NationalWatch

The Trump administration’s new National Security Strategy marks a sweeping shift in America’s defense priorities, downplaying Islamic terrorism and decades of Middle East–centric policymaking in favor of asserting U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere and treating mass migration as the top national security threat.

In language that departs from every post-9/11 strategy document, the White House argues that the Middle East is no longer the primary driver of global instability and says the “era of mass migration must end,” elevating border security and counter-cartel operations to core national defense missions.

“The days in which the Middle East dominated American foreign policy in both long-term planning and day-to-day execution are thankfully over — not because the Middle East no longer matters, but because it is no longer the constant irritant, and potential source of imminent catastrophe, that it once was,” the document says. 

“It is rather emerging as a place of partnership, friendship, and investment — a trend that should be welcomed and encouraged.”

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The strategy introduces a “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine to block foreign powers from gaining influence in the Americas and calls for shifting military resources away from long-standing theaters abroad. The original Monroe Doctrine warned European powers against interfering in the Western Hemisphere; its revival — and expansion — signals one of the clearest hemispheric doctrines in modern U.S. foreign policy.

Alex Plitsas, a former Army intelligence officer, Pentagon official and current senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, questioned the strategy’s emphasis on hemispheric threats over global ones.

“The most significant threats to the United States — whether terrorism or near-peer adversaries — are not in the Western Hemisphere, but in Africa, the Middle East, Eurasia, and Eastern Asia,” he said. He pointed to Russia’s posture in Europe and rising tensions with China, warning that “we have attempted to hide behind our oceans before. It has yet to work as a strategy.”

The move reflects a broader effort to redefine U.S. national security around hemispheric threats, migration pressures and great-power competition instead of Islamist extremism, either at home or abroad.

The document argues that instability in Latin America — from record migration flows to cartel violence to expanding Chinese and Russian influence — now poses more direct risks to the U.S. homeland than conflicts in the Middle East. Administration officials have increasingly described the Western Hemisphere as the “front line” of border security, supply chain reliability and geopolitical rivalry.

Emily Harding, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said the shift reflects the relative quiet in the Middle East today but compared the region to a famous line from “The Godfather Part III”: “You try to get out, and then it sucks you back in,” she said.

“Islamic terrorism does seem more contained than at any point in the last 20 years, but the Middle East has a way of pulling the United States back in,” she told Fox News Digital, noting that regional crises have repeatedly derailed attempts by past administrations to pivot elsewhere.

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The document, which every new White House releases to outline its thinking around security strategy, was released less than two weeks after the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C. by an Afghan national in what’s being investigated as a terror attack. On Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials arrested another Afghan national who came to the U.S. after the 2021 withdrawal and who they say was providing support to ISIS-K. On October 31, two men were arrested for allegedly plotting an ISIS-inspired Halloween attack in Michigan.

Terrorism is no longer a standalone pillar of the strategy: instead, it’s lumped in with threats associated with migration. The administration argues that such cases reflect failures in border security and vetting rather than evidence that Islamist terrorism remains a leading global danger.

“We want to protect this country, its people, its territory, its economy, and its way of life from military attack and hostile foreign influence, whether espionage, predatory trade practices, drug and human trafficking, destructive propaganda and influence operations, cultural subversion, or any other threat to our nation,” the document states. “We must protect our country from invasion, not just from unchecked migration but from cross-border threats such as terrorism, drugs, espionage, and human trafficking,” it goes on.

The document does mention Islamic terrorism once: “We must remain wary of resurgent Islamist terrorist activity in parts of Africa while avoiding any long-term American presence or commitments.”

It calls for “targeted deployments to secure the border and defeat cartels, including where necessary the use of lethal force.” The Pentagon has launched over 20 maritime strikes on alleged drug traffickers, and President Donald Trump is considering launching strikes on Venezuelan territory.

Plitsas warned that the shift away from terrorism could carry risks. “The terrorist threat to the U.S. homeland remains — the groups and locations posing the most significant threats have simply shifted,” he said. He pointed to ISIS-Khorasan in Central Asia and a vast Sahel region in Africa “half the size of the United States” where ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliates “operate with relative impunity.”

Read the White House National Security Strategy document below. App users: Click here

Plitsas noted that while policymakers may want to pivot away from the Middle East, reality often intervenes. “The United States may be done with the Middle East and terrorism, but terrorism and the Middle East are not done with us,” he said. “The U.S. has tried to pivot away several times, only to be pulled back in by the rise of ISIS or by Hamas’s attack on October 7. The enemy has a say.”

Coordination with the Taliban has done a “decent job of forcing al-Qaeda and ISIS-K out of Afghanistan,” but Plitsas echoed concerns that may arise among Middle Eastern allies: does U.S. withdrawal create a vacuum for terrorist groups and adversaries to exploit?

“Withdrawing U.S. forces would mean breaking security commitments, and adversaries like Iran will absolutely fill the vacuum,” he said.

Whether the administration will translate the document’s rhetoric into policy remains uncertain; previous presidents have struggled to align national security strategies with real-world deployments. The document does not offer any specific insight into force posture changes.

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Even as the strategy emphasizes the Western Hemisphere, it dedicates several pages to China and the Indo-Pacific and the importance of domestic supply chains and strengthening military deterrence in the South China Sea.

Harding said one of its most striking components is its treatment of China’s expanding footprint in Latin America. “It essentially puts China on notice. They’re saying partners who choose the U.S. will be rewarded, and those who pick China are going to feel consequences.”

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., on Friday urged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s acting director not to sign off on new guidance that would end routine hepatitis B (HBV) vaccinations for newborns, calling the proposed change “a mistake.”

The comments came after the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted in favor of the recommendation, finding parents should exercise “individual-based decision-making,” in consultation with a doctor, when deciding whether to vaccinate their children for HBV.

For those not receiving the HBV birth dose, the ACIP suggested the initial dose not be administered before the child is two months old.

“As a liver doctor who has treated patients with hepatitis B for decades, this change to the vaccine schedule is a mistake,” Cassidy wrote in an X post on Friday. “The hepatitis B vaccine is safe and effective. The birth dose is a recommendation, NOT a mandate.”

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Cassidy added that before the birth dose was recommended, 20,000 newborns a year were infected with hepatitis B. 

Now, he noted, it’s fewer than 20. 

“Ending the recommendation for newborns makes it more likely the number of cases will begin to increase again,” Cassidy wrote. “This makes America sicker. Acting CDC Director O’Neill should not sign these new recommendations and instead retain the current, evidence-based approach.”

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Cassidy, a physician, targeted Aaron Siri on Thursday, noting the attorney who worked for Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign and has filed petitions to halt certain vaccines “is a trial attorney who makes his living suing vaccine manufacturers.”

“He is presenting as if an expert on childhood vaccines,” Cassidy wrote in an X post. “The ACIP is totally discredited. They are not protecting children.”

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In August, Cassidy denounced HHS’ decision to slash funding for mRNA vaccine development, claiming it undermined President Donald Trump‘s mission to make the nation healthy again.

Cassidy’s office and the CDC did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.

Vice President JD Vance, who married his wife Usha in 2014, told NBC News their marriage is just as strong as ever.

When asked if he was irked by headlines about his wife being spotted out without a wedding ring, the vice president noted on Thursday, “I think that we kind of get a kick out of it,” the outlet reported.

“With anything in life, you take the good with the bad,” the vice president told NBC News. “You accept that there are some sacrifices and there are some very good things that come along with it, too. But our marriage is as strong as it’s ever been, and I think Usha’s really taken to it, and it’s been kind of cool to see how she’s developed and evolved in this new role.”

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Last month, second lady Usha Vance was seen without her wedding ring as she and first lady Melania Trump visited Camp LeJeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River in the state of North Carolina.

Media reports picked up on the missing ring, and a post on the “@TheDemocrats” X account even asked, “Is JD sleeping on the couch?”

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A spokesperson for the second lady described her last month as “a mother of three young children, who does a lot of dishes, gives lots of baths, and forgets her ring sometimes,” according to reports.

The vice president on Thursday recounted a more recent experience to NBC News from days earlier when he and Usha were hurrying to the White House before the second lady departed for another event with the first lady. As she entered the vehicle, Usha noticed that she had left her rings behind after a shower, the vice president recalled.

