NationalWatch

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump spoke with several children on Christmas Eve, as Santa Claus makes the rounds across the globe, where he praised “clean, beautiful coal” and told one child they must be a “high IQ person.”

The pair joined the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Santa Tracker hotline from Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., where they fielded calls from kids about what they hoped St. Nick would bring them for Christmas. 

One child told Trump they wanted a Kindle, the e-reader designed and marketed by Amazon. 

INSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS CARD TRADITION – FROM COOLIDGE TO TRUMP

“That’s pretty good. You must be a high IQ person. We need more high IQ people in the country,” he replied. 

One 8-year-old North Carolina girl asked if Santa would be upset if she didn’t leave him cookies. 

“I think he won’t get mad, but I think he’ll be very disappointed,” said Trump. “Santa tends to be a little on the cherubic side.”

Trump asked one child in Kansas what they would like Santa to bring.

“Um, not coal,” the child replied.

MELANIA TRUMP GIVES UPLIFTING MESSAGE ABOUT SANTA TO YOUNG KIDS AT HOSPITAL

“Not coal, no you don’t want coal. You mean clean, beautiful coal. I had to do that, I’m sorry,” Trump said. 

“No, coal is clean and beautiful. Please remember that at all costs,” he added. “But you don’t want clean, beautiful coal, right? What would you like?”

Trump has frequently referred to coal and “clean” and “beautiful” amid an effort to boost its use. 

During a call with a child in Oklahoma, he said he was fond of the state, which he won in the 2024 presidential election. 

“Santa loves you. Santa loves Oklahoma like I do. You know, Oklahoma was very good to me in the election. So I love Oklahoma. Don’t ever leave Oklahoma, OK?” he said.

During the same call, Trump talked about tracking Santa.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“We track Santa all over the world… We want to make sure that he’s not infiltrated — that we’re not infiltrating into our country a bad Santa,” he said. “We found that Santa is GOOD!”

Few White House traditions are quite as time-honored or cherished as the annual Christmas celebrations it hosts – which stretch back more than a century and transcend partisan politics, imbuing the president’s official residence with a feeling of continuity and warmth. 

But the sense of togetherness and cheer need not stop at the gates of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Like most families, U.S. presidents and first ladies have long used annual Christmas cards to share their holiday greeting to friends both near and far – communicating well-wishes, gratitude and, at times, subtle political statements. 

Here’s a look at how the tradition of the White House Christmas card began, and how it has evolved throughout the years.

FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP DECORATES THE WHITE HOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS: ‘HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS’

Historians aren’t quite sure when presidents began sending out Christmas cards, though many acknowledge that the practice probably began in an unofficial capacity in the late 1800s, with the recipients likely limited to a smaller group.

In fact, it was not until 1927 that President Calvin Coolidge wrote what would become the first “official” Christmas card to the American people. Coolidge, in response to multiple requests for a holiday greeting, penned a short, simple message, “Season’s Greetings,” by hand in the distinctive, elegant form of cursive he was known for.

The missive was published by every major newspaper in the country, kicking off what would become a larger, more elaborate tradition that continues to this day.  

In the years that followed, the Christmas greetings took the form of individual cards, and the list of recipients grew longer and more expansive. Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon each sought to make it a more formal tradition, with Eisenhower adding Cabinet secretaries, members of Congress, and U.S. ambassadors overseas to the list of recipients.

MELANIA TRUMP GIVES TOUR OF 2018 WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS DECOR

Under Nixon, the cards were mass printed for the first time, and sent to a much broader audience – some 40,000 people – an undertaking that would have been unimaginable in Coolidge’s time, when the hand-printed “Season’s Greetings” message was drafted by hand with painstaking care and detail. 

Today, the Republican and Democratic national parties are responsible for printing the Christmas cards; as a result, the lists include (but are not limited to) party donors and campaign supporters, among others.

WHITE HOUSE UNVEILS CHRISTMAS DECOR WITH ‘SPIRIT OF AMERICA’ THEME

While neither party has released an official count of the cards it has sent out on behalf of recent presidents, the RNC is estimated to have printed some 1.5 million White House Christmas cards during George W. Bush’s presidency – a number that grew under Presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Trump in his first term and this year.

Other technological advances allow even those without deep pockets to share in the Christmas joy.

The White House social media accounts have embraced the rise of social media in recent years to share the official Christmas photos, expanding the reach and message of the commander in chief, and often the rest of his family.

The White House accounts on Tuesday shared the official 2025 Christmas portrait of President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump. 

This year’s printed White House Christmas card expands on Melania Trump’s 2025 White House Christmas theme, “Home Is Where the Heart Is,” which she said was inspired by the “joys, challenges, and frequent motion derived from motherhood and business.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

“This Christmas, let’s celebrate the love we hold within ourselves, and share it with the world around us,” she said in a statement announcing the theme. “After all, wherever we are, we can create a home filled with grace, radiance, and endless possibilities.”

The Department of Justice said Wednesday it may have more than a million more documents related to the late Jeffrey Epstein that it needs to review and that the process could take weeks to complete.

The DOJ said two of its components, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, had just handed over the missing tranche of files, days after the Epstein Files Transparency Act deadline had passed.

