NationalWatch

With the national spotlight firmly on a fatal shooting in Minnesota involving an ICE agent, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California used a high-profile speech to target President Donald Trump over “citizens shot” and what the likely Democratic presidential contender claimed was “using American cities as training grounds for the United States military.”

Newsom’s comments on Thursday, in his final State of the State address as governor of the nation’s most populous state, came in the wake of the shooting death of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, after she confronted ICE agents from inside her car in Minneapolis.

Video of the incident has gone viral, and while Democrats have heavily criticized the shooting, the Trump administration is vocally defending the actions of the ICE agent.

“The woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self-defense,” Trump said in a social media post.’

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And the president argued that “the reason these incidents are happening is because the Radical Left is threatening, assaulting, and targeting our Law Enforcement Officers and ICE Agents on a daily basis.”

Vice President JD Vance, at a Thursday White House briefing, claimed Good was “brainwashed” and suggested that she was tied to a “broader, left-wing network.”

Hours after the incident, Newsom charged it was “state-sponsored terrorism.”

PHOTOS RELEASED OF RENEE NICOLE GOOD, THE US CITIZEN KILLED BY ICE IN MINNESOTA

And a day later, in his address to the California legislature, the governor took aim at the president and his unprecedented moves during his first year back in the White House.

“The president believes that might makes right, that the courts are simply speed bumps, not stops. That democracy is a nuisance to be circumvented. Secret police, businesses being raided, windows smashed, citizens detained, citizens shot, masked men snatching, people in broad daylight, people disappearing,” Newsom charged.

And the governor, who has been arguably the most vocal and visible Democrat leading the resistance to Trump, accused the president of governing through fear by instigating “purposeful chaos emanating from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.”

And he criticized what he called “a carnival of chaos” as he pointed to the Trump administration’s National Guard deployments to Democrat-governed cities, including Los Angeles, as well as cuts in key federal funding.

“None of this is normal,” Newsom emphasized.

Newsom said that California must stand up to Trump’s “assault on our values,” while warning that democracy is at stake.

Newsom and the president have repeatedly clashed in the first year of Trump’s second administration, from the National Guard deployment to Los Angeles to the federal government’s push to block California’s fuel standards and efforts to eventually ban new gas-powered cars.

And the two politicians have also taken aim at each other over the devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires that killed over 30 people and destroyed neighborhoods. Wednesday was the one-year anniversary of the outbreak of those wildfires.

Officially, Newsom’s State of the State address was designed to showcase his accomplishments as governor and lay out his agenda for his final year in office. “You’ve seen double-digit decreases in crime overall in the state of California,” the governor touted.

California Republican Party Chairwoman Corrin Rankin, responding in a statement, charged that “Governor Newsom told Californians that homelessness is down, crime is at record lows, schools are improving, and Los Angeles is recovering after the Palisades fires. Governor Newsom painted a picture of a California that exists in his imagination.”

Unofficially, the speech was an opportunity for Newsom to portray himself as a national leader of the Democratic Party ahead of what many expect will be a 2028 White House run.

And the governor didn’t waste the opportunity.

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Newsom, who led the fight against Trump’s redistricting push ahead of November’s midterm elections, said, “We’re not retreating.”

And he described California as “a beacon” that is :providing a different narrative and operational model of policy for others to follow.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom used his final State of the State address Thursday to spotlight the state’s court fights with the federal government, saying the state has filed dozens of lawsuits against the Trump administration.

The Democrat framed the legal battles as a dispute over presidential authority, telling lawmakers and attendees that “no one, particularly the president of the United States, stands above the law.”

“We’ve gone to court and, of course, protect our people, pushing back against this executive overreach,” Newsom said.

The governor pointed to litigation filed during a special session and tied the legal efforts to what he described as federal actions that harmed Californians.

NEWSOM INVOKES SCRIPTURE IN ATTACK ON GOP OVER SHUTDOWN AFFECTING FOOD ASSISTANCE: ‘CRUELTY IS THE POLICY’

“Fifty-two lawsuits have been filed, funded by you, by the way, in this special session that all of you led,” Newsom said, adding that the cases involved “about $168 billion in illegally frozen federal resources that belong to our schools, that belong to our hospitals, that belong to our seniors.”

Newsom said the court strategy has already produced results.

“We have won the request for emergency relief,” he said, adding that California has “affirmed the Constitution of the United States as the supreme law of the land.”

NEWSOM SAYS TRUMP IS ONE OF THE ‘MOST DESTRUCTIVE’ PRESIDENT OF HIS LIFETIME: ‘THIS GUY IS RECKLESS’

Addressing President Donald Trump, Newsom said, “You can’t cut off critical food assistance for millions of people,” adding, “You can’t send the military into American cities without justification, and you cannot cruelly and illegally cut off funding for medical research, homeland security, or disaster response.”

Newsom’s emphasis on legal challenges comes as the Trump administration has launched a federal probe into alleged fraud tied to California programs, including homelessness spending, with a top federal prosecutor publicly criticizing the state’s oversight. 

Newsom’s office has rejected those accusations, saying the governor has blocked fraud and protected taxpayers. Later in the address, Newsom turned to homelessness and urged counties to take a more aggressive approach.

TRUMP ADMIN SUES OVER CALIFORNIA LAW BANNING ICE FROM WEARING FACE MASKS TO SHIELD IDENTITIES

“So I say this with love and respect to the counties — no more excuses. It’s time to bring people off the streets and out of encampments,” he said.

Newsom defended California’s high-speed rail project as well, calling it “the nation’s first high speed rail system.”

“Full environmental clearance is done,” Newsom said, while claiming “more than 60 miles of guideway have been completed ready for immediate track lane in the Central Valley.”

On housing, Newsom criticized large investors, warning about “institutional investors that are snatching up homes by the hundreds and thousands at a time.”

“These investors are crushing the dream of homeownership,” he said, adding, “I think it’s shameful that we allow private equity firms… become some of the biggest landlords here in our cities.”

Republican leaders responded critically to Newsom’s remarks.

California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones called the address an “airbrushed spin job,” accusing the governor of “working hard to pull the wool over the eyes of the nation.”

Assemblyman James Gallagher likewise dismissed the speech as “more of the same,” arguing it was time for what he described as a “third wave politics” of both parties working together to solve California’s problems.

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The statewide election to replace term-limited Gov. Newsom is scheduled for November 2026.

Newsom’s office did not provide additional comment beyond clarifying the lawsuit figure to Fox News Digital regarding Thursday’s State of the State address. 

Fox News Digital’s Madison Colombo contributed to this story.

The Trump administration is considering paying each Greenland resident thousands of dollars as part of a bid to encourage the territory to secede from Denmark and join the United States, according to Reuters. 

U.S. officials, including White House aides, have discussed payment figures ranging from $10,000 to $100,000, the outlet reported, citing sources. 

For an island with a population of roughly 57,000, the total cost could range from more than half a billion dollars to nearly $6 billion.

While discussions of a lump-sum payment are not new, Reuters reported that officials have become more serious in recent days and are considering higher amounts.

NOEM ANNOUNCES ARCTIC DEFENSE PACT WITH CANADA, FINLAND TO COUNTER RIVAL POWERS

The White House referred Fox News Digital on Thursday to remarks by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who said during a Wednesday briefing that buying Greenland would benefit U.S. national security.