“She was like, ‘Oh, if I don’t go back and get them, there’s going to be some ridiculous psycho who talks about it on social media,’” the vice president told the outlet. “And I was like, let them. It’s not even worth the trip to run back upstairs. So we actually have a little bit of fun with it. And we thought that whole viral social media cycle was kind of funny.”

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Reports earlier this month did indeed note the second lady being spotted without a wedding ring while she and the first lady visited Joint Base Andrews.

“There are certainly ways in which it’s difficult on the family,” JD Vance told NBC News about the media speculation. “I’m not going to pretend that it isn’t. But it’s the sacrifice that we signed up for.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Vance’s office but no comment was provided.

As the only Republican running to replace Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill in the special election for New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District, Randolph Township Mayor Joe Hathaway has the advantage of not needing to bump elbows in a 12-candidate field like his Democratic counterparts.

Sherrill’s gubernatorial win and subsequent resignation from Congress triggered a special election in the blue district. But as a dozen Democrats scramble for their party’s nomination, Hathaway told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that voters will turn to his candidacy to avoid what he referred to as the “chaotic mess” of the Democratic primary.

“The district is ready for a new generation of leadership,” Hathaway said. “That’s what I represent.”

Hathaway told Fox News Digital that New Jersey voters are tired of the political “spin” and “fighting” in Washington, D.C., pitching himself as the generational leader that voters from across the political spectrum can look to for leadership.

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“People want someone who is going to put the political nonsense aside and get to work. That’s what I represent, so I think that is going to be an attractive offer for Republicans, for independents, for Democrats, for voters across the board,” Hathaway added.

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The Republican candidate pointed to Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s success in neighboring New York City as an indication that “younger, more progressive leaders of their party [are] moving the Democratic Party toward socialism, toward anti-law enforcement, toward antisemitism, toward bigger government, a bigger system that is still broken.”

But Hathaway said that “centrist, moderate” Democratic voters and those of New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District do not seek that future, drawing a “clear, stark contrast” with his own Republican campaign.

“At the end of the day, voters are going to have to make a decision between which next generation they want representing them,” he said. “I’m trying to represent the next generation of the Republican Party — one built on hard work, on pragmatic common sense solutions to help people to make life better.”

In The Garden State, Hathaway explained that the Democratic Party has been “driving the bus for a long, long time.” While Republicans made some inroads in New Jersey during the 2024 presidential election, New Jersey is widely considered a blue state and Sherrill has kept its 11th Congressional District blue since 2018.

“We represent that opportunity for people to look into the future and see someone who grew up here, who has lived here, who knows the communities, who knows the small businesses, who knows each community individually and what brings them all together, and has some ideas and has some experience at the local level, making government work better for people here in Randolph,” Hathaway said.

As a 38-year-old father of three, Hathaway said young families and voters have become disillusioned by the American Dream, fighting to make ends meet and earn enough to make a living. The Randolph Township mayor said he jumped into the congressional race to bring a “workhorse mindset down to Washington” and deliver for the “hardworking people of this district.”

“Affordability is the major focus of our campaign,” Hathaway said. “It gets at the core of what we just talked about, the challenges that so many families face here in New Jersey.”

Specifically, Hathaway said he would support tax-elimination for first-time home-buyers because being able to afford a home and start a family is “really what the American Dream is all about at the end of the day.”

The Republican also committed to finding ways to “incentivize roles that equip workers for the jobs of today and for the jobs of tomorrow,” through vocational training and other “in-demand, highly valuable skills that don’t necessarily require all the student loan debt.”

“By the way, it’s probably going to be something you hear on the other side as well. But I think on the other side, their solutions are going to be more government, more dependency, more government, more, more of the same broken system, which I fundamentally disagree with, and I think most voters do too,” he said.

The special primary election is set for Feb. 5, 2026, and the special general election will be held on April 16, 2026.

Next year’s midterm elections will serve as a litmus test of President Donald Trump‘s sweeping, second-term agenda and will determine if Republicans maintain control of the House and Senate. New Jersey’s special election will be one of several pulse checks before November’s elections decide the congressional balance of power. 

When asked how Trump’s endorsement would play out in the Garden State, Hathaway said, “I want Republicans of all shapes, colors, sizes across the board. We’re a big-tent party, so we’re going to need all Republicans rowing in the same direction to win this seat and to win this special election on April 16th.”

But the Republican said his first priority is to represent the voters of his district. And while he applauded Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” for raising New Jersey’s State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap and increasing the childcare tax credits, Hathaway clarified that if “there are things that I don’t support that aren’t good for our district, I’ll come out and say that too.”

The New Jersey Globe reported in July that a bipartisan group of 13 New Jersey representatives and senators sent a letter to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, expressing “grave concern” over a proposed shake-up to Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, New Jersey.

“I know the administration is contemplating the idea of shuttering Picatinny Arsenal, a big military base here in our district here in Morris County. I vehemently disagree with that. I think that would be bad for our national defense. I think it would be bad for the thousands of citizen employees and contractors who work in the Picatinny Arsenal, who are creating the next generation of artillery and military intelligence materials,” he said.

Ultimately, Hathaway said he is committed to advocating for what’s best for the voters of his district, even if that means being at odds with the administration on a proposal or specific issue that impacts New Jersey.

“Our campaign is going to be something that is attractive to voters of all persuasions because of what we are representing, which is someone who is here to roll up their sleeves, do the work, who doesn’t really quite frankly care about what the political winds are swirling around. It’s about doing the job,” he said.

“I’m still a football player at heart. I’m still a nose guard at heart who just runs in the trenches and tries to make things happen and do the job, so that’s the kind of mentality I’m going to bring to the seat, and I think that’s something that, quite frankly, voters across the board want to see in their representative,” Hathaway said.

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Hathaway was born and raised in New Jersey, where he currently serves as mayor of Randolph Township. He graduated from Yale University, where he played football and earned All-Ivy League honors. He began his political career as an aide to former Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J., and currently manages executive communications and operations in the healthcare industry.

13 Democratic candidates qualified for the primary ballot in the race for Sherrill’s open congressional seat following her gubernatorial win. 

Marc Chaaban, a former congressional staffer for Sherrill, dropped out of the race earlier this week, bringing the tally as of Friday to 12 Democrats vying for the party’s nomination. 

President Donald Trump unveiled a new national security blueprint in which he declares “the era of mass migration is over” and paints China as a central threat to the U.S. 

In the 33-page document released Friday morning, the president sets the stage for a foreign policy overhaul.

“This document is a roadmap to ensure that America remains the greatest and most successful nation in human history, and the home of freedom on earth. In the years ahead, we will continue to develop every dimension of our national strength,” Trump’s letter at the top of the document reads.

In the section on mass migration, the document underscores the importance of who is let into the country, saying that those who are allowed into our borders will “inevitably define the future” of our nation. It points out that nations throughout history have prohibited unregulated migration and employed strict standards when determining who should be granted citizenship.

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“In countries throughout the world, mass migration has strained domestic resources, increased violence and other crime, weakened social cohesion, distorted labor markets, and undermined national security. The era of mass migration must end. Border security is the primary element of national security,” the document reads.

The blueprint emphasizes the dangers that come with uncontrolled migration, such as terrorism, drugs, espionage and human trafficking.

While the document frames border security as a key priority on the U.S.’ shores, it also identifies another threat from abroad, one that the administration asserts will be key in shaping the future of the U.S. and the world: China’s bid to dominate globally.

The blueprint highlights Trump’s work to reverse “more than three decades of mistaken American assumptions about China,” particularly the idea that by opening U.S. markets to China, Washington could ensure that Beijing would join “the so-called ‘rules-based international order.'” Rather than ensuring American influence over China, these policies enriched Beijing and allowed it to use its wealth and power “to its considerable advantage,” the document notes.

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U.S.-Chinese trade, according to the document, has been “fundamentally unbalanced” since 1979, when the Chinese economy reopened to the world. The blueprint states that the U.S.-China trade relationship started as one between a very wealthy country and an extremely poor one, but it has transformed into a relationship between “near-peers.”

Chinese exports enter the U.S. through several avenues, including proxy countries, the national security outline states. The U.S. imports goods made in “Chinese-built factories in a dozen countries, including Mexico,” according to the document.