“We have lawyers working around the clock to review and make the legally required redactions to protect victims, and we will release the documents as soon as possible,” the DOJ wrote in a statement on social media.

EPSTEIN FILE DROP INCLUDES ‘UNTRUE AND SENSATIONALIST CLAIMS’ ABOUT TRUMP, DOJ SAYS

The “mass volume of material” could “take a few more weeks” to review, the DOJ said.

“The Department will continue to fully comply with federal law and President Trump’s direction to release the files,” the department wrote.

The DOJ has been sharing on a public website since Friday tens of thousands of pages of files related to Epstein’s and Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking cases as part of its obligation under the transparency bill. 

President Donald Trump signed the bill into law Nov. 19, giving the DOJ 30 days to review and release all unclassified material related to the cases.

The file rollout has stirred controversy as critics have blasted the DOJ for what they say are excessive redactions and the law’s lapsed deadline Friday. Initially, the DOJ said it would miss the deadline by a couple of weeks, but Wednesday’s announcement signals that might extend further into the new year than the administration had anticipated.

SCHUMER ACCUSES DOJ OF BREAKING THE LAW OVER REDACTED EPSTEIN FILES

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on “Meet the Press” Sunday there was “well-settled law” that supported the DOJ missing the bill’s deadline because of a need to meet other legal requirements, like redacting victim-identifying information.

The transparency bill required the DOJ to withhold information about victims and material that could jeopardize open investigations or litigation. Officials could also leave out information “in the interest of national defense or foreign policy,” the bill said. 

The bill also explicitly directed the DOJ to keep visible any details that could be damaging to high-profile and politically connected people.

The Pentagon is deploying 350 National Guard troops in New Orleans through Mardi Gras in an effort to curb crime in the city.

The troops will support federal authorities, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, as they enforce federal law and help counter high rates of violent crime in New Orleans and other metropolitan areas in Louisiana, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Tuesday.

“Operating under Governor Landry’s command and control, this mission will directly enhance the safety of Louisiana’s residents and the enforcement of federal laws, reaffirming the Department of Defense’s commitment to supporting our interagency partners and the safety and security of our nation,” he said.

DHS LAUNCHING MASSIVE IMMIGRATION OPERATION IN LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI: ‘SWAMP SWEEP’

The soldiers will remain in the city through Feb. 28 and will assist with security in the French Quarter for New Year’s Eve, the Sugar Bowl, and Mardi Gras events, Fox 8 Live reported.

“We know how to make cities safe, and the National Guard complements cities that are experiencing high crime,” Landry said during an appearance on The Will Cain Show. “Look at what the president has done in Washington, D.C. When he wanted to send the National Guard into Washington, D.C., Louisiana was one of the first to raise its hand and say our troops will go there and help. And the city is so much better.”

TRUMP’S WEEK SHAPED BY CRIME AGENDA, POTENTIAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT TO CHICAGO

National Guard members currently serving in Washington, D.C., are expected to return to Louisiana, the news outlet reported.

“Our Louisiana National Guardsmen are highly trained professionals. Many of them supported law enforcement efforts in Washington, D.C., and are ready to support our home state,” Maj. Gen. Friloux, the adjutant general of Louisiana, told Fox 8 Live. “We’ve mobilized multiple times this year to support efforts in New Orleans and are ready to do so again for the next two months.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to the office of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the Louisiana National Guard.

New Orleans had 97 murders as of Nov. 1. In September, Landry asked President Donald Trump to deploy National Guard troops to Louisiana amid concerns about crime.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

In early 2025, a U.S. Army veteran driving a pickup truck bearing the flag of the Islamic State group slammed into New Year’s revelers before being shot and killed by police.

Justice Samuel Alito criticized the Supreme Court’s majority in a sharp dissent Tuesday after the high court decided 6–3 to temporarily block President Donald Trump from deploying the National Guard in Chicago.

Alito said the high court’s majority made “unwise” and “imprudent” determinations to reach its decision. The majority also did not give enough deference to Trump after the president found that agitators were hindering immigration officers and other federal personnel from doing their jobs in Chicago and that the National Guard needed to step in to help.

“Whatever one may think about the current administration’s enforcement of the immigration laws or the way ICE has conducted its operations, the protection of federal officers from potentially lethal attacks should not be thwarted,” Alito wrote.

WHERE THE TRUMP ADMIN’S COURT FIGHT OVER DC NATIONAL GUARD STANDS IN WAKE OF SHOOTING

The lawsuit stemmed from Trump invoking a rarely used federal law to federalize about 300 members of the National Guard and deploy them to protect federal personnel and buildings.

The Trump administration argued that protesters were obstructing, assaulting and threatening ICE officers, and the National Guard was needed because Illinois’ resistant Democratic leaders and local law enforcement were not adequately addressing the matter, the administration said.

Illinois sued, and the lower courts blocked the National Guard’s deployment, finding that Trump had not satisfied criteria in the law that said the president could only use the reserved forces when he was “unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.” The Supreme Court’s decision upheld that finding while the case proceeds through the courts.

