLINE TO RELEASE EPSTEIN FILES AS LAWMAKERS PUSH FOR TRANSPARENCY

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., was more blunt.

“What the president did to Colorado is disgusting, and Republicans ought to get him to change,” Schumer said.

Republicans opted to open the floor late following a signing ceremony at the White House for the annual, colossal defense package in order to finish the confirmation process for a tranche of President Donald Trump’s nominees.

It was a bid to buy time to keep negotiations alive in the hopes of a breakthrough. They even tacked on a handful of extra votes to keep the machine whirring, but in the end, Senate Democrats wouldn’t budge.

Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., who chairs the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations subcommittee, remained hopeful ahead of the vote and said the goal was “to stay until we get it finished.”

“If we want the Senate to matter, we should figure it out,” Britt said.

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Failure to advance the package on Thursday does not guarantee another government shutdown next month, but it does tee up what will likely be a brutal January in the upper chamber.

Lawmakers are still scrambling to find a deal on expiring Obamacare subsidies, which are set to expire on Dec. 31, and they will have to contend with the funding deadline at the end of the month. And anything that can pass in the Senate has to make its way through the House and ultimately be approved by Trump.

Despite the inability to move forward with the funding package, for now, it appears that neither side wants to thrust the federal government into another shutdown.

“I don’t think either side wants to see that happen,” Thune said. “I think that’s toxic for both parties. So I’m hoping that there will be goodwill, and we’ll figure out how to fund the government.”

The Trump administration says “sanctuary politicians” in Northern Virginia “have blood on their hands” after an illegal immigrant with a lengthy criminal history was released by police and allegedly killed a man in his home a day later.

A man was found shot dead in his Northern Virginia home on Wednesday. The suspected shooter, 23-year-old Marvin Morales-Ortez — an illegal immigrant from El Salvador residing in the United States — had been in custody Tuesday on malicious wounding and brandishing a firearm charges, but police released him after the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office dropped the charges.

Officers investigated the murder scene Wednesday afternoon and night, according to local media. Following a manhunt, Morales-Ortez was eventually tracked down and arrested. Court records showed Morales-Ortez had been charged with at least seven crimes in Fairfax County at the time of his latest arrest and was a suspected MS-13 member.

“The charges were nolle prossed due to insufficient evidence to move forward with the criminal case,” a spokesperson for the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, headed by George Soros-backed Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano, told Fox News Digital. “The victim told police that they had moved out of the country and would not be coming to court to cooperate in proceedings, regardless of timing. Sadly, without the victim’s necessary testimony, we could not move forward.”

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CAUGHT AND RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMINISTRATION NOW CHARGED IN WASHINGTON VEHICULAR HOMICIDE 

Both Fairfax County Police and Descano’s office said that the decision on whether to follow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers ultimately falls under the purview of the sheriff’s office, led by Stacey Kincaid. Fox News Digital reached out to the sheriff’s office for an explanation about how it handles ICE detainers and whether it cooperates, or not, with federal immigration enforcement. 

“The Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office follows all local, state, and federal laws when determining whether a person is subject to release from the ADC. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is automatically notified any time a person is booked into the ADC. In this instance, ICE was aware of Morales Ortez’s incarceration and elected not to seek a judicial warrant to ensure he remained in custody,” Fox News Digital was told. “Accordingly, and consistent with our policies and the law, once the court issued an order dismissing his cases, Mr. Morales Ortez was released.” 

Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger, according to local Virginia news outlet WJLA-TV, is currently considering Kincaid for a top Virginia State Police position.

ICE ARRESTS CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF FLEEING HEAD-ON CRASH THAT SEVERELY INJURED MARYLAND WOMAN  

In response to this incident, a Homeland Security spokesperson said they “have blood on their hands.” 

“This is nothing more than sanctuary politicians trying to pass the blame for their REFUSAL to protect American citizens,” the spokesperson said. “To honor a detainer, officials do NOT need a judicial warrant. The sanctuary politicians of Fairfax have blood on their hands. They should have turned this serial criminal illegal alien over to ICE law enforcement–instead they chose to RELEASE him back into Virginia neighborhoods.”

While Morales-Ortez has been charged with at least seven crimes in Fairfax County since 2020, including assault and first-degree murder, he was only found guilty in one theft case, according to local media and court records, which indicated that Morales-Ortez was fined $300 but has yet to pay. 