“Going forward, we will rebalance America’s economic relationship with China, prioritizing reciprocity and fairness to restore American economic independence,” the document reads. It goes on to specify that this means balancing trade between the U.S. and China, as well as ensuring that it is “focused on non-sensitive factors.”

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The administration predicts in the outline that a mutually beneficial relationship with China could send the U.S. economy from its present $30 trillion to $40 trillion in the 2030s.

This strategic posture towards China also requires the involvement of U.S. allies. One idea put forward in the document is having the U.S. work with treaty allies who can add another $35 trillion in economic power to combat “predatory economic practices.”

The document also calls on the U.S. to “encourage Europe, Japan, Korea, Australia, Canada, Mexico and other prominent nations in adopting trade policies that help rebalance China’s economy toward household consumption, because Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Middle East cannot alone absorb China’s enormous excess capacity.”

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Beyond economic policies, the document outlines the U.S. strategy when it comes to deterring military threats, specifically touching on the global importance of the South China Sea. While the blueprint states that deterring a conflict over Taiwan is a priority, it also clarifies that the U.S. is not changing its stance toward the country, which often faces threats from China.

“Preventing conflict requires a vigilant posture in the Indo-Pacific, a renewed defense industrial base, greater military investment from ourselves and from allies and partners, and winning the economic and technological competition over the long term,” the document says.

The 33-page document outlines region-specific strategies as well as the overall goal of putting U.S. interests before those of other nations. It also encourages more careful involvement abroad, while acknowledging that total U.S. withdrawal from the world stage would not be possible.

A January 6 defendant who was pardoned by President Donald Trump has ended up in legal trouble again after recently returning to the Washington, D.C. area and wandering the neighborhood of Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a report said. 

Taylor Taranto was previously convicted in connection to threats made against Raskin and former President Barack Obama.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who convicted Taranto in a bench trial earlier this year of charges that he illegally possessed guns and ammunition in his van when he was arrested near Obama’s home in the nation’s capital in 2023, ordered Taranto at a court hearing Thursday to immediately return to his home in Washington state, according to Politico. The outlet cited Nichols as saying he will consider a request from prosecutors to jail Taranto. 

At the hearing, Taranto’s probation officer told the judge that the man was seen by local police near Raskin’s home in Takoma Park, Md., on Tuesday morning, Axios reported. The officer said Taranto was “living out of his van” while in D.C. and streaming on Rumble as a self-described “independent journalist investigating major crimes,” according to the outlet.

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Nichols also convicted Taranto earlier this year of recording himself making a hoax threat to bomb a government building in Maryland. Taranto drew headlines in 2023 when he entered a Maryland elementary school while livestreaming apparent threats to Raskin, who is from the state, Politico reported.

“In a livestream, where Taranto answered questions from his Internet audience, he stated that he specifically chose the elementary school due to its proximity to Congressman (Jamie) Raskin’s home and that he is targeting Raskin because ‘he’s one of the guys that hates January 6 people, or more like Trump supporters, and it’s kind of like sending a shockwave through him because I did nothing wrong, and he’s probably freaking out and saying s— like, ‘Well he’s stalking me,'” prosecutors said at the time. 

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Assistant U.S. Attorney Travis Wolf, during a closed court session, argued that Taranto’s return to the Washington, D.C.-area and his renewed livestreaming and erratic behavior raise concerns that he is “on the path” to the same conduct that led to criminal charges against him in 2023, according to Politico. 

Wolf reportedly described mental health concerns and alleged violations of Taranto’s supervised release conditions.

Taranto’s attorney asked for more time to review elements of the case and requested that Taranto be allowed to return home to Washington state to spend time with his family over the holidays, Politico added. 

Taranto swore to drive back to Washington state by noon on Friday, and Nichols said he would decide on the government’s detention request later, according to Politico.

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The outlet added that Nichols required Taranto to attend a probation hearing in Washington state on Dec. 10 and said that he is “absolutely prepared” to bring Taranto into custody if any of his orders is violated. 

Fox News’ Louis Casiano, David Spunt and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

A Republican state lawmaker who is hoping to dethrone Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in next year’s gubernatorial election charges that on the Democratic governor’s watch, Minnesotans have “had billions of our tax dollars stolen by people who are criminals.”

And state Rep. Kristin Robbins, in an interview with Fox News Digital, argued that Walz “has been an absolute failure” in combating fraud during his two terms as governor.

Walz in recent weeks has been facing plenty of political pressure from state and national Republicans, including President Donald Trump, as authorities investigate a series of multimillion-dollar alleged fraud schemes, including the governor’s handling of a massive relief program that federal prosecutors say devolved into the “largest pandemic fraud in the United States.”

Robbins, the chair of the Minnesota House’s Fraud Prevention and Oversight Committee, has made the issue a top priority of her GOP campaign for governor. She’s one of a handful of leading contenders in a crowded field of Republicans hoping to face off with Walz next November as the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee bids for a third term as governor.

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“I’ve been chair of the fraud committee since last January, and this has really been my main focus over the last year of the legislature,” she said. “And even though we’re out of session, I’ve continued to keep the fraud committee having hearings monthly, because this issue is so enormous, we still don’t have our arms around it. So we’re continuing to dig in.”

The first federal charges against alleged fraudsters in the case were filed three years ago. Fast-forward to today and there are now upwards of 75 defendants in the $250 million scheme.

The case revolves around a nonprofit named Feeding our Future, which partnered with the Minnesota Department of Education and U.S. Department of Agriculture to distribute meals to children.

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Prosecutors charged that Feeding our Future and affiliated food distribution sites raked in millions of dollars by submitting fake meal counts and invoices to trick state and federal officials during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many of the people charged are of Somali descent. Minnesota has the largest Somali population of any state in the country.

The U.S. Treasury says its investigating whether tax dollars from Minnesota’s public assistance programs made their way to Al-Shabab, a Somali-based affiliate of al Qaeda which the U.S. has designated a foreign terrorist organization.

And the Republican-controlled U.S. House, through the Oversight Committee, has opened a probe into Walz’s handling of the relief program.

Robbins argued that under Walz’s watch, “we’ve had billions of our tax dollars stolen by people who are criminals, and Minnesotans don’t have the services they need, and Minnesotans work hard for their money and to see all this money being shipped overseas.”

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“Minnesotans now own a resort in Kenya. They own an apartment in Nairobi. They own a culinary school in Ohio,” she said. “It’s ridiculous, the things our money has been wasted on, and so I’m grateful to our federal partners who are prosecuting these cases, but we have to have a new governor who’s going to have a no fraud, no excuses culture.”

Walz, speaking to reporters on Thursday, pledged to “tackle the issue of fraud, of people defrauding the people of Minnesota and the state of Minnesota. We know now that those programs have been paused. We have an independent auditor from the outside. We’ve enacted new powers that we have to stop payments and to be able to make sure that that snapshot of what’s there is. The people who did it will go to prison.”

“My goal is to make sure that those going forward have much better tools, much more safeguards around programs,” the governor added.

But Robbins charged that Walz and his administration “are very late to this. They have stepped up recently, but the things that they’ve done, they already had the authority to stop payment when there were credible allegations of fraud. They already had authority to do prepayment reviews and close down some of these programs.”

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“They haven’t been doing it until we really have been holding their feet to the fire and exposing all the fraud,” she emphasized.

Trump has repeatedly blamed Minnesota’s Somali population for the fraud. On Tuesday, he called immigrants from Somalia “garbage” and claimed they “destroyed Minnesota.”

Last month, the president announced he was ending temporary deportation protections for Somali immigrants in Minnesota, and claimed that “Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that great State.”

Walz on Thursday called Trump’s comments “vile racial racist lies” and “slander towards our fellow Minnesotans.”

Asked about the president’s comments, Robbins said “the bulk of the fraud that we’ve uncovered so far is in the Somali community. And one of the reasons the fraud has perpetuated based on whistleblowers who reach out to me is that they were afraid to say that out loud, because they were afraid of having political retribution or being called racist.”

“So we do have to say that. Say it out loud. Most of the fraud is in the Somali community,” she added.

But Robbins also emphasized that “most of the best whistleblowers are also in the Somali community. Both things are true. So certainly, that’s where most of the fraud is. But also there’s a lot of people in the Somali community who want to clean it up.”