The Supreme Court’s majority said in an unsigned order that “regular forces” meant the U.S. military, not ICE or other civilian law enforcement officers. The majority said that since Trump had not identified any justification for using the regular military for domestic purposes in Chicago, there was no way to exhaust that option before using the National Guard.

JUDGE BLOCKS TRUMP NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT IN LOS ANGELES

Alito, who was joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, objected, saying the majority prematurely raised and accepted an “eleventh-hour argument” about the meaning of “regular forces.” Justice Neil Gorsuch issued a separate dissent.

The majority also took issue with the statute’s language about executing laws, saying that if the National Guard soldiers were simply protecting federal officers, that would not amount to executing laws.

And, if the National Guard were executing laws, that could violate the Posse Comitatus Act, which says that the military cannot generally act as a domestic police force unless Congress authorizes it to, the majority said.

Alito, an appointee of President George W. Bush, said he found it “puzzling” that the majority thought the Posse Comitatus Act was so relevant, saying the president could use the military for a “range of domestic purposes.” The Constitution allows the president to use the military to respond to war, insurrection or “other serious emergency,” Alito wrote.

The conservative justice also warned of broader implications of the majority’s decision, as Trump has attempted to deploy the National Guard in other cities as part of a crackdown on immigration enforcement and street crime. The president has also been met with legal pushback in California and Portland, Oregon, but the Chicago case was the farthest along in the court system.

Requiring Trump to exhaust use of other military forces before using the National Guard would lead to “outlandish results,” Alito said.

“Under the Court’s interpretation, National Guard members could arrest and process aliens who are subject to deportation, but they would lack statutory authorization to perform purely protective functions,” Alito wrote. “Our country has traditionally been wary of using soldiers as domestic police, but it has been comfortable with their use for purely protective purposes.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Illinois had argued that ICE protests were mostly peaceful and that local law enforcement had unrest under control. The state would suffer irreversible harm if the courts did not block Trump from using the National Guard, state attorneys argued.

“The planned deployment would infringe on Illinois’s sovereign interests in regulating and overseeing its own law enforcement activities,” the attorneys wrote, adding that Illinois’ “sovereign right to commit its law enforcement resources where it sees fit is the type of ‘intangible and unquantifiable interest’ that courts recognize as irreparable.”

Congressional Democrats are voicing alarm at the fact that the U.S. might soon begin selling cutting-edge chips to one of its greatest geopolitical adversaries.

Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., joined by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., wrote a letter to Under Secretary for Industry and Security Jeffrey Kessler on Monday, demanding answers as to why the Trump administration had green-lit the sale of the H200 Chip to China.

“The President directing you to approve licenses of the H200 falls within a deeply concerning pattern that undercuts our nation’s security,” the pair of Democrats wrote.

TRUMP SAYS EVERY AI PLANT BEING BUILT IN US WILL BE SELF-SUSTAINING WITH THEIR OWN ELECTRICITY

Meeks said the basis of his request is found in the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA), the 2018 law governing the federal government authority over technology-related exports. The ECRA states that the Department of Commerce must supply Congress with answers to concerns raised by the ranking member of the foreign affairs and armed services committees. 

“In ECRA, Congress stated the policy of the United States is ‘to restrict the export of items which would make a significant contribution to the military potential of any other country,'” Meeks wrote.

“Approving licenses for items like NVIDIA’s H200 chips, which the Justice Department recently described as ‘integral to modern military applications,’ would be deeply at odds with the policy that Congress articulated in ECRA.”

CHINA RACES AHEAD ON AI —TRUMP WARNS AMERICA CAN’T REGULATE ITSELF INTO DEFEAT

The H200 chip, one of the world’s most advanced computational devices, is NVIDIA’s crème of the crop. It plays a key role in the processing needed for increasingly sophisticated AI. 

The company was first ordered to halt sales to China in 2022 under the Biden administration. 

“The [government] indicated that the new license requirement will address the risk that the covered products may be used in, or diverted to, a ‘military end use’ or ‘military end user’ in China,” the company said in a filing.

Like Meeks, several lawmakers worry that allowing their sale to China will only further empower an adversary that has had no qualms weaponizing technology. In recent years, Congress has banned the use of Chinese-made Huawei devices for government employees and, last year, passed a law forcing the divestment of TikTok, fearing China’s far-reaching insight through the data collected by the popular social media app.

To Meeks, the decision to resume sales of the H200 chip — to China and to other potential rivals — seems incongruent with that past wariness.

“Just last month, you approved the export of tens of thousands of advanced AI chips, worth an estimated $1 billion, to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, despite significant concerns about these countries’ human rights records and their close relationships with the [People’s Republic of China],” Meeks wrote.

KEVIN O’LEARY WARNS CHINA ‘KICKING OUR HEINIES’ IN AI RACE AS REGULATORY ROADBLOCKS STALL US

While some Republicans share Meeks’ hesitation, others have said that the Trump administration’s reversal fits into a larger plan to ensure American competitiveness in future years.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Meeks and Warren have requested answers from the administration about what factors led to the decision by Jan. 12, 2026.

It’s never a dull moment in Washington during the holiday season — featuring multiple holiday celebrations at the White House itself for lawmakers and Cabinet secretaries. 