“The acquisition of Greenland by the United States is not a new idea,” Leavitt said. 

“The president has been very open and clear with all of you and the world that he views it as in the best interest of the United States to deter Russian and Chinese aggression in the Arctic region,” she said. “That’s why his team is currently talking about what a potential purchase would look like.”

TRUMP TAPS REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR TO SERVE AS SPECIAL ENVOY TO GREENLAND

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that he plans to meet with his Danish counterpart next week to discuss Greenland.

Trump has long contended that the U.S. should acquire Greenland, arguing that its mineral resources are vital in advancing U.S. military technologies and that the Western Hemisphere should broadly fall under Washington’s geopolitical influence.

On Sunday, Trump told reporters Greenland is surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships and that Denmark, which governs Greenland, lacks the capability to provide the level of defense and oversight that meets U.S. national security standards.

FROM CARACAS TO NUUK: MADURO RAID SPARKS FRESH TRUMP PUSH ON GREENLAND

“It’s so strategic,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.”

Authorities in Greenland and Denmark insist that Greenland is not for sale, and European leaders have criticized the proposal, arguing that it undermines trust between the U.S. and Denmark as NATO allies. Under the NATO defense agreement, allies are obliged to support one another militarily if attacked, making the idea of a sale particularly sensitive.

“This is enough,” Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday, responding to Trump’s Sunday remarks about acquiring the island. “No more pressure. No more hints. No more fantasies about annexation.”

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On Tuesday, Nielsen added that Greenland will remain part of Denmark despite U.S. efforts.

“Our country isn’t something you can deny or take over because you want to,” he added. “Once again, I urge the United States to seek respectful dialogue through the correct diplomatic and political channels and utilizing pre-existing forums that are based on agreements already in place with the United States. The dialogue must take place with respect to the fact that Greenland’s status is rooted in international law and the principle of territorial integrity.” 

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Thursday demanded that two private airline companies stop providing flights for ICE to quickly remove illegal immigrants who have been detained, citing the recent ICE-involved shooting in Minneapolis.

In a letter to top executives of GlobalX Airlines and Eastern Air Express, Healey criticized the companies for “sever[ing illegal immigrants] from their family, friends, community, and legal counsel without due process of law.”

“They are hard-working, productive, and beloved members of our community who have been indiscriminately targeted for deportation proceedings,” Healey wrote. “… Some have been United States citizens. Some have been children. And as we have seen in our communities and, most recently, in Minnesota, ICE’s tactics are increasingly chaotic, brutal, and even deadly. This doesn’t make our communities safer — it, in fact, makes us all less safe.”

DEM SENATE CANDIDATE MOCKED AFTER CLAIM ABOUT DISMANTLING ICE GOES VIRAL: ‘UNMASK THESE THUGS’

Twin Cities resident Renee Nicole Good, 37, was shot and killed Wednesday by an ICE agent after she allegedly accelerated her car toward him during an immigration operation.

Healey also alleged the Trump administration’s use of private jets for ICE activity is costing taxpayers, while private airlines profit.

“On behalf of American taxpayers, I also find it incomprehensible that the Trump administration is choosing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on private jets to obstruct people’s due process at a time when they are denying hunger benefits, cutting health care access, and raising costs on everyone through costly tariffs,” she wrote. “This is not the justice we believe in or stand for in Massachusetts or as Americans. I hope your company agrees.”

WALZ PREPARES NATIONAL GUARD AFTER WOMAN KILLED IN ICE OPERATION: ‘NEVER BEEN AT WAR’ WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

The letter comes after Healey demanded that ICE halt ICE flights out of Hanscom Field airport, which is located roughly 20 miles outside Boston in Bedford, Massachusetts.

Avelo Airlines, a company that was previously chartering flights for ICE in Massachusetts, recently announced they had cut ties with the administration.

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“One of your peer companies recently cut ties with ICE. It’s time for you to do the same,” Healey wrote in the letter.

Healey’s office did not provide additional comment to Fox News Digital.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and former Biden Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan are taking heat for helping to kill a deal for Amazon to acquire Roomba creator iRobot, ultimately leading to the company going bankrupt and likely falling under Chinese control.

Michael Lucci, founder and CEO of State Armor, a U.S. national security watchdog group, ripped into Warren and Khan over their opposition to the deal. Lucci told Fox News Digital that Warren and Khan’s opposition directly contributed to China’s “growing espionage foothold inside American homes” and that “now it’ll be even harder for American families to avoid CCP spy devices.”

In January 2024, iRobot announced that its deal to be acquired by Amazon had collapsed. At the time, iRobot cited regulatory difficulties, especially in Europe, for the deal falling through. In a joint Amazon-iRobot statement, the companies said the merger had “no path to regulatory approval in the European Union.”

This followed intense opposition from progressive lawmakers, including Warren, over “concerns about Amazon’s anticompetitive practices that put consumers and their privacy at risk.”

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

The Massachusetts senator said, “I have serious concerns about the Amazon-iRobot deal – dominant companies like Amazon shouldn’t be allowed to just buy their way out of competing.”

“The FTC should oppose this proposed merger to protect competition, lower consumer prices, and rein in Amazon’s well-documented anticompetitive activities,” said Warren.

The FTC under Khan, who served as a top advisor to New York City socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani‘s transition team, also opposed the deal.

At the time, the FTC released a statement after the Amazon-iRobot merger fell through in which it said, “We are pleased that Amazon and iRobot have abandoned their proposed transaction.”

EXAMINING THE NEXT THREAT FROM COMMUNIST CHINA: OUR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

The commission said that its “investigation revealed significant concerns about the transaction’s potential competitive effects,” adding, “The FTC will not hesitate to take action in enforcing the antitrust laws to ensure that competition remains robust.”

Two years later, after filing for bankruptcy in December, iRobot is set to be acquired by Chinese company Shenzhen Picea Robotics and affiliated Santrum Hong Kong. This has given rise to new concerns about iRobot’s sensitive home mapping data falling into the Chinese Communist Party’s hands.

As Shenzhen Picea Robotics and Santrum Hong Kong are Chinese-controlled companies, they are subject to CCP laws. This means that any U.S. consumer data the companies gain control of may be subject to China’s national intelligence laws, which can compel firms to provide information to the government without judicial oversight or public disclosure.

“While Lina Khan and Elizabeth Warren congratulate themselves for blocking Amazon’s iRobot acquisition, the real winner is Communist China,” Lucci told Fox News Digital.

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

“iRobot collapsed into bankruptcy and now Beijing-linked buyers are snapping up its assets, including sensitive home-mapping data. That’s the end result of their so-called ‘consumer protection,’” he went on.

“In the end, American and European regulators played the role of useful idiots, handing China more access and leverage, and adding to a growing espionage foothold inside American homes,” he said. “Now it’ll be even harder for American families to avoid CCP spy devices.”

In a statement shared with Fox News Digital, Amazon Chief Global Affairs and Legal Officer David Zapolsky commented that “this is an unfortunate textbook example of regulators — in this case the European Commission and the FTC — losing the forest for the trees, resulting in the loss of an innovative American company, American jobs, and American IP.”