Virginians 4 Safe Communities, a public safety group critical of Descano, slammed the Northern Virginia county’s Soros-backed top cop amid news of Morales-Ortez’s alleged murder and the fact he was released from custody just a day before committing it.

“For Steve Descano’s office, letting violent criminals out to commit more crimes isn’t a bug, it’s a feature. But he bungles so many cases you can’t always tell where the incompetence ends and the ideology begins,” Sean Kennedy, Virginians for Safe Communities president, told Fox News Digital. “That a dangerous offender would go free and create more victims is so commonplace in Fairfax that may have become numb to it. Descano exploits that.” 

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Under President Donald Trump’s second administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests in Virginia have nearly tripled compared to the previous administration. Last month, Homeland Security (DHS) called out some of the state’s “worst of the worst” dangerous and violent illegal immigrant offenders captured in just a week’s time. 

The undocumented immigrant offenders highlighted by DHS came from Central America and the Caribbean, including El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. Meanwhile, their crimes ranged from drug smuggling to domestic violence, rape, “carnal abuse,” making terroristic threats, extortion and more.

A deadly insider attack that killed two U.S. service members in Syria is prompting fresh scrutiny of the Trump administration’s counter-ISIS approach and its rapid embrace of Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa. 

While Republican lawmakers largely urge a stronger campaign to contain ISIS, the shooting has exposed vulnerabilities inside Syria’s fledgling security institutions and raised new questions about whether the U.S. can rely on Syrian forces as the administration seeks to stabilize the country.

The incident has now become a flashpoint in a broader debate: whether the administration is underestimating ISIS’s resilience, overestimating the reliability of Syria’s fledgling institutions, and potentially risking a withdrawal that could give the terror group room to rebound.

2 US ARMY SOLDIERS, INTERPRETER KILLED IN SYRIA AMBUSH ATTACK, TRUMP WARNS OF ‘VERY SERIOUS RETALIATION’

Syrian officials say the gunman was part of the new post-Assad security apparatus and had been flagged internally for extremist leanings. He reportedly was in the process of being reassigned when he opened fire on American personnel, killing two service members and injuring an American civilian before being shot dead.

The attack immediately raised questions about the strength of U.S.–Syrian cooperation — a partnership that hinges on Washington’s willingness to trust a government led by a man who was, until recently, a wanted terrorist himself. Trump officials have argued that al-Sharaa is essential to stabilizing Syria after Bashar al-Assad’s downfall, but critics say the weekend shooting reveals glaring cracks in that strategy.

TRUMP TO HOST SYRIAN PRESIDENT IN HISTORIC WHITE HOUSE MEETING AMID PUSH FOR REGIONAL PEACE

Indiana Republican Sen. Jim Banks defended Trump’s approach, saying on Fox News that the president “rooted out and took out the ISIS caliphate in his first term” and “is going to do that again” in his second. But Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, pushed back sharply.

“There’s been some discussion, the president has claimed repeatedly he defeated the caliphate, ISIS etc., and that’s not the case at all,” Reed said on “Fox News Sunday.” “Our intelligence agencies tell us that ISIS is still the most capable and dangerous Islamic terrorist group who have already demonstrated that their intent is to strike even within the United States.”

Reed and others argue that the ambush underscores why a U.S. presence in Syria remains necessary despite political pressure from Trump’s base to reduce deployments abroad. But some Republicans counter that the attack proves the opposite — that the mission has become strategically dubious and unacceptably dangerous.

ISRAEL RELEASES BODY-CAM VIDEO OF DEADLY SYRIA RAID TARGETING MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD-AFFILIATED TERRORISTS

“The soldiers who died are obviously heroes … but the purpose of whether or not they should be there or not is a big question,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” 

Paul, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, said the attack should force a reconsideration of why U.S. troops remain in the country at all. 

“A couple hundred troops in Syria are more of a trip wire than a strategic asset. I don’t think they deter war.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., added that U.S. troops “should not be sent to foreign countries to be killed in foreign lands like Syria… Bring our troops home!!!”

The administration, however, has indicated it intends to double down. Tom Barrack, Trump’s envoy to Syria, said the killings “underscore the need for continued cooperation” with al-Sharaa’s government. 

Trump himself said al-Sharaa was “devastated” by the attack and vowed “very serious retaliation.”

But national security specialists caution that the administration may be moving too quickly to normalize ties with Syria’s new leadership. Michael Makovsky, CEO of the Jewish Institute of National Security of America (JINSA), said Washington appears reluctant to confront the fact that the shooter came from within al-Sharaa’s own security forces.