The White House has hosted Christmas parties dating back to 1800 when then-President John Adams and then-first lady Abigail Adams hosted several government officials and their families to celebrate on behalf of their granddaughter, Susanna Boylston Adams, according to the White House Historical Association. 

Now, government officials make their rounds to celebrate the season — both in their official capacity serving the government and privately with their families.

For example, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent attended the White House Congressional Ball in December. First lady Melania Trump hosted the annual event at the White House for Republican and Democratic members of Congress.

TRUMP AND FIRST LADY GO ALL BLACK FOR OFFICIAL WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS PORTRAIT PHOTO 

President Donald Trump also indicated that other Cabinet members also attended, claiming that “we’ve got them all sort of here” after singling out Rubio and Bessent. However, he refrained from identifying others because “they’re not names that are going to get huge applause from this very substantially Democrat audience.” 

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also kicked off the first-ever Christmas worship service at the Pentagon, featuring American evangelist Franklin Graham, and musicians Anne Wilson and Matthew West. 

Additionally, Hegseth’s wife, Jen, hosted a Christmas Tea Party for Gold Star families at the Pentagon. A Gold Star Family is the family of a service member who died during active-duty military service.

MELANIA TRUMP GIVES UPLIFTING MESSAGE ABOUT SANTA TO YOUNG KIDS AT HOSPITAL 

Outside of official holiday events in Washington, the secretaries and their families enjoy their own holiday traditions as well. The White House shared a video Dec. 13 detailing how the secretaries and their families celebrate the holidays, with activities ranging from baking to holding a talent show. 

Jeanette Rubio, who is married to Secretary of State Rubio, said that their family attends midnight Mass together during Christmas. The couple shares four children together. 

“We, as a family, we go to midnight Mass, that’s something that’s very important to us,” Rubio said in the video. “We celebrate it together, because we want to keep what the purpose of Christmas is.”

FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP DECORATES THE WHITE HOUSE FOR CHRISTMAS: ‘HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS’

Allison Lutnick, who is married to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, said that their favorite way to celebrate the holidays is lighting Hanukkah candles with their four children. 

“My favorite holiday tradition is lighting Hanukkah candles with my children,” Lutnick said in the video. “They’re approaching 30 now, so we don’t do chocolate dreidels or eight nights of gifts anymore though.” 

Kathryn Burgum, the wife of Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, said that their family celebrates Christmas by making a Norwegian flatbread called lefse.

TINSEL, TRADITION AND MESSAGING: THE POLITICS BEHIND WHITE HOUSE HOLIDAY DECORATIONS 

“Our favorite holiday tradition is making lefse,” Burgum said in the video. “And some people don’t have any idea what that is, but that’s actually a Norwegian flatbread that’s a tradition around the holidays.” 

Cheryl Hines, who is married to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said that their family is large, which makes the holiday season extra fun. 

“We like to have a talent show,” Hines said in the video. “Not everybody is as talented as they wish they were, but that doesn’t stop us from singing at the top of our lungs or doing some crazy dance. We always have a really good time together.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Lisa Collins, who is married to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins, said their family enjoys decorating their Christmas tree with ornaments they’ve collected for nearly 40 years. 

“Our favorite holiday tradition is collecting Christmas ornaments, everywhere we’ve been in 37 years,” Collins said in the video. We “have a special tree for those places, and they’re all dated as a remembrance of where we’ve been, and how far we’ve come.” 

EXCLUSIVE: More than 17,500 illegal immigrants in 2025 have been arrested for crimes requiring mandatory detention under the Laken Riley Act — the first law President Donald Trump signed in his second term.

The act is named for Laken Riley, a Georgia college student allegedly murdered by a Venezuelan illegal immigrant and member of the designated terrorist gang Tren de Aragua who had been previously arrested and released before her death. 

The act mandates that illegal immigrants arrested — but not necessarily yet convicted — for several specific crimes must be held for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention and processing.

DHS RIPS DEM-RUN COUNTY AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT MURDERER RELEASED: ‘BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS’

Qualifying crimes include theft-related offenses, DUI or DWI, and violent crimes including murder, rape, sexual abuse, assault on police and firearms infractions.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also announced Monday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had concluded “Operation Angel’s Honor,” a two-week nationwide endeavor launched in Riley’s honor to strictly target Laken Riley Act offenders.

That operation alone netted an average of dozens of criminal illegal immigrants per day.

DHS TAKES VICTORY LAP AFTER ARRESTING OVER 10K ILLEGAL ALIENS IN DEEP BLUE CITY DESPITE VIOLENT RIOTS

“In honor of Laken Riley, ICE launched Operation Angel’s Honor — in the last 2 weeks alone arresting more than 1,000 criminal illegal aliens under the authority of the Laken Riley Act,” Noem told Fox News Digital.

Noem credited Trump for empowering her agency to go after millions of criminal illegal immigrants residing in the U.S., including those “unleashed” into the interior by previous administrations.

“We can never bring Laken back, but we can do everything in our power to bring these heinous criminals to justice,” Noem said.