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“When mergers are deterred, it can have long-lasting negative effects on companies and workers,” said Zapolsky, adding, “These are the very things regulators say they are trying to protect, but when the processes become overburdensome and disproportionate, companies, workers, and consumers lose out.”

In another statement, iRobot co-founder Colin Angle, who stepped down from company leadership in 2024, lamented its filing for bankruptcy, saying, “Innovation doesn’t fail only when ideas are wrong—it can fail when the path to scale is removed.”

“When companies that create categories are denied viable ways to grow, everyone pays the price: consumers, employees, and the broader innovation economy,” said Angle. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Warren, Khan and iRobot for comment but did not immediately receive a response. 

President Donald Trump called for defense spending to be raised to $1.5 trillion, a 50% increase over the current budget. 

“After long and difficult negotiations with Senators, Congressmen, Secretaries, and other Political Representatives, I have determined that, for the Good of our Country, especially in these very troubled and dangerous times, our Military Budget for the year 2027 should not be $1 Trillion Dollars, but rather $1.5 Trillion Dollars,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday evening. 

“This will allow us to build the “Dream Military” that we have long been entitled to and, more importantly, that will keep us SAFE and SECURE, regardless of foe.” 

The president said he came up with the number after tariff revenues created a surplus of cash. He claimed the levies were bringing in enough money to pay for both a major boost to the defense budget “easily,” pay down the national debt, which is more than $38 trillion, and offer “a substantial dividend to moderate income patriots.”

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

The boost likely reflects efforts to fund Trump’s ambitious military plans, from the Golden Dome homeland missile defense shield to a new ‘Trump class’ of battleships.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget found that the increased budget would cost about $5 trillion from 2027 to 2035, or $5.7 trillion with interest. Tariff revenues, the group found, would cover about half the cost – $2.5 trillion or $3 trillion with interest. 

The Supreme Court is expected to rule in a major case Friday that will determine the legality of Trump’s sweeping tariff strategy.

CONGRESS UNVEILS $900B DEFENSE BILL TARGETING CHINA WITH TECH BANS, INVESTMENT CRACKDOWN, US TROOP PAY RAISE

This year the defense budget is expected to breach $1 trillion for the first time thanks to a $150 billion reconciliation bill Congress passed to boost the expected $900 billion defense spending legislation for fiscal year 2026. Congress has yet to pass a full-year defense budget for 2026.

Some Republicans have long called for a major increase to defense spending to bring the topline total to 5% of GDP, as the $1.5 trillion budget would do, up from the current 3.5%.

Trump has ramped up pressure on Europe to increase its national security spending to 5% of GDP – 3.5% on core military requirements and 1.5% on defense-related areas like cybersecurity and critical infrastructure.

Trump’s budget announcement came hours after defense stocks took a dip when he condemned the performance rates of major defense contractors. In a separate Truth Social post he announced he would not allow defense firms to buy back their own stocks, offer large salaries to executives or issue dividends to shareholders. 

“Executive Pay Packages in the Defense Industry are exorbitant and unjustifiable given how slowly these Companies are delivering vital Equipment to our Military, and our Allies,” he said. 

“​Defense Companies are not producing our Great Military Equipment rapidly enough and, once produced, not maintaining it properly or quickly.”

He said that executives would not be allowed to make above $5 million until they build new production plants.

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Stock buybacks, dividends and executive compensation are generally governed by securities law, state corporate law and private contracts, and cannot be broadly restricted without congressional action.

An executive order the White House released Wednesday frames the restrictions as conditions on future defense contracts, rather than a blanket prohibition. The order directs the secretary of war to ensure that new contracts include provisions barring stock buybacks and corporate distributions during periods of underperformance, non-compliance or inadequate production, as determined by the Pentagon.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling Friday in a case that could reshape President Donald Trump’s trade agenda.

At issue is the scope of presidential authority to impose tariffs under longstanding trade laws.

The cases stem from lawsuits filed by an educational toy manufacturer and a family-owned wine and spirits importer, with the court weighing whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) authorized the tariffs or whether the move exceeded constitutional limits.

SUPREME COURT EXPECTED TO RULE FRIDAY ON TRUMP’S POWER TO IMPOSE TARIFFS

The Trump administration has invoked the IEEPA to impose five separate tariff measures — including reciprocal tariffs, fentanyl-related tariffs, tariffs tied to Russian oil imports currently levied on Indian goods, Brazil-related tariffs, and trade agreements negotiated with foreign countries under the law — a sweeping use of emergency powers now under scrutiny by the court.

TRUMP SAYS US WOULD BE ‘DESTROYED’ WITHOUT TARIFF REVENUE

One of the most consequential of those measures came in April, when Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs, a broad set of import taxes he said were designed to correct long-standing trade imbalances and reduce the U.S. reliance on foreign goods.

The effect was immediate: duty collections jumped from $9.6 billion in March to $23.9 billion in May. Total duty revenue reached $215.2 billion in fiscal year 2025, which ended Sept. 30, according to the Treasury Department’s “Customs and Certain Excise Taxes” report.

That momentum has carried into the new fiscal year, with more than $98 billion pouring into federal coffers since Oct. 1, Treasury data shows.

The tariff windfall has emerged as a central pillar of Trump’s economic agenda, with the president arguing that tariffs can serve as a major source of government revenue to support domestic priorities.

On Nov. 9, Trump proposed using revenue from trade duties to provide a $2,000 dividend to low- and middle-income Americans by mid-2026. 

TRUMP SAYS TARIFF-FUNDED DIVIDEND PAYMENTS FOR AMERICANS WILL BEGIN NEXT YEAR

Tariffs are taxes levied on imported goods. Although they are paid by companies at the border, the costs are often passed along through higher prices, leaving consumers to bear much of the burden.

He also said that any leftover funds could be used to pay down the nation’s debt, which stands just north of $38 billion.

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During oral arguments in November, both conservative and liberal justices expressed doubts about the legality of the Trump administration’s tariffs.

A ruling expected this week will decide whether the tariffs and the revenue they generate can remain in place.

The Trump administration has said it could turn to alternative legal authorities to preserve the tariffs if the court rules against it.

President Donald Trump suffered a rare defeat from his own party on Thursday when a handful of Senate Republicans rebelled to curb his usage of military force in Venezuela. 

The attempt to reassert Congress’ war powers authority, led by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., survived despite broad support among most Senate Republicans, who argued that Trump’s use of the military in Venezuela was justified. 

Among the defectors were Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who co-sponsored the resolution, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, Todd Young, R-Ind., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo. 

But Thursday’s successful vote, which also handed Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., a rare defeat on the floor, is just the first step before the resolution officially passes. The Senate will have to take another vote, this time with the 60-vote filibuster threshold, before it becomes official. 

TRUMP EMBRACES US INTERVENTION IN VENEZUELA, OPENS DOOR TO BROADER LATIN AMERICA PUSH

Kaine’s resolution would effectively end any further military operations involving Venezuela without explicit congressional approval. It was one of many bids since Trump took office last year by the bipartisan group to claw back Congress’ authority in weighing in on military action.

The outcome of the vote remained an open question, even just moments before the final gavel. 