“The administration is very invested right now in Shaara, and seems to want to minimize that the killer was from Shaara’s security forces,” Makovsky said. 

He warned that “a lot of bad people” remain embedded in the new Syrian institutions and that early cooperation should not come with premature sanctions relief. “His security forces have committed a lot of atrocities against minorities … I’m worried the administration is not focused on that.”

What retaliation might look like

Trump has vowed retribution for what he called “an ISIS attack against the U.S., and Syria, in a very dangerous part of Syria.” But the White House has not clarified what specific steps it is considering.

The White House did not provide additional clarification on what types of retaliation the U.S. would pursue in response to the attack, and referred Fox News Digital back to Trump’s initial statement. 

However, Trump later told reporters Monday that “they’ll be hit hard” when asked about the U.S. response. He also voiced support for al-Sharaa, and said he still has confidence in Syria’s new leader. 

Mona Yacoubian, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the administration’s response will depend on what investigators determine about the attacker’s affiliations. 

Syria’s Interior Ministry spokesman, Noureddine al-Baba, said the gunman had been scheduled to be relieved of duty Sunday after authorities identified he held “extremist” views. Al-Baba told The Associated Press that the government had been forced to recruit quickly amid severe security shortages following Assad’s ouster.

The fact that the shooter, who was ultimately shot during the attack, was part of the Syrian security forces adds another layer of complexity, Yacoubian said.

If the gunman was part of a specific cell affiliated with a group like ISIS, that could prompt the Trump administration to launch strikes targeting leadership of the respective group or the group’s infrastructure, according to Yacoubian.  

Regardless, Yacoubian said that the attack raises alarms in terms of the vetting process for security forces, and will prompt the Trump administration to dramatically increase their vetting and understanding of the security forces as it continues to partner with Syrian national forces.

U.S. forces in Syria currently work in tandem with both Syrian national forces and the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on efforts to counter ISIS in Syria.

The strategic crossroads

Dan Shapiro, former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for the Middle East, said Trump must resist the growing pressure — including from some in his base — to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. 

Earlier in 2025, the administration reduced its footprint in Syria. The U.S. currently has roughly 900 U.S. troops stationed in Syria — a drop from the roughly 2,000 that were deployed in Syria following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel. 

“There will undoubtedly be some calls from his base to bring troops home from Syria. He will need to resist those calls,” Shapiro said in an email to Fox News Digital Monday. “Leaving Syria when Syrian national forces are still finding their footing against ISIS and need support would almost certainly give ISIS more room to breathe. A precipitous U.S. withdrawal would also be seen as a victory for ISIS.”

Shapiro said that as the U.S. intensifies cooperation with Syrian national forces and the SDF, Syria will become increasingly dependent on U.S. intelligence to identify infiltrators or sympathizers within its ranks. 

Still, Shapiro warned that U.S. forces must remain cautious because the Syrian government’s ability to follow through remains uncertain, and so the Syrian forces must prove themselves as trustworthy — or else sanctions that the Trump administration lifted in May could return, he said.

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“Trump is both going to need and expect more from Ahmed al-Sharaa, and shorten the leash at the same time,” Shapiro said. “Syria should understand that continued sanctions relief could be jeopardized unless they demonstrate clear commitment and capability to root out ISIS infiltrators.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

The man accused of committing a mass shooting at Brown University entered the country under the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program lottery in 2017 and was given a green card, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on X.

Noem also said that she is instructing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause the visa program following President Donald Trump’s direction.

“The Brown University shooter, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente entered the United States through the diversity lottery immigrant visa program (DV1) in 2017 and was granted a green card. This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country,” Noem asserted in the post.

“In 2017, President Trump fought to end this program, following the devastating NYC truck ramming by an ISIS terrorist, who entered under the DV1 program, and murdered eight people,” she continued. “At President Trump’s direction, I am immediately directing USCIS to pause the DV1 program to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program.”

CLAUDIO MANUEL NEVES-VALENTE IDENTIFIED AS BROWN UNIVERSITY AND MIT SHOOTING SUSPECT, FOUND DEAD

Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a Portuguese national who was found dead on Thursday from “a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” according to officials, was the suspect in both the Brown University shooting and in the separate murder of an M.I.T. professor.

Valente was a Brown University student more than two decades ago, according to school President Christina Paxson.