DHS ARRESTS ‘WORST OF THE WORST’ ILLEGAL MIGRANTS, INCLUDING MURDERERS AND PEDOPHILES, IN WEEKEND OPERATION

Some of the Laken Riley Act offenders captured during “Operation Angel’s Honor” include Sergio Luis Hernandez Gonzalez of Cuba, convicted on 17 counts of larceny, two counts of selling cocaine, along with vehicle theft and other offenses.

Jersson Andrey Poveda Delgado of Colombia was convicted of assaulting a police officer, while Dominican national Yaser Garcia Ramirez netted a slew of charges including conspiracy to manufacture and distribute heroin, domestic violence and obstruction of law enforcement.

Another illegal immigrant, Santos Chim-Diego from Guatemala, had been convicted of resisting plus assault on an officer, DUI and child cruelty.

An Iraqi national named Hamid Abdulimam Al Nassar was captured during Operation Angel’s Honor after he was convicted of procuring a prostitute who is a minor, several drug offenses, fraud, embezzlement and aggravated assault.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Another criminal illegal immigrant, Nathaniel Sterling from Jamaica, was detained after convictions for carnal abuse, weapons possession and disorderly conduct.

Mexican national Omar Barojas-Arenas’ recent arrest also fell under the Laken Riley Act, after he was convicted of kidnapping, while Jorby Joel Escuraina-Suarez from Venezuela was convicted of aggravated assault with a weapon.  

While DHS has called the Laken Riley Act’s enforcement a success, several critics have said the law forces deportation proceedings on people who may not pose safety risks — with some pointing to the law’s usage of arrest versus conviction as pretext for the feds to take custody of a subject.

“This bill does nothing to improve safety or fix our broken immigration system,” said Nayna Gupta, policy director for the American Immigration Council.

“Under the guise of preventing violence, the bill forces immigration officers to indefinitely detain and deport non-citizens who pose no public safety risk, without access to basic due process,” she said in a statement after the law passed.

“The bill also gives state attorneys general unprecedented power over immigration policy. The bill strips people of their basic rights and upends how the U.S. government enforces immigration law,” Gupta concluded.

White nationalist Nick Fuentes vowed to campaign against Vivek Ramaswamy in a slur-laced rant denouncing the Republican’s Ohio governor bid. 

The declaration came just days after Ramaswamy called out Fuentes during a speech at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference in which he criticized Fuentes over some of his inflammatory remarks. 

“I think I’m going to go to Ohio and the word that we are looking for is denial. We have to deny Vivek Ramaswamy the governorship. This is the only race I care about in ‘26. It’s the only one I care about,” Fuentes said during a Tuesday livestream. He also used a slur to describe Ramaswamy and said he does not care if a Democrat defeats him in the governor’s race.

When asked by Fox News Digital for a response, a spokesperson for Ramaswamy’s campaign said on Wednesday, “We’re focused on the issues that matter most to Ohioans, not fringe voices that prefer a far-left Democrat to the Trump-endorsed conservative.”

VIVEK RAMASWAMY TURNS TO CONSERVATIVE YOUTH TO SHAPE THE MOVEMENT’S NEXT PHASE, ANALYZES 2026 RACES 

Ramaswamy laid out his vision for what it means to be an American during remarks Friday at AmericaFest. 

“What does it mean to be an American in the year 2026? It means we believe in those ideals of 1776,” he said at the Turning Point USA event. “It means we believe in merit, that the best person gets the job regardless of their skin color.”

“It means we believe in free speech and open debate,” he added. “Even for those who disagree with us, from Nick Fuentes to Jimmy Kimmel, you get to speak your mind in the open without the government censoring you.”

RAMASWAMY REVEALS MAIN LESSON LEARNED BY REPUBLICANS AFTER DEMOCRATS’ BIG WINS ON ELECTION DAY

Ramaswamy then said, “If you believe in normalizing hatred toward any ethnic group, toward Whites, toward Blacks, toward Hispanics, toward Jews, toward Indians, you have no place in the future of the conservative movement, period.” 

“And I will not apologize for that. I will not hedge when I say it,” Ramaswamy continued. “If you believe, and you will forgive me for giving you an exact quote from our online commentator, Nick Fuentes. If you believe that Hitler was pretty f—— cool, you have no place in the future of the conservative movement. You can debate foreign aid, Israel all you want. That’s fine. That’s fair. But you have no place with that level of hatred.” 

Ramaswamy declared his candidacy for the Ohio governorship in late February.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP  

Current Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who is also a Republican, is term-limited and will be departing office in January 2027. 

Fox News Digital’s David Rutz contributed to this report. 

The Department of Justice on Tuesday released nearly 30,000 pages of documents related to disgraced late financier Jeffrey Epstein. This is the latest batch of documents to be released since the DOJ began publishing files on Dec. 19.

The files include a number of revelations, including a psychological assessments from Epstein’s time in prison, a fake passport and his cellmate’s testimony about witnessing the financier’s first apparent suicide attempt. The newly released pages also include a claim made by an unidentified Epstein accuser who said that former President Bill Clinton’s name was used as a way to deter her from coming forward.

Here are some of the top takeaways.

Prison psychology report shows Epstein was deemed ‘low risk’ for suicide days before his death

A Bureau of Prisons psychological assessment released Tuesday by the DOJ showed Epstein was considered to be at “low” acute suicide risk and showed no signs of suicidal ideation just days before his death, according to internal prison records.