The defectors were on the fence on whether to rein Trump in following a classified briefing with administration officials on Operation Absolute Resolve, the codename of the mission to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Their issues weren’t necessarily with the actual operation itself, but with what comes next. And more specifically, if there would be further military activity in the country.

“We were told that there are currently no boots on the ground. Is it an option? What I heard was that everything is an option,” Hawley said.

KENNEDY SAYS MILITARY ACTION ON GREENLAND WOULD BE ‘WEAPONS-GRADE STUPID’ AS GOP RESISTS FORCE

But top administration officials, and several congressional Republicans briefed on the matter throughout the week, argued that the strikes in Venezuela were justified and that the military was used to assist in a law enforcement operation to capture Maduro.

Still, Senate Republican leadership was confident they would have the votes needed to kill the bipartisan resolution.

“Republicans support what the president has done,” Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said. “It was an incredible act and the military was absolutely superb.”

Before the vote, Kaine and Paul were already looking ahead at other opportunities to curb the administration’s use of military force without congressional approval.

WHITE HOUSE SAYS ‘RANGE OF OPTIONS,’ INCLUDING US MILITARY, ON TABLE AS TRUMP RENEWS PUSH TO ACQUIRE GREENLAND

Greenland reemerged as a hot topic on the Hill this week, following comments from Trump officials that indicated that military action wasn’t off the table to capture the colossal, resource-rich Arctic territory, where the U.S. already has a military base.

Several Republicans like the idea of purchasing the territory from Denmark but have not yet committed to claiming it by force. There are other countries that have entered or long been in Trump’s crosshairs for conquest, too, that the duo want to ensure Congress has a say on.

“We’re going to be working with others to file resolutions about Cuba, Mexico, Colombia and Greenland,” Kaine said. “And Nigeria — people didn’t pay attention but there was a U.S. military strike in Nigeria.”

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Paul said he would likely support future war powers resolutions, given his strong feelings about Congress’ constitutional authority.

“I’ve supported most of them, all of them,” Paul said. “I probably will continue to support them, because I — there’s some symbolism to this too, and symbolism is over, who should initiate and declare war, which I feel strongly about.”

The House will try Thursday to override President Donald Trump on two bills he vetoed recently. 

One is the “Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act,” which provides water to southeastern Colorado. The other is the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act. It hands over a portion of the Florida Everglades to the tribe.

Both bills passed the House and Senate unanimously.

The president criticized Colorado Democrat Gov. Jared Polis as a “bad” governor when explaining his reasons for vetoing that bill. The president caught criticism from Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., whose district would benefit from the water project.

Trump and Boebert have been at loggerheads since she was one of the most outspoken voices pushing for the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

The House will debate and vote on overriding the Colorado water project Thursday. We only expect debate on the Florida issue on Thursday.

CAPITOL HILL REVOLT THREATENS TRUMP’S VENEZUELA PLAYBOOK AMID CARIBBEAN STRIKE OVERSIGHT

It takes a two-thirds vote of those casting ballots to override a veto. The House currently has 431 members. So if every member votes, it takes 288 yeas to override. So you don’t know the magic number until the vote is closed, because it’s contingent on the total number of members casting ballots.

There is a good chance that the House could override the president’s veto – considering the fact that the House approved the bill unanimously.

TRUMP RALLIES HOUSE GOP AT KENNEDY CENTER DAYS AFTER MADURO CAPTURE

These two vetoes are the first ones of Trump’s second term.

The president vetoed 10 bills during his first term. Eight veto overrides failed. Lawmakers never attempted the override on one of them. But Congress overrode the veto of the annual defense policy bill in late 2020 and early 2021.

HOUSE GOP SPENDING BILLS PACK BILLIONS IN EARMARKS, SPARKING BACKLASH FROM FISCAL HAWKS

Successful veto overrides are rare. There have only been 112 veto overrides in the history of the republic. That’s out of 1,531 “regular” presidential vetoes. So that’s about 4%.

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Here’s another footnote:

The Senate also votes Thursday to rebuke the president over war powers and U.S. action in Venezuela. A similar measure came close to passing in the fall, before the recent operation in Venezuela. It’s unclear whether the war powers resolution will pass.

However, if the House overrides the president’s veto on the Colorado water bill, and the Senate votes in favor of the war powers resolution, that would mark two rare rebukes by the Republican president in one day.

The Trump–Kennedy Center is pushing back on a recent media narrative that its annual Honors awards show suffered a ratings flop under President Donald Trump compared to years prior, arguing that the broadcast performed strongly despite industry-wide headwinds and a dramatically different scheduling landscape.

“Comparing this year’s broadcast ratings to prior years is a classic apples-to-oranges comparison and evidence of far-left bias,” Roma Daravi, Trump–Kennedy Center vice president of public relations, told Fox News Digital of the ratings. “The program performed extremely well across key demographics and platforms, despite industry and timing disadvantages, including a Tuesday air date two days before Christmas.”

The 48th Kennedy Center Honors awards show was held in Washington, D.C., Dec. 7 and honored artists such as country singer George Strait, the members of rock band KISS, Tony-award winner Michael Crawford, Grammy-winner Gloria Gaynor, and Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone. The awards show is held each year to celebrate “individuals whose unique artistic contributions have shaped our world,” according to its website. 

Trump hosted the event, with its broadcast held weeks late Dec. 23, 2025, on CBS and Paramount+. 

JONATHAN TURLEY: TRUMP’S KENNEDY CENTER NAME CHANGE WILL KEEP LAWYERS BUSY FOR YEARS

The event averaged 3.01 million viewers, which is a 25% drop from 2024’s ratings when an average 4.1 million viewers tuned in, according to a report from Nielsen Live + Same Day Panel + Big Data reported by Variety in December. The ratings yielded headlines reporting that viewership “plummeted,” and late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert mocked Trump for hosting “the lowest-rated Kennedy Center Honors telecast of all time,” as Kimmel said in his Monday monologue.

Daravi countered that viewership for the awards show “tied for the #1 spot among adults aged 25–54, alongside a live NBA doubleheader” while citing that overall TV usage is “down roughly 20 percent year over year.” 

The NBA’s Tuesday night doubleheader Dec. 23, 2025, featured the Denver Nuggets visiting the Dallas Mavericks, followed by the Houston Rockets taking on the Los Angeles Clippers.

 “And on social media, Honors garnered 1.5 Billion impressions in just one night—up from only 50 Million similar impressions last year,” Daravi continued. “This was a successful night celebrating the outstanding achievements of our Honorees at the Trump Kennedy Center.” 

Trump predicted ahead of the event that ratings would be sky-high and that he would garner more viewers than late-night host Kimmel, who is a longtime critic and political foe of Trump’s. The president also predicted critics would “say, ‘He was horrible. He was terrible. It was a horrible situation.’ No, we’ll do fine. I’ve watched some of the people that host.” 

CHEAP TRICK DEFENDS TRUMP-HOSTED KENNEDY CENTER PERFORMANCE AS A TRIBUTE TO KISS

Trump celebrated during the event that “we’re bringing this building back to life like nobody ever thought was even possible.” The Honors awards show raised a record $23 million, nearly doubling 2024’s $12.7 million raised under the Biden administration’s final days. 