CLAUDIO MANUEL NEVES-VALENTE RESPONSIBLE FOR BROWN SHOOTING, MIT PROFESSOR’S MURDER, AUTHORITIES SAY

“Neves Valente was enrolled at Brown as a graduate student from Fall 2000 to Spring 2001, but he has no active affiliation with Brown and has not been affiliated with Brown since 2003. He was not a current student, was not an employee and did not receive a degree from the University, attending for only three semesters as a graduate student until taking a leave in 2001 and formally withdrawing effective July 31, 2003,” she noted. 

WHO WAS NUNO LOUREIRO? MIT PROFESSOR GUNNED DOWN IN APARTMENT NEAR UNIVERSITY

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“Neves Valente was admitted to Brown’s Graduate School to study in the Sc.M-PhD program in physics,” Paxson indicated. 

President Donald Trump heads to battleground North Carolina on Friday as he aims to keep an open Senate seat, previously held by a Republican, in GOP hands in next year’s midterm elections.

Trump will hold an evening event on affordability as he teams up in the crucial southeastern state with Michael Whatley, a former Republican National Committee (RNC) chair and clear frontrunner for the GOP Senate nomination in the 2026 race to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Thom Tillis.

Whatley is likely to face off next year against former two-term Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in what’s expected to be one of the most expensive and crucial Senate battles in the country, as the GOP works to hold its 53-47 majority in the chamber. And rising prices will be a top issue on the campaign trail.

“President Trump won North Carolina all three times. 2016, 2020, and 2024… because he connects directly with the people of North Carolina, talking about the issues that they care about. So it is very important to have him on the ground,” Whatley emphasized this week in a Fox News Digital interview.

TRUMP-BACKED RNC CHAIR JUMPS INTO ‘MARQUEE’ SENATE BATTLE 

Low propensity MAGA voters and other Trump supporters don’t always head to the polls in elections when the president’s not on the ballot, which is a major concern for Republicans heading into next year’s midterms.

That’s why Whatley, a former state GOP chair whom Trump handpicked in 2024 to run the RNC and urged this summer to run for the Senate, would love to see the president return to North Carolina numerous times next year.

GOP SENATE CAMPAIGN CHIEF AIMS TO EXPAND 2026 MAP IN THIS BLUE-LEANING STATE

“He is fantastically popular in North Carolina,” Whatley said of Trump. “He has a real affinity for the state. The voters…love him, and it’ll be very, very good to get him back in North Carolina.”

But more importantly, Whatley and other Republicans are aiming to frame the 2026 elections as a referendum on Trump and his agenda.

“We’re certainly going to need him to be on the ballot,” Whatley emphasized. “When you think about what happens if we lose the House, if we lose the Senate, if the Democrats take over, and they go right back to investigations and hoaxes and impeachments, that is really, truly the president and his legacy are going to be on the ballot.”

With inflation remaining persistent this year, Democrats have stayed laser focused on the issue of affordability, which fueled them to decisive victories in last month’s 2025 elections and over performances in a slew of special elections this year.

THE GOP’S TAKE ON HIGH-PROFILE SENATE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES: ‘THEY’RE IN SHAMBLES’

The same issue that boosted Trump and Republicans to sweeping ballot box victories in 2024 is now dragging the president’s approval ratings on the economy to record lows.

Whatley argued that the president “is fighting right now to bring down gasoline prices… We’re fighting, you know, every day against the Fed, trying to get them to lower interest rates and make housing more affordable. And you know, there’s, there’s a fight every day with this administration to try and bring down the prices for everybody.”

And looking ahead to next year, Whatley said, “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. We need to make sure that we have the trade policies, the tax policies, the regulatory policies from this administration that are going to help our small businesses, our manufacturers and our farmers across North Carolina.”

But Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin sees 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 said in a statement ahead of Trump’s stop in North Carolina.

Whatley has been busy crisscrossing North Carolina and highlighted that “we’re talking to every single community. We will be in all 100 counties across North Carolina, and we’re fighting for every single family.”

And he plans to hold tight to Trump.

“Our voters know Donald Trump, and they know me. I’ve worked on his campaigns since 2016. President Trump won North Carolina in all three election cycles. So we know how to win, and we have the policies that are going to win,” Whatley emphasized.

And pointing to Cooper, who won election and re-election four times as attorney general before becoming governor, Whatley charged that “Roy Cooper is on the wrong side of every 80-20 issue. He has fought harder for criminals, for illegal aliens, men who want to, you know, play in women’s sports and be in women’s locker rooms. Those are issue sets that he’s going to have to defend.”