The suicide risk assessment, conducted on July 9, 2019, states Epstein was placed on precautionary psychological observation due to the high-profile nature of his case and not because he expressed intent to self-harm.

“Inmate Epstein adamantly denied any suicidal ideation, intention or plan,” the chief psychologist wrote in the assessment.

The psychologist noted Epstein appeared “polite, calm, and cooperative” during the evaluation, with “organized and coherent” thoughts and no signs of acute psychological distress. Additionally, the psychologist documented Epstein saying that “being alive is fun,” describing himself as a banker with a “big business,” and expressing confidence in his legal defense.

The report concluded that “the Overall Acute Suicide Risk for this Inmate is: Low,” and, “A suicide watch is not warranted at this time.”

EPSTEIN FILE DROP INCLUDES ‘UNTRUE AND SENSATIONALIST CLAIMS’ ABOUT TRUMP, DOJ SAYS

Epstein’s cellmate details what he saw during financier’s first apparent suicide attempt

Newly shared Bureau of Prisons records shed fresh light on what Epstein’s cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, says he witnessed during the disgraced financier’s first apparent suicide attempt while in federal custody.

“I was asleep with headphones on when I felt something hit my legs,” Tartaglione said, according to the memo.

“I turned on the light and saw Epstein on the floor with something around his neck,” he told investigators, adding that Epstein appeared unresponsive.

The records state Tartaglione immediately called for help after discovering Epstein on the ground. Correctional officers responded, and Epstein was taken for medical evaluation. Officials later described the incident as an apparent suicide attempt.

The documents also note that Epstein later accused Tartaglione of trying to kill him, a claim Tartaglione flatly denied.

“That allegation is completely false,” Tartaglione told investigators. Additionally, Bureau of Prisons officials said there was no evidence to support Epstein’s claim.

Epstein was later removed from the cell and placed under closer observation before his death weeks later in what was ruled a suicide.

Tartaglione was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences in 2024 for killing four people, according to prior reporting from Fox News Digital.

DOJ’S EPSTEIN DISCLOSURE DRAWS FIRE FOR WEBSITE GLITCHES, MISSING DOCUMENTS, REDACTIONS

Epstein accuser said Clinton’s name was used to deter her from coming forward

A woman who accused Epstein of sexual misconduct said she was warned that his ties to former President Bill Clinton could prevent her from working if she spoke out, according to a sworn attorney-released statement in Tuesday’s DOJ document dump.

In the statement, dated August 27, 2019, the woman identified as Jane Doe alleged that after fleeing an encounter with Epstein at his Manhattan mansion, another woman cautioned her that Epstein “knew a lot of powerful people, including Bill Clinton,” and that refusing him could end her career in the modeling industry.

The accuser said she believed the reference to influential figures was meant to intimidate her and discourage her from coming forward.

The statement does not allege that Clinton participated in or had knowledge of the alleged encounter. Clinton has previously denied wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.

ANDREW USED FAMILY’S LEGITIMACY AS ‘BARGAINING CHIP,’ LET EPSTEIN AND MAXWELL ROAM ROYALS’ SPACES: EXPERT

Jeffrey Epstein’s fake passport revealed

The latest documents also include a fake passport that Epstein apparently used in the 1980s. The passport appeared to be issued from Austria, with Epstein going by the name “Marius Robert Fortelni.” It listed Saudi Arabia as his place of residence. 

In a 2019 letter to a federal judge over his detention on sex trafficking charges, Epstein’s lawyers justified his use of a false identity. 

“Eighth, as for the Austrian passport the government trumpets, it expired 32 years ago,” his attorneys said in the letter. “And the government offers nothing to suggest — and certainly no evidence — that Epstein ever used it.” 

“In any case, Epstein – an affluent member of the Jewish faith – acquired the passport in the 1980s, when hijackings were prevalent, in connection to Middle East travel,” the letter continued. “The passport was for personal protection in the event of travel to dangerous areas, only to be presented to potential kidnappers, hijackers or terrorists should violent episodes occur.”

Epstein requested ‘razor to shave,’ complained of lack of water weeks before death, document shows

Documents indicate that Epstein requested a razor to shave while in federal custody just weeks before his death, while also raising a series of complaints about his detention conditions.

In a July 30, 2019 internal communication labeled “Inmate Epstein,” Epstein asked for a razor and requested access to water during attorney conferences, saying the available machine “does not have water” and that he was becoming dehydrated, according to the document.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The same email notes Epstein claimed he did not receive all of his prescribed medications after being placed on psychological observation, and said he had not slept well in 21 days due to the absence of his CPAP machine. Epstein also complained about noise in the Special Housing Unit, warning he could suffer “psychological trauma” from the conditions.

Fox News’ Bill Mears contributed to this report.

As Clement Moore’s “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” tells it, families sleep soundly as Santa approaches.

As the new year nears, several election contests may prove just as quiet – until close results suddenly come into focus. Here are five potential sleeper races to watch in 2026: 

1. MISSISSIPPI’S 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Rep. Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, has not often had to worry about a general election challenge since he won a special election on April 13, 1993.