The 2024 broadcast was also held on a Sunday and had an NFL viewership in the lead up to the program, including a New England Patriots versus Buffalo Bills game that afternoon. 

BOARD VOTES KENNEDY CENTER TO BE RENAMED ‘TRUMP-KENNEDY CENTER,’ LEAVITT SAYS

The broadcast was held just days after the Trump administration announced that the center’s board of trustees unanimously voted to rename it “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” 

Presidents appoint the majority of the board’s trustees, with Trump dismissing the previously appointed Board of Trustees “who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture” in the early weeks of his second administration. Trump is also the first and only president to serve as the center’s chairman of the board. 

The name change set off swift rebuke among Democrats, with nonvoting board members including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and others claiming the move was illegal as it did not earn congressional approval ahead of time. 

The center said that the board agreed Trump saved the institution from financial ruin during his second term. 

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“The Kennedy Center Board of Trustees voted unanimously today to name the institution The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,”  Daravi told Fox News Digital of the name change. “The unanimous vote recognizes that the current Chairman saved the institution from financial ruin and physical destruction.” 

President Donald Trump is in favor of a Senate bill to impose new sanctions on Russia, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Wednesday.

Graham made the statement after meeting with Trump, saying the Senate could vote on the legislation “hopefully as early as next week.” A bipartisan group of senators has been drafting the suite of sanctions and negotiating to secure White House support for months.

“After a very productive meeting today with President Trump on a variety of issues, he greenlit the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that I have been working on for months with Senator [Richard] Blumenthal and many others,” Graham said Wednesday.

“Ukraine is making concessions for peace and Putin is all talk, continuing to kill the innocent,” he added.

WHY THE US COULD SNATCH A VENEZUELAN TANKER — AND NOT UNDER ‘WARTIME’ AUTHORITY USED IN CARTEL STRIKES

The bill seeks to dry up funding for Russia’s war machine, both by targeting Russian industries as well as other countries that purchase Russian oil, such as China and India.

Agreement on the bill came just as U.S. forces on Wednesday seized two sanctioned tankers in the Atlantic Ocean. The first was the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker in the North Atlantic Sea, while the second was the M/T Sophia, in the Caribbean.

The North Atlantic Sea seizure comes after the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Russia had sent a submarine and other naval assets to escort the tanker.

‘IRREGULAR’ ARMED GUARDS ABOARD RUSSIAN SHADOW TANKERS ALARM NORDIC-BALTIC GOVERNMENTS

The vessel had spent more than two weeks attempting to slip past U.S. enforcement efforts targeting sanctioned oil shipments near Venezuela, the outlet reported.

“The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT — anywhere in the world,” said Secretary of War Pete Hegseth after the tanker was seized.

Trump announced a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers going in and out of Venezuela in mid-December.

‘GHOST SHIPS’ FERRYING ILLICIT OIL HAVE SAILED INTO TRUMP’S CROSSHAIRS

Meanwhile, U.S. forces say the M/T Sophia was conducting “illicit activities” in the Caribbean and is being escorted by the U.S. Coast Guard to the United States for “final disposition.”

“Through Operation Southern Spear, the Department of War is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere. We will defend our Homeland and restore security and strength across the Americas,” said SOUTHCOM.

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U.S. Navy SEALs flown by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (“Night Stalkers”) seized the sanctioned Marinera tanker, previously named Bella 1, between Iceland and Britain, officials told Fox News.

Fox News’ Ashley Carnahan and Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary (DHS) Kristi Noem alleged at a press conference on Wednesday that the woman who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer was “stalking and impeding” agents all day.

Noem told reporters that ICE agents repeatedly instructed the victim, Renee Nicole Good, 37, to get out of her car and stop “obstructing” law enforcement but she did not comply.

The agency is labeling the incident as an act of “domestic terrorism.”

Video of the scene showed Good’s car in the middle of the street in a residential neighborhood as ICE agents in a dark gray Nissan Titan truck got out and approached her vehicle.

DEM SENATE CANDIDATE MOCKED AFTER CLAIM ABOUT DISMANTLING ICE GOES VIRAL: ‘UNMASK THESE THUGS’

Good is heard telling agents to “go around,” and as they walk toward her Honda Pilot, one agent tells her to “get out of the car.”

She then abruptly puts it in reverse and attempts to drive off before she is shot. 

Noem claimed the woman was trying to “weaponize her vehicle” and “attempted to run a law enforcement officer over.”

WALZ PREPARES NATIONAL GUARD AFTER WOMAN KILLED IN ICE OPERATION: ‘NEVER BEEN AT WAR’ WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said Good was shot in the head and strongly disputed the agency’s self-defense claims as “bulls—.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he too had seen the video of the incident and told people not to believe the DHS’ “propaganda machine” about the shooting.

“The state will ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice,” Walz noted.

WATCH VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT (GRAPHIC WARNING):

FAMILIAR PROTEST GROUPS MOBILIZE IMMEDIATELY AFTER ICE SHOOTING OF MINNESOTA PROTESTER

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told reporters at a press conference on Wednesday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are jointly leading an investigation.

The shooting of Good, a U.S. citizen, has intensified divisions on Capitol Hill, as lawmakers clash over the Trump administration’s immigration policy and ICE enforcement operations.

DHS said on Monday that it deployed 2,000 law enforcement officers to the Twin Cities to arrest “fraudsters, murderers, rapists, and gang members.”

WHO IS JACOB FREY? MEET THE DEM MAYOR WHO TOLD ICE TO ‘GET THE F— OUT’ OF HIS CITY

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., told reporters that ICE is “accountable to no one” and called for the agency to be “reined in.”

“We just saw them murder an American citizen in cold blood,” she said.

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Vice President JD Vance said on X that ICE officers have the full backing of the Trump administration.

“To the radicals assaulting them, doxxing them, and threatening them: congratulations, we’re going to work even harder to enforce the law,” he wrote.

Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland is expected to announce his retirement from Congress as soon as Thursday, Fox News confirmed, ending a decades-long career in the House.

Politico reported that Hoyer, 86, plans to step aside after serving in the House since 1981. The lawmaker teased a 10 a.m. ET House floor speech Thursday.

Hoyer represents a district stretching from the eastern suburbs of Washington, D.C., to southern Maryland and rose to become the second-ranking House Democrat under former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 

The Washington Post reported that Hoyer decided over the holidays not to seek re-election.

HOUSE REPUBLICAN WHO VOTED TO IMPEACH TRUMP IN 2021 WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION

Hoyer is the third-longest-serving current member of the House, and his retirement would open a competitive Democratic primary for his deep-blue Maryland seat.

He has said he does not plan to make an early endorsement, according to The Washington Post.

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

Hoyer quickly climbed the leadership ranks to become the No. 2 Democrat after first coming to the U.S. House in 1981. He served as majority leader after Democrats swept to power after the 2006 election, and again in 2019 after they regained control during President Donald Trump’s first term.

During President Barack Obama’s two terms, Hoyer helped pass the Affordable Care Act and other legislation.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro kicked off his 2026 re-election campaign Thursday, a move seen as a potential stepping stone for a Democratic presidential run in 2028.

In a re-election campaign launch video shared with Fox News Digital, Shapiro highlighted his pragmatic approach as governor to get things done for Pennsylvanians.