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But Cooper’s campaign countered, saying in a statement to Fox News Digital that the former governor “has spent his career fighting for North Carolina families by lowering health care costs and keeping their communities safe while Michael Whatley spent decades at the beck and call of DC politicians delivering for billionaires and special interests at the expense of the middle class.”

Since the government shutdown ended in early December, debate over the expiration of COVID-era Obamacare subsidies has intensified, and an overwhelming majority of voters have expressed concern about healthcare costs.

The latest Fox News national survey, released Thursday, finds 86% are extremely or very concerned about the price of healthcare, up 5 points since 2023.

The 55% of voters who are extremely concerned about health costs is up from 46% in 2023. Majorities of Democrats (67%) and independents (57%) are extremely concerned, while 4 in 10 Republicans say the same (43%).

FOX NEWS POLL: AS PRICES PINCH, VOTERS SEE TRUMP FOCUSED ELSEWHERE 

The increase in total concern can mostly be attributed to double-digit jumps among college-educated men (+16) and Democrats (+11).

The only issue voters are more concerned about is high prices generally (90%). The next closest is political divisions at 82%, while all other issues rank below 80%: the decline of moral values (75%), crime/public safety (74%), federal budget deficit (71%), ICE detentions/deportations (66%), artificial intelligence (63%), climate change (58%) and illegal immigration (57%).

For large majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents, healthcare is a bipartisan concern. For Democrats (92% concerned) and independents (83%), healthcare prices rank second in their priorities behind inflation, while Republicans (80%) rank it fourth behind inflation, crime and the decline of moral values.

Unease over healthcare prices ranks second or third behind inflation across most demographic categories, including gender, age and income.

The biggest healthcare concern for voters is the price of insurance (44%). Far behind that are issues like the prices charged by doctors and hospitals (17%), the quality of care (12%), complicated insurance requirements/paperwork (10%), prescription drug prices (9%) and accessibility (8%).

FOX NEWS POLL: HOLIDAY TOGETHERNESS TOPS POLITICAL DIFFERENCES

Voters across a range of demographic groups rank the price of health insurance as their biggest worry, but voters under age 30, Republicans and parents worry to a lesser degree, with prices being charged by doctors/hospitals also causing notable concern.

There is a gap between voter concern about healthcare costs and the priorities of the president. When asked where they want President Donald Trump to focus more attention, 19% say healthcare, making it (once again) the second most important issue, trailing only high prices (42%).

Amid these rising concerns, the president receives some of his lowest marks on healthcare, with 37% approving of the job he’s doing and 62% disapproving. His ratings are similar on government spending (37% approve, 62% disapprove) and tariffs (36%, 64%).

Trump’s ratings are higher, but still underwater, on crime and public safety (47% approve, 52% disapprove), immigration (45%, 55%), foreign policy (42%, 57%), and the economy (39%, 61%). His best rating is on border security, where a slim 51% majority approve and 49% disapprove.

Overall, 44% of voters approve of Trump’s performance, while 56% disapprove.

One more thing …

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has stirred debate with recent changes to U.S. vaccine guidelines.

Seven in 10 voters oppose eliminating vaccine requirements for children attending public school, including almost all Democrats (91% oppose), three-quarters of independents (76%), and over half of Republicans (55%). Non-parents (76%) are more likely than parents (65%) to oppose the measure.

CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE

One quarter overall favor cutting vaccine requirements (26%), with support highest among MAGA supporters (52% favor), Republicans (45%), White evangelical Christians (41%) and Hispanics (40%).

Kennedy’s job rating is underwater by 12 points, matching Trump’s (each with 44% approve, 56% disapprove). That’s better than Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (-19) and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (-13) but worse than Secretary of State Marco Rubio (-5) and Vice President JD Vance (-8).

Conducted Dec. 12-15, 2025, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,001 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (116) and cellphones (630) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (255). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.

A week after Time Magazine named the “Architects of AI” as Person of the Year, the latest Fox News national survey of registered voters finds broad support for careful development of artificial intelligence — yet little agreement on who should regulate it.

The poll, released Thursday, finds 8 in 10 voters favor a careful approach to developing AI to manage potential risks to the U.S., while 2 in 10 prefer rapid advancement to stay ahead of countries like China.

Although majorities across the board urge caution, women, Democrats, voters under age 30, liberals, and moms are more likely to support a slower pace, compared to men, Republicans, voters ages 65 and above, conservatives, and dads who support forging ahead.