Predecessor Mike Espy, who recently unsuccessfully ran for Senate in a narrow runoff with Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., had resigned to accept President Bill Clinton’s appointment as Secretary of Agriculture.

Thompson’s closest race was that one – against Republican Hayes Dent – at 55% to 45%.

Since then, Thompson has never looked back, and instead made himself a nationally-recognized figure later in his tenure.

He chaired the House Select Committee on January 6 and recently went viral for calling the shooting of West Virginia National Guardsmen allegedly by an Afghan refugee an “unfortunate accident.”

Thompson’s district, spanning from Jackson west to Yazoo City and Vicksburg on the Mississippi River, is one of the poorest in the country – landing at 3rd out of 435 with a median income of $37,372, according to data published by the office of Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio.

CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS WIDEN 2026 BATTLEFIELD, ZERO IN ON NEW HOUSE REPUBLICAN TARGETS

Only Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., and Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y. preside over a poorer population.

Last week, an attorney and former counsel to Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., mounted a surprise primary bid against Thompson.

Evan Turnage, 33, who has been alive just about the same time Thompson has been in Congress, made the idea of fighting the region’s persistent poverty paramount to his new campaign, according to Black Press USA.

“I’ve dedicated my life to leveling the playing field so people can not only get by, but get ahead, and raise a family right here,” Turnage said, according to the outlet.

On the Republican side, retired Army captain and Vicksburg cardiothoracic surgeon Ron Eller will fight an uphill battle to unseat the winner of the Thompson-Turnage bout.

2. CONNECTICUT’S 5TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Connecticut is another state that is typically not in political conversation as hosting nail-biter partisan elections.

During the Bush-Clinton years, however, the state was competitive if not outright Republican-favored.

Former Gov. John Rowland was the first in decades to be elected to more than two terms. He ended up resigning in 2004 amid the threat of impeachment over accusations contractors with the state were doing work on his vacation home.

CALL TO DUTY: IN BATTLE FOR HOUSE, REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS LOOKING TO VETERANS

After he resigned, his wife famously wrote a poem critical of the media’s coverage of Rowland’s case, based on Moore’s holiday favorite and called “A Lump of Coal for All the Reporters.” Rowland’s lieutenant, Gov. M. Jodi Rell, took over and was re-elected once before retiring in 2010.

Since then, the state has been reliably Democratic – save for former Sen. Joe Lieberman changing his affiliation to independent.

In 2022, then-State Sen. George Logan – the first Black man elected to Hartford’s upper chamber – mounted a bid against Rep. Jahana Hayes and lost by less than one percentage point.

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

Logan tried again in 2024, but lost by a slightly wider margin.

While Logan is not on the ballot at least yet for 2026, recent history shows Republicans could have an outside chance of ending Democrats’ full control of New England’s congressional delegation.

3. MARYLAND’S 6TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Republicans have wanted to win back Maryland’s sixth congressional district ever since partisan gerrymandering was blamed for booting 20-year incumbent Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md., from office in 2012.

Bartlett, an eccentric conservative who later relocated to the West Virginia wilderness to live off-the-grid, is now 99, and was known for addressing various topics that were sometimes ignored but have received newfound attention at present, including warnings about the strength, reliability and hardening of the U.S. power grid.

Bartlett won his last campaign by 28 points but then lost by about 20 after the rural district encompassing the entire Maryland Panhandle was adjusted to incorporate the edges of densely-populated Washington, D.C., suburbs.

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

He was defeated in 2013 by then-Rep. John Delaney, a finance executive – before Delaney was replaced by Total Wine mogul David Trone, who has largely self-funded his campaigns to the tune of millions of dollars.

Trone won re-election before opting in 2024 to pursue retiring Sen. Benjamin Cardin’s, D-Md., seat – which was ultimately won by Democrat Angela Alsobrooks.

He announced this year that he would challenge Rep. April McClain-Delaney, D-Md., the wife of former Rep. John Delaney.

Meanwhile, former longtime state Del. Neil Parrott, R-Antietam, is mounting his fourth consecutive bid for the seat. McClain-Delaney beat Parrott 53-47 in 2024.

The closest that Republicans have gotten to taking back the seat since Bartlett was defeated came in 2014, when now-FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino narrowly lost to Trone by about a point.

Bongino notably sought to nationalize the race, pulling in endorsements like Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and rebuking Delaney as someone who could “write himself a check for a million dollars” if he needed to in order to win.

HOUSE GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR WANTS TRUMP ‘OUT THERE ON THE TRAIL’ IN MIDTERM BATTLE FOR MAJORITY

The future G-man suggested at the time he would rather knock on doors in far-flung communities like Oakland and Grantsville, where he said, “nobody seems to know who [John Delaney] is,” according to the Maryland Reporter.

Given newly-drawn, friendlier maps following litigation over O’Malley-era gerrymandering, Republicans may have a chance to surprise in a district in one of the most Democratic-majority states in the country.

4. NEBRASKA’S 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

While not typically considered a swing state, or one that gets much attention in federal elections, Nebraska’s only urban-leaning district may decide the future of the House of Representatives if the overall contest is as close as it has been in recent years.