“We’ve gotten shit done all across our Commonwealth to make a real difference in people’s lives. Now, Pennsylvania is open for business,” the governor said, repeating his unofficial slogan.

And Shapiro, who was high up on then-Vice President Kamala Harris‘s shortlist for running mate in the summer of 2024, after she replaced then-President Biden as the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, pointed to the rebuilding of an interstate overpass that collapsed in 2023, shutting down one of the nation’s busiest highways.

JOSH SHAPIRO DEFENDS CLAIM THAT KAMALA HARRIS TRYING TO ‘COVER HER A—’ WITH CRITICAL BOOK EXCERPT

“When disaster struck, others underestimated us. But I never did. Reopen and ready for travelers, just 12 days after a devastating collapse,” Shaprio said in the video. “We cut through the red tape to get I-95 rebuilt in record time. We did it using materials from a Pennsylvania business and with the muscle and know-how of Pennsylvania union workers.”

In the video, which showcases the governor’s accomplishments, Shapiro also touts his bipartisan efforts, noting that “even with a divided state legislature — together — we’ve gotten a whole lot done on issues that have been stuck for decades. But there’s always more to do — more people to help, more Pennsylvanians to protect, more bridges to build.”

Following his video launch, the governor is scheduled to hold campaign kick-off events Thursday in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

Shapiro’s launch comes two days after his campaign showcased their war chest, announcing that the governor hauled in $10 million in fundraising in the final quarter of last year and started the new year with more than $30 million in his coffers.

The governor, a former two-term Pennsylvania attorney general who defeated conservative state Sen. Doug Mastriano by 15 points four years ago in the key battleground state’s gubernatorial election, is likely to face state Treasurer Stacy Garrity as his Republican challenger this November.

FRAUD FALLOUT FORCES WALZ TO ABANDON GUBERNATORIAL RE-ELECTION BID

Garrity, hoping to avoid an expensive and divisive primary, has already lined up endorsements and support from many Pennsylvania Republicans, including the backing of the state GOP. And Mastriano, who had been mulling a second straight bid, announced on Wednesday that he wouldn’t run for governor this year.

“The truth is that Josh Shapiro ignored the problems facing hardworking Pennsylvanians to gallivant around the country to raise money from liberal billionaires,” Matt Beynon, a top Garrity campaign adviser, told Fox News Digital. “Less than half of 8th graders read at grade level, over 3,000 of our bridges are deficient, and Pennsylvania families have one of the highest tax burdens in the country.”

But Shapiro enters the new year with formidable approval and favorable ratings in public opinion polls, and his campaign, pointing to his fundraising, said the governor was “in a position of unprecedented strength.”

A release from the campaign highlighted that the governor “is reporting the most money raised and the highest ending cash balance during the off-year ahead of an election of any Pennsylvania gubernatorial campaign on record.”

DEMOCRATIC HEAVYWEIGHTS HARRIS, NEWSOM TURN HEADS, FUEL 2028 SPECULATION

A sizable November victory by Shapiro in the high-profile general election swing state could give the governor momentum heading into what is likely to be a crowded and competitive race for the next Democratic presidential nomination. And that field could include candidates with much higher name recognition, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Anybody who has shown any interest in running for president will absolutely be closely watched during this year’s elections, and it’s only natural that they’ll be judged initially on their abilities in their home state,” longtime Democratic strategist Joe Caiazzo, a veteran of multiple presidential campaigns, told Fox News Digital.

Behind the scenes, Shapiro spent part of 2025 increasing his grip on the state party. And he recruited and cleared the field for a handful of congressional candidates in Pennsylvania running in what will likely be crucial midterm elections in the battle for the House majority.

The governor also campaigned for fellow Democrats on the ballot last year in Pennsylvania, helping his party to convincing victories in the off-year elections. And Shapiro also traveled to neighboring New Jersey to campaign on behalf of now-Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill in the high-profile gubernatorial showdown.

His efforts further raised his national profile and sparked further 2028 speculation.

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But John Brabender, a longtime Republican consultant who is advising Garrity, had a warning for Shapiro.

“The political graveyard is full of candidates who have miscalculated and have tried to run for multiple offices at the same time,” Brabender, who served as media consultant for President Donald Trump‘s 2024 campaign, said as he pointed to Shapiro’s likely national ambitions.

Congressional Republicans aren’t warming up to using military action to take a long-sought prize of President Donald Trump: Greenland.

The colossal, resource-rich arctic island reentered the Trump administration’s orbit following the successful capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. 

Top officials, like White House deputy chief of staff of policy Stephen Miller, reiterated earlier this week it was the position of the U.S. government that “Greenland should be part of the United States.” 

While the GOP has largely championed the Trump administration’s recent military action in Venezuela, lawmakers aren’t keen on replicating the same tactics to capture the Danish territory. 

TOP CANADIAN OFFICIALS TO VISIT GREENLAND AMID INTERNATIONAL FEARS AS TRUMP EYES NATO-LINKED TERRITORY

President Donald Trump has not made a push for military action there, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not rule it out during a news briefing Tuesday.

“All options are always on the table for President Trump as he examines what’s in the best interests of the United States,” Leavitt said. “But I will just say that the president’s first option always has been diplomacy.” 

Wednesday saw several Trump administration officials provide closed-door, classified briefings on both sides of the Capitol on the strikes, next steps and a possible exit strategy in Venezuela. 

Several Republicans would not say afterward whether the topic of Greenland came up in the meeting, and many reiterated that any military action would be taboo, given that the island is a territory of Denmark, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally.

“To invade Greenland and attack its sovereignty, a fellow NATO country, would be weapons-grade stupid,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Fox News Digital. “President Trump is not weapons-grade stupid, nor is Marco Rubio.”

Miller’s comments triggered rebuttals from several of America’s European allies, who in a joint statement on Tuesday contended that Greenland “belongs to its people.” 

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., wouldn’t say whether Greenland, broadly or as a next likely target, was discussed in the classified briefing.

But he told Fox News Digital that the massive island, which could fit California, Montana and Texas combined, had been on his mind. 

“I think that Greenland would be a huge asset to America,” Marshall said. 

REPUBLICANS RALLY BEHIND TRUMP’S MILITARY STRIKE TO ARREST MADURO AS DEMOCRATS SOUND ALARM: POLL

“I don’t want any military operation in Greenland,” he continued. “There’s no criminals there that I know of. I think it’s apples and oranges. It could be very critical to our national security. Going forward, I hope that we can work out a deal with Denmark.”

Despite the overseas saber-rattling, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after the briefing he would be meeting with officials from Denmark next week, and he noted that it has “always been the president’s intent from the very beginning” to buy the ice-encased island. 

“He said it very early on,” Rubio said. “I mean, this is not new. He talked about it in his first term, and he’s not the first U.S. president that has examined or looked at how could we acquire Greenland. There’s an interest there.”

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is one of the few Republicans who has pushed back against the administration’s most recent strikes in Venezuela and previous strikes in the Caribbean against alleged drug boats. But he didn’t appear opposed to the notion of purchasing Greenland.