Voters are divided over who should oversee the new technology, splitting between the tech industry itself (28%), state governments (26%), and Congress (24%). Few think the president should regulate it (11%), while about 1 in 10 don’t think it should be regulated at all.  

FOX NEWS POLL: AS PRICES PINCH, VOTERS SEE TRUMP FOCUSED ELSEWHERE 

While views are generally divided across demographic groups, it’s notable that men and voters 65+ prefer Congress take control of AI development, while women and younger voters think the tech industry should monitor its own creations.

Nearly half of voters (48%) use AI at least monthly — which is up 6 points since June — while a slight majority use it rarely, if at all (52%). Voters under age 30 are three times more likely to use AI monthly than those 65 and up.

Among monthly users, the most common purposes are for research and learning new things (24%), asking questions (15%), professional tasks (12%), and writing assistance such as spelling, or grammar (10%). 

FOX NEWS POLL: HOLIDAY TOGETHERNESS TOPS POLITICAL DIFFERENCES

As usage grows, however, so has concern. Sixty-three percent are extremely or very worried about AI — up 7 points from two years ago.

The increase in concern is widespread, but notable among voters under age 30 (+13 points), liberals (+13), independents (+11), Democrats, suburban and rural voters (+10 each), and women (+9).

Thinking about the financial impact, voters are twice as likely to believe AI will increase income inequality (44%) rather than decrease it (20%) over the next five years. One-third say it won’t make a difference (35%).

Voters earning $50,000 or more are more likely to say AI will widen the gap (49%) than those making under $50,000 (37%). And by nearly 20 points, voters under age 30 are more likely to think income inequality will increase (54%) than voters ages 65 and over (33%).

There is rare bipartisan agreement and no gender gap, with more than 4 in 10 Democrats, Republicans, independents, men, and women all expecting AI will widen the income gap.

One more thing…

Four in 10 AI users say they mind their manners when using the technology and politely say “please” and “thank you,” but 6 in 10 skip the pleasantries.

CLICK HERE FOR CROSSTABS AND TOPLINE
Women more than men, younger voters more than people 65 and up, and independents more than Democrats or Republicans use social niceties when interacting with AI.

Conducted Dec. 12-15, 2025, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,001 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (116) and cellphones (630) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (255). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

-Magnitude ‘cannot be overstated’: feds say Minnesota fraud may be half of $18B total

–Democratic National Committee flip flops, pulls plug on its 2024 election ‘autopsy’

-HHS unleashes sweeping crackdown on child ‘sex-rejecting procedures,’ threatens hospital, Medicaid funding

House Dems drop Epstein images a day before Trump administration’s release deadline

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released 68 more photos related to late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein as the committee continues to work through tens of thousands of files the Department of Justice (DOJ) has made available to lawmakers in collaboration with their investigation into Epstein’s crimes.

“Oversight Democrats will continue to release photographs and documents from the Epstein estate to provide transparency for the American people,” ranking member Robert Garcia, D-Calif., said in a press release.

Like a previous set of images released last week, the new photos have a mix of locations, images of Epstein in meetings and images of women with faces redacted by the committee…READ MORE.
 

White House

DOWN WITH DEI: Federal watchdog urges White men to report possible workplace discrimination; Vance boosts message

REBRAND: Board votes Kennedy Center to be renamed Trump-Kennedy Center, Leavitt says

BIRTHDAY BASH: Trump launches massive ‘Freedom 250’ push to ignite America’s 250th birthday celebration

‘THANK YOU’: Dan Bongino replies to Kash Patel’s praise following departure announcement: ‘honor of a lifetime’

NEW WEED RULES: Trump signs order to reclassify marijuana a less dangerous drug amid GOP backlash

World Stage

$11B FIREPOWER: Trump admin announces $11B Taiwan arms sales deal

Capitol Hill

SAY HER NAME: Mom praises House for passing key immigration bill, bashes Crockett for dismissing daughter’s murder

DUELING PRIORITIES: GOP, Democrats clash on Capitol Hill as Republicans target cartels and Dems push to curb ICE partnerships

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCE: DOJ faces Friday deadline to release Epstein files as lawmakers push for transparency

POT POLICY: House Republicans demand Trump reverse course after ‘strongly considering’ marijuana executive order

Across America 

TAFOYA TILT: Once a Super Bowl sideline star, Tafoya now at the center of GOP’s bold play for Minnesota Senate seat

MISSION CONTINUES: Turning Point USA holds AmericaFest conference following Charlie Kirk assassination

Get the latest updates on the Trump administration and Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.