Robbins told Fox News Digital that her efforts taking aim at the fraud may boost her bid for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

“I certainly know where all the problems are and how this massive fraud scandal has been allowed to flourish under Tim Walz,” she said. “I think I can speak directly to it and take him on, directly on the debate and on the details. I think I’m most qualified.”

And Robbins added, “I’m also most qualified to solve it when I’m governor. So I’ve already rolled up my fraud plan of how we were going to standardize internal controls, how we’re going to have an Office of Inspector General, how we are going to hold employees in the state accountable. So I think I will be the one who can solve the problem for Minnesota.”

Robbins, who was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2018, represents a purple district in the Minneapolis suburbs. She has touted that in the crowded field of GOP gubernatorial contenders, she’s the “only conservative Republican who’s a proven winner in the suburbs.

Robbins served as Minnesota state chair of former U.S. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s 2024 Republican presidential campaign.

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And on Thursday, Haley praised Robbins in a fundraising email to supporters.

“We have to stop Tim Walz and elect a leader who will fight to end this corruption!” Haley wrote. “Kristin Robbins has spent her career fighting fraud and she’ll do the same as governor.”

Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, a far-left Democrat who nearly unseated Republican Sen. Ron Johnson in 2022, launched a campaign for governor on Tuesday.

Barnes enters the race to replace retiring Gov. Tony Evers, D-Wis., as the likely frontrunner in a crowded Democratic primary field. But unlike his lesser-known rivals, Barnes brings the baggage of a nationalized, multimillion-dollar Senate race that exposed years of radical positions and a record Republicans have already used to define him statewide.

Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wisc., the most high-profile Republican in Wisconsin’s upcoming gubernatorial contest, on Tuesday took a “trip down memory lane on why far-left extremist Mandela Barnes would be WRONG for Wisconsin.”

“Mandela Barnes is a far-left extremist. The fact that he is the Democrat frontrunner shows just how radical and out of touch the party has become. Wisconsinites rejected him in 2022, and they will do it again in 2026,” Tiffany said in a statement. 

MANDELA BARNES ANNOUNCES BID FOR WISCONSIN GOVERNOR AFTER NARROW 2022 SENATE LOSS

Fox News Digital reported extensively on Barnes during the 2022 midterm elections before he lost by one percentage point to Johnson in a race that exposed vulnerabilities likely to plague his upcoming gubernatorial run.

MANDELA BARNES HAS LONG HISTORY WITH GROUP THAT SEEKS TO BAN GANG DATABASES, MAKE WISCONSIN A SANCTUARY STATE

From ties to groups who called for defunding the police and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to drafting legislation to ban hollow-point bullets and assault rifles, here’s a look back at the storylines that dominated Barnes’ Senate campaign.

Fox News Digital reported in October 2022 that Barnes has a long history with a liberal nonprofit group that aims to defund the police, get rid of law enforcement gang databases, treat 24-year-old criminals as juveniles and make Wisconsin a sanctuary state.

Barnes served on the board of directors for Citizen Action of Wisconsin (CAW) from 2014 through 2018 and was its secretary in 2017 and 2018. The group endorsed Barnes’ campaign in June 2022, and he said he was “proud” to have its support.

“We’ve worked together for a long time now, and I’m excited about the idea that we can finally get rid of Ron Johnson together,” Barnes said on CAW’s podcast, “Battleground Wisconsin,” in June 2022.

“You are someone who has been a part of our movement and a part of Citizen Action for a number of years,” the podcast host responded. “Your agenda aligns with us.”

CAW describes itself on its website as a social justice group working to “improve the lives and life prospects of all working class Wisconsinites, but at the same time disproportionately benefit communities of color because they are the most economically marginalized and impoverished.”

Fox News Digital reported in September 2022 that Barnes has repeatedly advocated for cutting the state’s prison population in half, eliminating cash bail and other progressive criminal justice reforms.

Before entering public office, Barnes previously worked as an organizer for Milwaukee Inner City Congregations Allied for Hope, a Milwaukee-based social justice group, when he teamed up with another organization, Wisdom, to launch a 2012 initiative aimed at cutting Wisconsin’s prison population in half.

The initiative, called the 11×15 Campaign, sought to reduce the state’s prison population to 11,000 inmates by 2015, Barnes told local media at the time.

Later that month, Fox News Digital also reported that Barnes was endorsed by a radical anti-police group that has called for defunding and disbanding law enforcement, as well as abolishing ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

On its website, Color of Change PAC celebrated Barnes’ experience as a former field organizer and state representative, as well as the current lieutenant governor of the state, while calling for voters to make him the first Black senator from Wisconsin.

The group touts itself as the “nation’s largest online racial justice organization,” and has engaged in sharp rhetoric aimed at law enforcement, as well as policing policies and institutions it claims are “racist.”

And in August 2022, Fox News Digital reported that Barnes chaired a government climate change task force that recommended anti-racism education.

The so-called Task Force on Climate Change — which Evers created and appointed Barnes to lead in October 2019 — was designed to develop strategies for the state’s government to pursue to combat climate change. Barnes and the task force’s other members delivered a final report more than a year later in December 2020 which laid out 55 solutions to fight global warming and promote “environmental justice.”

“In order to address this crisis and the environmental injustices associated with it, we must take urgent action, and we must ensure those actions are equitable and inclusive—anything less will continue the long pattern of environmental racism we have witnessed in this country,” Barnes said in a statement after the report was published.

Barnes has a lengthy list of policy goals on his freshly launched gubernatorial campaign website, which includes commitments to banning assault weapons, making “Roe v. Wade the law of the land” and fighting back against President Donald Trump’s “tariff disaster.”

Upon launching his campaign, Barnes said he is running because “this moment demands bold leadership for Wisconsin.”

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When reached for comment, Barnes told Fox News Digital that as lieutenant governor, “I’ve had a strong record supporting and delivering resources to give law enforcement the tools and training they need to keep our communities safe and keep violent criminals off our streets, so I obviously disagree with any group calling to defund the police.”

“As someone who lost several close friends to gun violence growing up, I believe deeply and personally that everyone has a right to feel safe in their community, and as Governor I’ll work closely with law enforcement to protect Wisconsinites. Meanwhile Donald Trump pardoned a high-profile drug trafficker just this week,” Barnes said, referring to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández. 

His campaign also emphasized Barnes’ “strong record supporting law enforcement funding to keep Wisconsin communities safe.”

Fox News Digital’s Jessica Chasmar, Brandon Gillespie and Thomas Catenacci contributed to this report.

Congress wants to seize the reins and take greater control of U.S. military action in the Caribbean, as the Trump administration’s strikes in the region’s waters come under intense scrutiny. 

While some lawmakers have been questioning the legality of strikes that the administration says aim to cut down on the flow of drugs into the U.S., the attacks have attracted heightened scrutiny amid revelations that U.S. forces conducted a second strike killing alleged drug smugglers Sept. 2 – after a first strike left survivors. Lawmakers have voiced concerns about the legality of that strike. 

From introducing new legislation restricting funds for the Trump administration’s operations in the region, to urging the White House to release video footage of the second strike, there is mounting interest from Democrats and some Republicans to reassert its power to formally initiate military conflict.

Bolstered Congressional oversight could likely prompt the Trump administration to exercise more caution regarding land strikes, and potentially pivot and employ new strategic tactics, according to experts.

SEN KENNEDY BLASTS ‘HYSTERICAL’ COLLEAGUES, SAYS CARTEL STRIKE CRITICS ‘EXCEEDED THE LIMITS OF THEIR MEDS’ 

“At this point I think we have to assume that increased Congressional oversight will make military action inside Venezuela less likely, unless the White House presents a clearer case for it,” Geoff Ramsey, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council international affairs think tank, said in an email to Fox News Digital Monday. 

Trump has spoken for weeks about potentially conducting land operations within Venezuela, and said Wednesday that strikes on land would start happening “very soon.” 

Katherine Thompson, a senior fellow in defense and foreign policy studies at the libertarian think tank the Cato Institute, said that while she doesn’t anticipate that the administration will back away from its broader border security mission, she said that the administration will likely “shift their tactics” amid the “pain” of enhanced scrutiny from Capitol Hill.