TRUMP GREENLAND TAKEOVER WOULD END NATO, DENMARK ASSERTS

“To acquire Greenland, the best way would be not to insult them,” Paul said. “If I want to buy your country, I would think I would start out with flattery and not denigration.

“I think Greenland would have to be encouraged to further their independence movement,” he continued. “Then they would have to be encouraged that being part of the U.S. would have advantages. I think they would have to vote, basically, to become part of the United States.”

In the House of Representatives, a number of Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital similarly said they recognized the security significance of Greenland but were hesitant when asked about the possibility of military force.

“I understand the strategic importance,” Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital. “I think (military force) is not an option in this case scenario.

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“The secretary of state has made it clear that the goal is to work with our ally toward a mutually agreeable solution.”

Rep. Derek Schmidt, R-Kan., said, “I don’t think we should use military force,” adding “discussion” about acquiring the territory “never hurts.”

“Greenland is very important strategically,” Schmidt said. “That’s not a uniquely American position, that’s a NATO position. Everybody recognizes that … but I think we need to work with our allies.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., was more critical of the prospect of U.S. ownership.

“This is really dumb. Greenland and Denmark are our allies. There is no upside to demeaning our friends. But, it is causing wounds that will take time to heal,” he wrote on X this week.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is predicting that the Cuban regime will fall, possibly in 2026 or 2027.

Scott had said during an appearance last year on “60 Minutes” that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s days were “numbered,” predicting that “whether it’s internal or external,” something would “happen.” 

He also predicted that the removal of Maduro would “be the end of Cuba.”

So far, the first part of the senator’s prediction has been fulfilled, as the U.S. captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and extradited him to New York last week. 

SEN RICK SCOTT: I GREW UP IN PUBLIC HOUSING AND I KNOW HOW TO FIX OBAMACARE

Scott stood by his prognostication during a Tuesday appearance on NewsNation, forecasting that the end of the “Díaz-Canel regime” will “happen.”

“Everything takes longer than you think,” Scott said, noting that he thinks the Cuban regime will probably fall “maybe this year, maybe next year.”

CUBA IDENTIFIES 32 MILITARY PERSONNEL KILLED IN US OPERATION AGAINST MADURO REGIME IN VENEZUELA

“So who knows when it’s gonna happen. But we’re gonna get democracy,” Scott said.

TRUMP SAYS CUBA IS ‘READY TO FALL’ AFTER CAPTURE OF VENEZUELA’S MADURO

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President Donald Trump said during a Sunday gaggle aboard Air Force One that “Cuba is ready to fall.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday sent a letter inviting President Donald Trump to deliver the annual State of the Union Address before a Joint Session of Congress next month. 

“As our nation marks the Semiquincentennial Anniversary of American Independence, the United States stands stronger, freer, and more prosperous under your leadership and bold action,” the invitation states. “Together in 2025, your administration and the 119th Congress delivered one of the most consequential agendas in history, and Americans across this great country will experience the tangible results of commonsense governance.”

MINNESOTA FRAUD HEARING SPARKS IMMIGRATION CLASH AS GOP LAWMAKER SPOTLIGHTS SOMALI WELFARE DATA

Trump last addressed Congress on March 4, 2025, less than two months into his second term, but it was not a State of the Union. 

In his invitation, Johnson said Congress looks forward to “the important work ahead of us in 2026, serving the American people, defending liberty, and preserving this grand experiment in self-governance.”

MINNESOTA AG KEITH ELLISON DEFENDS FRAUD PROSECUTION, SAYS OFFICE HAS DONE ‘ENOUGH’

“To that end, it is my distinct honor and great privilege to invite you to address a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, in the Chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives,” he wrote. 

During Trump’s 2025 address, Rep. Al Green, D-Texas., was ejected from the House chamber minutes into the speech following his outburst. 

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In his remarks, Trump called his 2024 election victory a “mandate” for what was to come. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. 

Secretary Marco Rubio insisted the U.S. has a plan for post-transition governing in Venezuela, pushing back on criticism from Democrats who say the Trump administration moved faster to capture leader Nicolás Maduro than to outline what would follow.

In remarks to reporters on Capitol Hill after briefing Congress Wednesday, Rubio said the plan consists of three phases: stabilization, recovery and transition.

Democrats who attended classified briefings in the House and Senate said they left unconvinced the administration had a detailed roadmap for what comes next.

“I heard no detailed plan,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.  

The dispute reflects a debate over whether the Trump administration has a coherent strategy for governing Venezuela after the removal of Maduro and whether U.S. policy is being driven primarily by military and economic leverage without a defined political end state.

SEN TIM KAINE: TRUMP’S VENEZUELA STRIKE TRAMPLED CONGRESS’ WAR POWERS. CONGRESS MUST STOP IT

“This is not just winging it,” Rubio said, rejecting claims the administration lacked a strategy beyond the initial operation. “It’s already happening.

“I was in the Senate. When the other party is in power, that’s always what they say.” 

The first phase, Rubio said, focuses on stabilizing the country and preventing chaos, a goal he said would be enforced largely through U.S. control of Venezuela’s oil exports.

“As you’ve seen today, we are in the midst right now and, in fact, about to execute on a deal to take all the oil they have that’s stuck in Venezuela. They can’t move it because of our sanctions,” Rubio said. “That money will then be handled in such a way that we will control how it is disbursed in a way that benefits the Venezuelan people, not corruption, not the regime.”

Rubio said the administration expects to sell between 30 million and 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil as part of that effort.

The second phase, which Rubio described as “recovery,” would include ensuring American and other Western companies have fair access to Venezuela’s oil markets, while also releasing political prisoners, granting amnesty, allowing exiled opposition figures to return and beginning to rebuild civil society.

The third phase — the transition — was less clearly defined.

“In the end, it will be up to the Venezuelan people to transform their country,” Rubio said.

Rubio did not outline a timeline for elections or describe how a future Venezuelan government would be selected.

THE BRIEFING: HOW CAPITOL HILL REACTED TO NEWS OF NICOLÁS MADURO’S CAPTURE

One lawmaker who attended the House’s briefing told Fox News Digital there was “very clear recognition” by Trump officials that current remaining figures in the Venezuelan government “are all in finger-pointing mode.”

“You’ve got individuals who are now jockeying for power. They’re trying to coalesce people … and we’re having to navigate that,” the House lawmaker said.

But most Republicans who attended the briefings largely defended the administration’s approach, though some acknowledged uncertainty about what comes next.

“No, we don’t know what comes next,” said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. “We have a plan. It’s like Mike Tyson said, ‘Everybody has a plan until you get punched in the face.’”

Other Republicans said Rubio’s presentation showed extensive preparation.

“If people could hear everything that we just heard, I think they’d have renewed confidence in both the planning leading up to it and the planning going forward,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.

Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, said, “I thought it was a good briefing, timely. It was good that we hit that quickly and (got a) very thorough explanation.

“I think what was uniting was that everyone supports our military and, you know, you can’t deny how effectively it was done.”

Questions over the transition were heightened after President Donald Trump publicly questioned whether opposition leader María Corina Machado has sufficient support inside Venezuela to govern, even as she remains a favored figure among Western governments.

The administration also raised eyebrows when it appeared to signal openness to the ascendance of Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president, rather than immediately backing Machado and opposition figure Edmundo González.