TOP DEM BLASTS TRUMP’S CARTEL STRIKES, SAYS ADMIN OVERSTEPPING WAR POWERS 

Consequences that lawmakers on Capitol Hill could employ include limiting funds for operations in the region, or failing to get behind any nominees that are still awaiting confirmation, Thompson said. 

“I think in order to avoid some of those more harsh political punishments, the administration will likely have to shift its strategy,” Thompson said. 

For example, Thompson said she anticipated that Trump would exercise greater caution regarding potential land strikes within Venezuela, given the possibility both chambers of Congress could pass a joint resolution of disapproval via the War Powers Act opposing military activity in the region.

US ESCALATION WITH MADURO HALTS DEPORTATION FLIGHTS TO VENEZUELA 

“Even if he vetoed it, if it looked like Congress had a veto proof majority, that would be a pretty huge indictment to face,” Thompson said. 

To mitigate the sting of some of these actions from Capitol Hill, Thompson said that the administration could propose an Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) to back military action in the region, where the administration could make the case that the strikes are within the scope of deterrence and that there is an imminent threat to the U.S., Thompson said. 

An AUMF is a resolution that Congress approves, granting the executive branch the ability to employ military force against identified targets. 

The Trump administration has leveled a military buildup in the Caribbean and has taken unprecedented steps — including deploying the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford — to the region as part of Trump’s war against drugs. Likewise, the administration has conducted more than 20 strikes targeting these alleged drug boats since September. 

The move also puts greater pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to step down, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said in October that he believes Trump has made the decision that “it’s time” for Maduro to go. 

The White House has refused to comment on whether it is pursuing a regime change in Venezuela, although it does not acknowledge Maduro as a legitimate head of state and claims he is the leader of a drug cartel. For example, the Trump administration increased the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest in August to $50 million. 

HOUSE REPUBLICANS BACK TRUMP’S VENEZUELA MOVES FOR NOW AS ESCALATION UNCERTAINTY LOOMS 

The White House told Fox News Digital Thursday that as commander-in-chief, Trump has “full authority to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country.”

“As President Trump has said, all options are on the table as he works to combat the scourge of narcoterrorism that has resulted in the needless deaths of thousands of innocent Americans,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “All of these decisive strikes have been in international waters against designated narcoterrorists bringing deadly poison to our shores.”

Democrats have moved swiftly to limit the Trump administration’s activity in Venezuela, and members from both sides of the aisle have pushed for greater investigation into the second Sept. 2 strike. 

For example, Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., introduced a piece of legislation Thursday called the Prohibiting Unauthorized Military Action in Venezuela Act of 2025, which would bar the Trump administration from using federal funding to conduct military strikes within or against Venezuela unless it receives congressional approval. 

“We shouldn’t stumble into an unnecessary war with Venezuela — risking U.S. servicemembers’ lives — with no congressional authorization and incomplete information about the Administration’s objectives, its legal rationale, and the potential consequences of a long-term conflict that could drive migration and irreparably fracture Venezuela,” Kaine said in a Thursday statement. 

GOP FRACTURES OVER HEGSETH’S ‘DOUBLE-TAP’ CARIBBEAN STRIKE AS CONGRESS PROBES LEGALITY 

Even so, the measure does not place restrictions prohibiting the U.S. from acting in self-defense against an armed attack or threat of an imminent armed attack. 

The legislation also comes directly after the introduction of another war powers resolution to curb the Trump administration’s ability to conduct strikes in the Caribbean. 

While previous war powers resolutions have failed to garner support for passage in recent months, Kaine, along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced a war powers resolution Wednesday to bar Trump from using U.S. armed forces to engage in hostilities within or against Venezuela.

TRUMP WARNS US MAY LAUNCH LAND OPERATIONS INSIDE VENEZUELA ‘VERY SOON,’ SAYS REGIME SENT ‘KILLERS’ TO AMERICA

These actions come after the Washington Post wrote a report Friday claiming that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth allegedly ordered everyone onboard the alleged drug boat to be killed in a Sept. 2 operation. The Post reported that a second strike was conducted to take out the remaining survivors on the boat. 

The White House verified Monday that a second strike had occurred that day, but disputed that Hegseth ever gave an initial order to ensure that everyone on board was killed, when asked specifically about Hegseth’s instructions.

The White House also said Monday that Hegseth had authorized the head of U.S. Special Operations Command Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley to conduct the strikes, and that Bradley was the one who ordered and directed the second one.

GOP SAYS TRUMP FACING TOUGHER SCRUTINY FOR CARIBBEAN STRIKES THAN OBAMA DID FOR DRONE PROGRAM 

Bradley, who was serving as the commander of Joint Special Operations Command at the time of the strike, appeared before lawmakers on Capitol Hill Thursday for a closed-door briefing. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told reporters afterward that Bradley “was very clear that he was given no such order, to give no quarter or to kill them all.”

“He was given an order that, of course, was written down in great detail,” said Cotton, who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee. 

Even so, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said that the briefing with Bradley only exacerbated his concerns about the strikes — and urged Trump to follow through on his agreement to release the video footage of the second strike.

HEGSETH BACKS SPECIAL OPS CHIEF’S ‘COMBAT DECISIONS’ IN DEADLY CARIBBEAN STRIKE AHEAD OF CLASSIFIED BRIEFING 

“I am deeply disturbed by what I saw this morning,” Reed said in a statement Thursday. “The Department of Defense has no choice but to release the complete, unedited footage of the September 2nd strike, as the President has agreed to do.” 

“This briefing confirmed my worst fears about the nature of the Trump Administration’s military activities, and demonstrates exactly why the Senate Armed Services Committee has repeatedly requested — and been denied — fundamental information, documents, and facts about this operation,” Reed said. “This must and will be the only beginning of our investigation into this incident.”

Reed also said that he and Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., have asked for the executive orders authorizing operations and full videos of the strikes, and other documentation as part of their oversight efforts. 

Meanwhile, the White House routinely has defended the legality of the strikes in recent months, and has backed Bradley. For example, Hegseth said Tuesday that carrying out a subsequent strike on the alleged drug boat was the right call.

Altogether, the Trump administration has conducted at least 21 strikes near Venezuela. 

The most recent confirmed attack occurred Nov. 15. Hegseth said Tuesday that although there has been a pause in strikes in the Caribbean because alleged drug boats are becoming harder to find, the Trump administration’s crusade against drugs will continue.

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“We’ve only just begun striking narco-boats and putting narco-terrorists at the bottom of the ocean because they’ve been poisoning the American people,” Hegseth said Tuesday. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

In a bid to cut down on fraud, Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced a bill to require inclusion of a photo on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) EBT cards.

“Taxpayers have had enough of watching their hard-earned dollars abused by people with no legal right to these benefits,” Mace said, according to a press release.

“This isn’t complicated, if you’re eligible for SNAP, your photo goes on the card and you’re the only one who uses it. Not fraudsters, not criminals, not someone borrowing a card they have no right to use. This is basic common sense, fairness, and protecting taxpayers and the American families who truly need food assistance,” she added. 

REP NANCY MACE SLAPS DOWN EARLY RETIREMENT RUMOR: ‘BIG FAT NO FROM ME’

Congress.gov lists GOP Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Barry Moore of Alabama are listed as original cosponsors of the proposal.

“Each Electronic Benefit Transfer card issued to a household or individual under this chapter shall include on the face of the card a photographic image taken within the previous ten years, or in the case of a minor taken within the previous five years, of the authorized cardholder to whom the card is issued,” the measure declares.

TRUMP ADMIN’S NEW SNAP REQUIREMENTS TAKE EFFECT FOR FOOD STAMP RECIPIENTS

“As a condition of authorization to accept or redeem benefits under this chapter, a retail food store or wholesale food concern, before making a sale, shall demand to see, and shall inspect, the photograph located on an Electronic Benefit Transfer card for every customer using an Electronic Benefit Transfer card to ensure the purchaser is entitled to utilize or redeem benefits under this chapter,” another portion of the measure reads.

The proposal leaves room for accommodations to enable caregivers to tap benefits on behalf of benefit recipients.

“The Secretary shall establish procedures for reasonable accommodations to allow caregivers of a minor, individual with disabilities, or an elderly individual to access benefits on behalf of a recipient in their care,” the measure notes.