VENEZUELA’S NEW INTERIM LEADER DELCY RODRÍGUEZ ‘HATES THE WEST,’ EX OFFICIAL WARNS

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration believes it has decisive influence over how Rodríguez rules the country, even if she is affiliated with Maduro’s communist regime. 

“We obviously have maximum leverage over the interim authorities in Venezuela right now,” Leavitt said Wednesday. 

Multiple lawmakers who attended the briefings told Fox News Digital the administration did not share a timeline for new elections.

“There’s no playbook for this,” Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., said. “There’s a goal I have in mind, and I’m pretty sure the administration shares that goal — to get to a free and democratic Venezuela.”

Some Republicans acknowledged the transition would take time and ultimately would involve elections.

“We are four days in. It’s going to take time,” said Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont. “Eventually, we want to see Machado and the opposition movement, hopefully, be elected again.”

Democrats said the briefings left them with unanswered questions about the administration’s objectives and endgame.

“I emerged having more questions than they had answered,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. “The main question is, what is our objective and what is our exit strategy?”

Blumenthal also questioned the continued military posture in the region.

“We continue to have about one-fifth of our naval strength in that area,” he said. “If this is a law enforcement function, why are we continuing to have all of this military strength in the area when we’ve already apprehended the target?”

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., told Fox News Digital, “They were not forthright, and we know that they’ve been lying about this whole operation the whole time. But the problem with lying is you don’t really know exactly when they’re lying.”

He said the House briefing “only decreased my confidence in this administration for their ability to either tell the truth or know what the hell they’re doing.”

Other Democrats warned the administration’s approach risks repeating past U.S. mistakes abroad.

“This is an insane plan,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. “They’re talking about stealing the Venezuelan oil at gunpoint for an undefined period of time as leverage to micromanage the country.”

Murphy said the strategy amounted to using economic force to drive regime change without a clear end state.

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“An embargo is an act of force,” he said. “They are going to take the oil for as long as is necessary in order to try to facilitate regime change in Venezuela.

“That sounds like a recipe for disaster,” Murphy added. “It is just slightly different than the mistakes we made in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

The Trump administration is withholding roughly $160 million in federal transportation funding from California beginning in fiscal year 2027 after the state failed to revoke more than 17,000 commercial drivers’ licenses (CDLs), which federal regulators say were unlawfully issued, by a federally agreed-upon deadline, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Wednesday.

The funding penalty follows a “final determination” issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) after California missed a Jan. 5, 2026, deadline to cancel the licenses. Federal officials say this allowed foreign drivers whose licenses did not comply with federal lawful-presence requirements to continue operating heavy commercial vehicles on U.S. roads.

“It’s reckoning day for [Gov.] Gavin Newsom and California. Our demands were simple: follow the rules, revoke the unlawfully-issued licenses to dangerous foreign drivers, and fix the system so this never happens again,” Duffy said in a statement. 

“Gavin Newsom has failed to do so, putting the needs of illegal immigrants over the safety of the American people.”

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WITHHOLDS $40M FROM CALIFORNIA OVER TRUCKER ENGLISH PROFICIENCY RULES

Duffy added the administration is pulling the funding “to ensure federal tax dollars don’t fund this charade.”

According to the FMCSA, the agency’s audit uncovered what it described as a “systemic collapse” of California’s non-domiciled CDL program. Federal officials said the state illegally issued licenses with expiration dates extending years beyond a driver’s lawful presence and granted CDLs to individuals who were ineligible to hold them under federal safety regulations.

Overall, more than 20,000 active non-domiciled — people whose permanent home is located outside the U.S. — CDLs were issued by California in violation of federal rules, according to the audit.

TRUMP THREATENS TO CUT $75M FROM PENNSYLVANIA OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CDL SCANDAL

“Federal regulations are clear: states must correct safety deficiencies on a schedule mutually agreed upon by the Agency, and California failed to meet its commitment to rescind these unlawfully-issued licenses by January 5,” FMCSA Administrator Derek D. Barrs said. “We will not accept a corrective plan that knowingly leaves thousands of drivers holding noncompliant licenses behind the wheel of 80,000-pound trucks in open defiance of federal safety regulations.”

Federal officials said a nationwide audit conducted in September found that more than 25% of California’s non-domiciled CDLs were unlawfully issued, including licenses extended as many as four years beyond the expiration of lawful presence documentation.

The audit cited one case in which California issued a CDL to a driver from Brazil with endorsements to operate a passenger bus and a school bus, even though the license remained valid for months after the driver’s legal presence expired.

In November, California agreed to revoke every illegally issued license within 60 days and to work with federal officials so the agency could verify that the failures allowing the licenses to be issued had been corrected, according to the release. 

Federal officials said the state failed to meet that commitment and attempted to extend the revocation deadline without federal approval.

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Newsom’s office, the California Department of Motor Vehicles and the California State Transportation Agency did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz contributed to this reporting.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a presidential memorandum directing the U.S. to withdraw from 66 international organizations, ordering executive departments and agencies to cease participation in and funding of entities the administration says no longer serve U.S. interests.

The memorandum follows a State Department review ordered earlier this year under Executive Order 14199 and applies to 35 non-United Nations organizations and 31 United Nations entities, according to the White House.

In the memorandum, Trump said he reviewed Secretary Rubio’s findings and determined it is “contrary to the interests of the U.S. to remain a member of, participate in, or otherwise provide support” to the listed organizations.

The order directs all executive departments and agencies to take immediate steps to effectuate the withdrawals as soon as possible. For United Nations entities, withdrawal means ceasing participation in or funding to the extent permitted by law.

RUBIO UNLOADS ON ‘ALARMISTS,’ TOUTS STATE DEPT DISASTER RESPONSE AFTER USAID CLOSURE

The administration framed the move as part of Trump’s broader “America First” agenda aimed at restoring American sovereignty and ending taxpayer support for organizations it views as wasteful, ineffective or contrary to U.S. interests. 

Review of additional international organizations remains ongoing, according to the White House.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the withdrawals fulfill a key commitment of Trump’s presidency.

“Today, President Trump announced the U.S. is leaving 66 anti-American, useless, or wasteful international organizations,” Rubio said in a post on X. “Review of additional international organizations remains ongoing.”

KENNEDY AND MILEI DOUBLE DOWN ON WHO EXIT AFTER MEETING IN BUENOS AIRES: ‘FREE FROM TOTALITARIAN CONTROL’

Rubio said the administration concluded the institutions were “redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run, captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own, or a threat to our nation’s sovereignty, freedoms, and general prosperity.”

“It is no longer acceptable to be sending these institutions the blood, sweat, and treasure of the American people, with little to nothing to show for it,” Rubio said. “The days of billions of dollars in taxpayer money flowing to foreign interests at the expense of our people are over.”

The list includes organizations involved in areas such as climate, energy, development, governance, migration and gender policy, according to the White House. The White House published the full list alongside the order.

Rubio said the withdrawals reflect a shift in how the administration views international engagement.

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“We will not continue expending resources, diplomatic capital, and the legitimizing weight of our participation in institutions that are irrelevant to or in conflict with our interests,” Rubio said. “We seek cooperation where it serves our people and will stand firm where it does not.”

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