MACE CAMPAIGN STAFFER QUITS GOVERNOR BID TEAM, ACCUSING HER OF DISLOYALTY TO TRUMP

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Mace, who has served in the House of Representatives since 2021, is currently running for Palmetto State governor.

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 week, including a new Treasury Department probe into how taxpayer dollars were allegedly diverted to the terrorist organization al-Shabaab, according to Secretary Scott Bessent. 

Meanwhile, city officials in Minneapolis are bracing for an influx of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents after the agency announced plans for a new operation in the state.

PATEL TOUTS FBI’S DOZENS OF CONVICTIONS IN $250 MILLION MINNESOTA COVID SCAM

And Trump last month cited the fraud as a driver of his decision to terminate the Temporary Protected Status designation for thousands of Somali migrants living in Minnesota, saying in a Truth Social post that they should “go back to where they came from.” 

Immigration advocates and local community leaders say they fear the actions and rhetoric could chill or stigmatize Somali residents who are living in the country legally.

At the heart of the issue is the sprawling, $250 million “Feeding Our Future” fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded children’s nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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

TRUMP, STATES BACK IN COURT OVER SNAP AS BENEFITS REMAIN IN LEGAL LIMBO

“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.” 

The back-and-forth comes as Minnesota has come under fresh scrutiny for alleged mismanagement of the federal funds, 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. 

DEMOCRAT AGS SUE TRUMP FOR ‘UNCONSCIONABLE’ FREEZE ON $6.8B IN K-12 SPENDING

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.

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.

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. 

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.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SWARMS SCOTUS WITH EMERGENCY REQUESTS AND SEES SURPRISING SUCCESS

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. 

In recent days, the inflammatory rhetoric has continued. Trump suggested earlier this week that Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., who fled Somalia a a child, “shouldn’t be allowed to be a congresswoman,” prompting fierce backlash from some Democrats and from Minnesota’s congressional delegation. 

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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.”

President Donald Trump on Thursday hired a new architect to lead the next phase of the White House ballroom project.

Trump tapped Shalom Baranes Associates, a Washington, D.C.-based architectural firm to oversee the ballroom design effort.

“As we begin to transition into the next stage of development on the White House Ballroom, the Administration is excited to share that the highly talented Shalom Baranes has joined the team of experts to carry out President Trump’s vision on building what will be the greatest addition to the White House since the Oval Office — the White House Ballroom,” White House Spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement.

Ingle added, “Shalom is an accomplished architect whose work has shaped the architectural identity of our nation’s capital for decades and his experience will be a great asset to the completion of this project.”

WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO REPORTS TRUMP NAMED NEW BALLROOM AFTER HIMSELF

Trump initially chose McCrery Architects to design the ballroom. McCrery will remain a valuable consultant on the project, a White House official told Fox News.

Construction started on the ballroom in October, leading to the demolition of the White House’s historic East Wing.

The project is being privately funded at an estimated cost of $300 million, up from a $200 million estimate in July when the project was unveiled.

FIRST LADY DOLLEY MADISON WOULD HAVE HAD A BALL WITH TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE RENOVATIONS

Trump provided an update on construction during a cabinet meeting Tuesday, saying, “I wouldn’t say my wife is thrilled.”

“She hears pile drivers in the background all day, all night,” he said.

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The president said the overhaul has been needed for 150 years, adding, “I think it’s going to be the finest ballroom ever built.”

The White House previously said the long-envisioned addition will be designed to host large gatherings and state visits, and will be completed before the end of Trump’s term.

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…

-As Trump’s standoff with Maduro deepens, experts warn the next move may force a showdown

-Trump hosts ‘Washington Accords’ Rwanda-Congo peace deal signing, vows US rare earths purchases

-House GOP splits over Obamacare fix as costs poised to spike for millions

Who is Brian Cole, the DC pipe bomb suspect?

The suspect who allegedly planted pipe bombs blocks from the U.S. Capitol on January 5, 2021, has been identified as Brian Cole Jr. of Woodbridge, Va., according to two sources briefed on the arrest.

The sources say Cole, 30, is in FBI custody as of Thursday following roughly five years of investigation. He is charged with use of an explosive device, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Thursday.

The FBI arrested Cole in northern Virginia. He will make his first court appearance on Friday in Washington, D.C…READ MORE.

White House

TWIN POWER PLAY: Trump endorses close ally’s twin brother in race for Texas congressional seat

YOUTH REVOLT: Young Americans give big thumbs down to Democrats, Republicans, Trump: poll (new Harvard Youth Poll)

PARTING WORDS: EXCLUSIVE: Charlie Kirk’s final book is a ‘manifesto against the machine of modern life’ to honor the Sabbath

World Stage

LAWFUL WARFARE: Did a military lawyer witness the Venezuela ‘double tap’ boat strike? Experts say one should have

BAD SIGNAL: Hegseth ‘acted within authority’ by using Signal for Houthi strikes, top Armed Services Republican says

SIGNAL BREACH: IG: Hegseth broke Pentagon rules using Signal to share strike details, though no classified info was released

MAJOR INCIDENT: UK town sees nearly 200 homes evacuated over potential explosives threat, 2 men arrested

COMING HOME: Melania Trump says 7 more Ukrainian children reunited with families as part of initiative with Russia

Capitol Hill

NO KILL ORDER: Hegseth did not issue ‘kill them all’ order during Venezuela strikes, admiral tells Congress

BALANCE OF POWER: Rand Paul joins Dems on fresh bid to block Trump from targeting Venezuela militarily

ELECTION HEAT: 2021 Afghan remarks come back to haunt GOP lawmaker’s Senate bid after DC Guard shooting

RAZOR THIN HOLD: Trump-backed Van Epps sworn in as GOP hits 220 seats — but incoming Greene exit threatens razor-thin majority

Across America 

PRICE SURGE: Blue-city riders hit with priciest Uber fares as LA, NYC costs soar past comparable metros, data shows

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

Department of Justice leaders criticized the Biden administration for failing to achieve what they accomplished on Thursday by arresting a suspect after pipe bombs were found near the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said during a press conference announcing the arrest of Brian Cole Jr. that existing evidence led to the FBI’s breakthrough in a cold case that had “languished” for nearly five years.

“What I will tell you is that evidence has been sitting there collecting dust,” Bondi said. “This wasn’t a new tip. It wasn’t some new evidence. It was the hard work of President Trump’s administration.”

Bondi said federal investigators were able to identify Cole after spending months “sifting through evidence that had been sitting at the FBI with the Biden administration.” She said bringing charges against Cole was not a result of any new witnesses or leads but rather “good, diligent police work and prosecutorial work.”

FBI ARRESTS SUSPECT IN DC PIPE BOMB CASE AFTER 5-YEAR INVESTIGATION

Court papers unsealed Thursday revealed that bank records showing purchases of pipe bomb material and cell phone tower data were used to identify Cole. The suspect is now in custody facing charges of using explosives, with more charges possible, and he is expected to make his first court appearance Friday.

Surveillance footage released by the FBI showed an unidentified suspect in a hoodie planting two explosive devices near the Republican and Democratic National Committees’ headquarters on the night of Jan. 5, 2021. 

Authorities said the devices were “viable” and could have detonated. The first one was discovered by a woman in an alleyway doing her laundry, investigative reports said. She immediately reported her finding to the police, prompting a search that led to the discovery of the second bomb, the reports said.

A congressional report revealed that the FBI during the Biden administration began “diverting resources” away from the investigation at the end of February 2021, after less than two months.

“In the immediate aftermath of January 6, the FBI’s case team worked aggressively to cultivate and pursue leads toward apprehending the pipe bomb suspect,” the report stated, adding the inquiry might have fizzled because of a lack of credible leads.

The yearslong mystery left many in Trump’s base raising questions and theories about the case. Speculation centered on the discovery of the bombs timed up with the riot on Jan. 6 and the security failures that allowed top politicians, including Vice President Kamala Harris, to unwittingly come into proximity with the explosives.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino was among the top voices promoting the theory, before he joined the bureau, that the Biden administration was hiding evidence about the case and that planting the bombs was an “inside job.” DOJ leaders have given no information on the suspect’s motive and said the investigation is in an early stage.

FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR CLAIMS BUREAU ‘CLOSING IN’ ON SUSPECTS WHO PLANTED JAN. 6 PIPE BOMBS

At a news conference, Bongino said he made the pipe bomb case a top priority after he told Fox News in May the bureau was “closing in” on suspects.

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“I spoke with Ms. Bondi very early, maybe day two, and I said, ‘We’re going to get this guy.’ She said, ‘Yes, you are.’ And we did,” Bongino said Thursday.

“You’re not going to walk into our capital city, put down two explosive devices and walk off in the sunset. Not going to happen,” Bongino said. “There was no way he was getting away.”

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani said Thursday he would stop clearing homeless encampments when he takes office in January, ending a longstanding practice by Mayor Eric Adams’ administration.

While answering questions at “Hot Chocolate, Frozen Rent” in Manhattan, Mamdani confirmed he would halt sweeps of homeless encampment sites across the city, marking one of his clearest breaks yet from an Adams policy launched in 2022.

“If you are not connecting homeless New Yorkers to the housing that they so desperately need, then you cannot deem anything you’re doing to be a success,” Mamdani said.

The mayor-elect said his administration’s focus would be securing long-term housing solutions, “whether it’s supportive housing, whether it’s rental housing, whatever kind of housing it is.”

MAMDANI PLEDGES NYC TO REMAIN SANCTUARY CITY AFTER CHUMMY TRUMP MEETING

Mamdani added that homelessness is too often treated “as if it is a natural part of living in the city,” when he believes it reflects “a political choice being made time and time again.”

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander released an audit in 2023 of NYC Department of Homeless Services‘ role in the Adams administration’s sweeps of homeless encampment sites between March and November 2022, finding the initiative “completely failed” to connect homeless New Yorkers with services.

“The evidence is clear: by every measure, the homeless sweeps failed,” New York City Comptroller Brad Lander stated in the audit report.

MAMDANI TAPS PARTY INSIDERS TO STEER TRANSITION DESPITE VOWING TO ‘TURN THE PAGE’ ON OLD-GUARD NYC DEMS

The audit noted that 2,308 individuals were present during city cleanups and only 119 accepted temporary shelter. A follow-up review found that nearly one-third of cleared encampments saw homeless activity return.

In August, the Adams administration said it had placed more than 3,500 formerly unsheltered New Yorkers in permanent housing.

City officials received more than 45,000 complaints about encampments in 2025, according to data reviewed by the New York Post.

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Mamdani’s comments were the latest split with the outgoing mayor, who signed two executive orders Wednesday aimed at countering antisemitism and preventing city funds from supporting the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement that Mamdani supports.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Mayor Adams’ office for comment.

EXCLUSIVE: Minnesota’s Democrat-led neighbor could be missing a chance to prevent a Feeding Our Future–style crisis, Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., warned Thursday.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has faced widening scrutiny over a fraud scheme in which members of the Twin Cities’ Somali community allegedly diverted taxpayer-funded meal money overseas, including to terror group Al-Shabaab.

Tiffany, who is running to be Wisconsin’s governor in 2026, slammed retiring incumbent Democratic Gov. Tony Evers for prominently rebuking the Trump administration’s efforts to conduct audits of SNAP — food stamp — programs in the 50 states.

On Thursday, Tiffany’s office shared a letter with Fox News Digital that he planned to send to Evers later in the day.

TRUMP ‘TOOK NOTES FROM THE GRINCH’: STATES SUE OVER SNAP PROGRAM CHANGES

“Like many Wisconsin residents, I was disappointed by your recent public statements ruling out cooperation with the federal government to detect fraud in the food stamp program,” Tiffany wrote. “We should all be able to agree that fraud and abuse in vital safety net programs is unacceptable, which is why I hope you will reconsider your position.

“Your position on this matter is even more shocking given recent developments in our neighboring state of Minnesota. There, the governor’s mismanagement and lack of transparency in food security programs have led to multiple investigations of a taxpayer-funded fraud scheme totaling a staggering $1 billion that allegedly involved Somalian terrorists.”

The Minocqua congressman said failure to police SNAP abuses jeopardizes the program’s longevity and ability to serve the Wisconsinites who legally rely on it and that withholding such information is “effectively prioritizing the ability of scammers and illegal aliens to bilk this program.

“This makes no sense,” he added.

Earlier Thursday, Tiffany took to social media to castigate Evers for balking at USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins’ request.

“Governor Evers is refusing to let federal agencies check Wisconsin’s food stamp rolls for fraud,” Tiffany wrote on Facebook.

MINNESOTA GOVERNMENT WORKERS BLAME WALZ FOR ‘MASSIVE FRAUD’ AMID ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SOMALI COMMUNITY

“What are Democrats hiding? We do not want to end up like Minnesota with billions in stolen tax dollars.”

Tiffany’s post was explicitly responding to Evers’ recent interview with Matt Smith of Milwaukee’s ABC affiliate, who had asked him about his refusal to let the USDA audit the food stamp program.

Smith paraphrased Rollins’ critiques of SNAP as a “broken program full of bad things,” adding that Rollins pointed out that 29 states agreed to give federal officials access to investigate fraud.

TRUMP, STATES BACK IN COURT OVER SNAP AS BENEFITS REMAIN IN LEGAL LIMBO

“That system is analyzed every single year, and we feel confident in it,” Evers told Smith. “The idea they’re asking for this information; they’re looking for ways to get out of doing it, frankly. And that is inappropriate.”

Evers said the request was inappropriate given that his state has families who rely on the program to ensure proper, nutritious meals.

TRUMP VOWS TO ‘FUND SNAP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE’ IF COURT ALLOWS, BLASTS DEMOCRATS OVER SHUTDOWN DELAY

Near the end of November’s government shutdown, Evers also balked at the Trump administration’s request that states undo payments to programs like Wisconsin’s FoodShare in light of the USDA canceling monthly disbursements until the government reopened.

Wisconsin and several prominent blue states, including Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Washington, California, New York and New Jersey — as well as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro given that state’s Republican Attorney General David Sunday was not on board — wrote a letter to the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston asking it to stop Trump’s SNAP-back effort.

When Evers and other governors received a response from the administration demanding they yank payments, Evers responded with a statement that contained a single-worded first lin, “No.”

FOOD-STAMP FRAUD NUMBERS EXPOSE WHICH STATES ARE DRAINING THE MOST TAXPAYER DOLLARS

Other Wisconsin Republicans also defended the USDA, with Rep. Bryan Steil of Kenosha telling The Center Square that the Badger State’s food stamp recipients were the ones being hurt by Democrats’ longtime refusal to reopen the government.

“Their radical base is demanding that they do anything to try to ‘stand up to Trump.’ What does that mean? They’re willing to put American families through a ton of pain,” Steil said.

Another Wisconsin Republican led an effort to get the feds to create a carveout for SNAP funding as the shutdown battle raged.

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Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., co-sponsored a bill with Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Ill., and told reporters in Madison where he was testifying in support of homeless veterans’ assistance that he was raised in “abject rural poverty” and was in one of many American families that relied on food stamps.

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

Members of the inner circle of Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., personally profited from the $1 billion welfare fraud scandal in her district that has placed her Somali constituency under a White House microscope.

Omar held events at one of the restaurants named in the fraud, knew one of its now-convicted owners and had a staffer who was also convicted, the New York Post reported.

Omar also introduced the legislation that led to $250 million being defrauded from federal child-nutrition programs in COVID-19 aid, according to the newspaper.

FEDERAL PROBE TARGETS ALLEGED MINNESOTA SOMALI FRAUD ‘NETWORK’ AS COVID-AID CRIME RINGS PERSIST

Around $250 million in state funds was distributed beginning in 2020 to provide meals to schoolchildren during the pandemic. However, the money was allegedly pocketed by Salim Ahmed Said, the co-owner of Safari Restaurant, where Omar held her 2018 congressional victory party.

Said was convicted in March for his role in the scheme, with the Justice Department stating that the funds — intended to feed children — were used to finance a lavish lifestyle.

He spent much of the money on a $2 million Minneapolis mansion and a $9,000-per-month shopping habit at Nordstrom, according to prosecutors.

The free meals were made possible by the 2020 MEALS Act, introduced by Omar and passed with bipartisan support, the Post said.

Much of the funding was funneled through the now-defunct nonprofit Feeding Our Future, according to the DOJ. Omar appeared in a video promoting the program.

LIZ PEEK: MASSIVE MINNESOTA WELFARE HEIST PROVES DEMOCRATS CAN’T POLICE THEIR OWN MESS

The congresswoman has not been directly linked to the fraud. Fox News Digital has attempted to reach her office for comment.

“The alleged fraud scheme orchestrated by Feeding Our Future is reprehensible. Using the guise of feeding children to funnel millions of dollars toward extravagant expenses is abhorrent, and anyone who participated in this scheme must be held accountable,” Omar told a local Minnesota news outlet at the time. 

During an appearance on CNN this week, Omar was pressed to explain how fraud became so rampant within her state.

“I think what happened, um, is that, you know, when you have these kind of new programs that are, um, designed to help people, you’re oftentimes relying on third parties to be able to facilitate. And I just think that a lot of the COVID programs that were set up — they were set up so quickly that a lot of the guardrails did not get created,” she said. 

In August, Guhaad Hashi Said, a Democratic activist and former Omar campaign official, pleaded guilty to running a fake food site, Advance Youth Athletic Development. 

MINNESOTA GOVERNMENT WORKERS BLAME WALZ FOR ‘MASSIVE FRAUD’ AMID ALLEGATIONS AGAINST SOMALI COMMUNITY

He claimed the group served 5,000 meals a day to children, pocketing millions, the Justice Department said. 

Said worked on Omar’s 2018 and 2020 campaigns as an “enforcer” who oversaw voter turnout efforts in the Somali community. 

As of November, at least 78 defendants have been charged in what has widely been considered the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme in the United States. 

The Trump administration has blamed Minnesota officials for the lack of oversight. 

The Small Business Administration is investigating a network of Somali groups in Minnesota that it says is tied to the scandal and a House Oversight Committee has opened an investigation into Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s role.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized Omar and blamed the Somali community for the scope of fraud occurring in Minnesota. 

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“These Somalians have taken billions of dollars out of our country,” Trump told reporters. “They’ve taken billions and billions of dollars. They have a representative, Ilhan Omar, who they say married her brother. She should be thrown the hell out of our country. 

“And most of those people, they have destroyed Minnesota. She should not be — and her friend shouldn’t be allowed — frankly, they shouldn‘t even be allowed to be Congresspeople, OK? They shouldn’t even be allowed to be Congresspeople because they don’t represent the interests of our country.” 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Thursday that it had made dozens of arrests in New Orleans just one day after launching Operation Catahoula Crunch, the latest federal immigration operation cracking down on criminal illegal immigrants.

“Americans should be able to live without fear of violent criminal illegal aliens harming them, their families or their neighbors,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. 

“In just 24 hours on the ground, our law enforcement officers have arrested violent criminals with rap sheets that include homicide, kidnapping, child abuse, robbery, theft and assault.”

DHS released several photos of the arrested individuals accused of “terrorizing Americans.” 

The men, all with criminal histories, are reportedly from Vietnam, Honduras, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

SEXUAL PREDATORS, DRUG TRAFFICKERS AMONG ICE’S ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ROUNDUP IN VIRGINIA

Officials said they detained Vietnamese national Binh Van To, who has been convicted of kidnapping, homicide, aggravated assault, robbery and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon.

Hung Ngoc Tran, another Vietnamese national, was convicted of sexual assault, larceny and “fondling” a child, DHS said. 

DHS said Carlos Roberto Guardado-Ramirez of Honduras was arrested for simple battery, domestic abuse, child endangerment, resisting an officer and driving while intoxicated.

Jose Raul Lopez-Serrano, also a Honduran national, was convicted for marijuana possession and previously arrested for disturbing the peace, DHS added.

250 BORDER AGENTS TO DEPLOY TO LOUISIANA FOR ‘SWAMP SWEEP,’ REPORT SAYS

Luis Fernando Maldonado-Velasquez, a Guatemalan who has an immigration warrant, has previously been arrested for suspected vehicle theft and forging and altering documents, DHS added.

Freddy Caldero-Caraballo is from the Dominican Republic and was reportedly arrested for suspected possession of cocaine, public intoxication and driving while intoxicated.

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McLaughlin condemned sanctuary politicians Thursday for failing to prioritize the safety of American families, echoing previous statements that sanctuary policies have allowed illegal immigrants with criminal allegations to be released.

“President Trump and Secretary Noem will stand up to protect American families when sanctuary politicians won’t,” McLaughlin said. “If you see a law enforcement officer today, thank them.

“Sanctuary policies endanger American communities by releasing illegal criminal aliens and forcing DHS law enforcement to risk their lives to remove criminal illegal aliens that should have never been put back on the streets.” 

Fox News Digital reached out to the DHS for more information.  

America’s emotional divide over the federal government has never been wider, according to a new Pew Research Center survey showing record-high anger among Democrats, rising Republican contentment, and near-collapse levels of public trust – all captured days before the government plunged into a 43-day shutdown.

The probability-based, nationally representative poll, conducted Sept. 22-28, 2025, finds nearly half of Americans (49%) say they feel frustrated with the federal government, 26% say angry and only 23% say they are basically content.

Pew reports that 44% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents now say they feel “angry” toward the federal government, or “highest share expressed by members of either party in surveys dating back to 1997.”

The number has jumped 10 points from 34% among Democrats during President Trump’s first term.

Just 8% of Democrats say they are content. 

IT WON’T GET ANY BETTER: WASHINGTON FACES ANOTHER LOOMING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

Republicans and GOP leaners show a dramatically different mood with 40% reporting contentment, half as frustrated and 9% angry. GOP anger, by comparison, peaked during the then-Obama and then-Biden administrations.

Pew says this emotional gap between the parties is now the largest ever measured.

Only about one-in-five Americans say they trust the federal government to do what’s right “just about always” or “most of the time,” a level Pew notes is “one of the lowest in the nearly seven decades since the question was first asked.”

YOUNG AMERICANS GIVE BIG THUMBS DOWN TO DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, TRUMP: POLL

Democratic trust in the federal government sits in single digits in this wave. Republican trust, while still limited, is higher than it was a year ago before Trump was re-elected to hold the presidency.

Pew’s long-running trend shows frustration has been the nation’s default mood for nearly three decades, but this survey captures a rare structural shift: frustration dipping slightly, while both anger and contentment rise almost entirely along party lines.

That movement, Pew says, signals deepening emotional and political distance between Americans who are reacting to the same Trump administration in completely different ways.

Fox News Digital has requested comment from the White House on the survey’s findings.

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Pew researchers say they will continue tracking these attitudes into the 2026 midterms, noting that large swings in anger and trust have historically preceded shifts in political engagement and voter behavior.

For now, Pew’s new survey offers one conclusion that is hard to ignore: Americans aren’t just divided by politics, but by how they emotionally experience Trump 2.0. 

The Department of Justice failed to bring an indictment against Letitia James on Thursday after a federal judge tossed out the initial indictment last week, according to a DOJ source.

The DOJ attempted to persuade a grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia to indict James a second time, the source said, after Judge Cameron Currie found that the prosecutor who brought the first indictment, Lindsey Halligan, was serving unlawfully as interim U.S. attorney.

The revelation that a grand jury did not indict James, one of President Donald Trump’s top political foes, is a blow to the DOJ as it is rare that grand juries do not find enough probable cause to bring charges.

It is possible the DOJ could attempt to bring charges again. Fox News is told that prosecutors intend to continue the effort to re-indict James.

FEDERAL JUDGE DISMISSES JAMES COMEY, LETITIA JAMES INDICTMENTS

“I’d say don’t celebrate just yet,” one source said.

The attempt to re-indict the state attorney general also marks a shift for the DOJ after Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt vowed to immediately appeal the judge’s finding that Halligan was an invalid appointee and that James’ indictment was therefore also invalid.

COMEY DENIES CHARGES, DECLARES ‘I AM NOT AFRAID’

James was previously charged with bank fraud in Norfolk, Virginia. She pleaded not guilty and had argued the charges should be tossed out on numerous grounds.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the DOJ and James’ attorney for comment.