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., one of few in his party who have publicly lambasted President Donald Trump, is retiring. The district – centered in Douglas and Saunders counties, including Omaha and Ashland – already has a slew of candidates on both sides hoping to take the moderate’s seat.

Omaha City Councilman Brinker Harding leads state Sen. Brett Lindstrom, R-Omaha, in fundraising, while on the Democratic side, at least five people, including congressional staffer James Leuschen and state Sen. John Cavanaugh, D-Omaha, have tossed their hats in the ring, according to the Nebraska Examiner.

HEADED FOR THE EXITS: WHY 3-DOZEN HOUSE MEMBERS AREN’T RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION

Bacon, who hails from suburban Sarpy County, won his last race against former state Sen. Anthony Vargas, D-Omaha, by less than one percentage point.

After a recent wave of GOP losses in Florida, Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey, the district shapes up as a tough hold for Republicans in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat statewide since Ben Nelson retired in 2012.

5. NEW MEXICO GUBERNATORIAL RACE

While Nebraska is a red state that doesn’t often garner national attention, on the blue ledger lies New Mexico.

Topographically and culturally similar to red neighbor Texas and formerly red neighbor Arizona on the other side, the Land of Enchantment is often one that enchants the observer that looks closer at its politics.

Notably, its mountainous border with Mexico has largely kept it out of politically-contentious Trump-wall debates focused on the flatter, desert and river boundaries of its neighbors.

REPUBLICANS HAVE CHANCE TO SECURE GOVERNORSHIPS IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATES NEXT YEAR

While it lacks the urban population that is typical of most blue states like New York, California, New Jersey and Maryland, Republicans have been increasingly out of power there for years.

Former Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., was the last such lawmaker to represent the state in the upper chamber.

He retired in 2008 and was replaced by Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., whose surname is the Mountain West’s equivalent of Cuomo or Casey. The Interior Department headquarters is named after Udall’s father.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is term limited. While she was preceded by a Republican, Susana Martinez, her state has been trending more toward Democratic reliability otherwise.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Deb Haaland, a former New Mexico congresswoman who was also former President Joe Biden’s Interior secretary, is the biggest name in the Democratic field, while Greggory Hull, the longtime mayor of Rio Rancho, is such for the GOP.

Rep. Gabe Vasquez held off a challenge from predecessor Yvette Herrell in the 2nd congressional district, which spans the southwestern part of the state including Alamogordo and Las Cruces, in what was seen as the GOP’s best chance to make inroads again in the border state.

Republican Sen. John Cornyn says that Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s campaign launch in Texas’ high-stakes 2026 Senate race is proof that “the Democratic Party has become the captive of the left wing.”

Cornyn, the longtime senator from Texas who’s facing arguably the toughest re-election of his political career, charged in a Fox News Digital interview that the bid by Crockett, a progressive champion and vocal critic and foil of President Donald Trump, shows that “even people like Chuck Schumer,” the top Democrat in the Senate, “have been hijacked by the Bernie Sanders and AOC wing of the Democratic Party.”

Crockett, a two-term lawmaker who represents a Dallas-area district, launched her bid earlier this month hours after former Rep. Colin Allred, a more moderate Democrat running a second straight time for the Senate in right-leaning Texas, ended his campaign.

Crockett will now face off in her party’s March 3 primary with state Rep. James Talarico, a former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian who is also seen as a rising Democrat. The general election showdown in Texas is one of a handful of midterm races that may determine if the GOP holds its Senate majority.

WHAT THE SENATE GOP CAMPAIGN CHAIR MAKES A 2026 PREDICTION

Cornyn embraces Crockett’s entry into the race.

“I think she is unelectable in a general election in Texas. Texas is still a conservative red state,” Cornyn claimed. “She can’t win, so I’m really happy she’s decided to run.”

While Crockett and Talarico face off for the Democratic nomination, Cornyn is battling Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt in a competitive and combustible Republican primary.

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

And unlike the Democratic primary, where Crockett and Talarico are the only major candidates, the three-way Republican race may be headed towards a May runoff, which would be triggered if no candidate tops 50% in the March primary.

But Cornyn said that a GOP runoff won’t “really change our chances of winning in November.”

Cornyn is backed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) in the GOP primary.

NRSC chair Sen. Tim Scott predicts Cornyn will be the GOP’s nominee, emphasizing in a Fox News Digital interview last week that “we are confident that Texas will be red, ruby red, with John Cornyn as our candidate.”

Paxton, who has been battered over the past decade by a slew of scandals and legal problems and who is now dealing with a messy divorce, is a longtime MAGA champion and ally of Trump, who remains neutral in the Senate GOP primary race.

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

Cornyn, highlighting his Trump credentials, noted that “I get along well with the President. I’ve supported him during his first term, and now in his second term, I think the figure we came up with was 99.3% of the time. So I want the president to be successful and look forward to continuing to support him and his policies.”

But he acknowledged that “I don’t think he’s [Trump] in a big hurry to endorse. He says that both the attorney general and I are friends of his, and I don’t think he wants to disappoint some of his friends who support one or the other of us, if he…goes to support one and not the other.”

The Republican primary in Texas has become explosive, with charges flying from all sides.

But Cornyn, remaining more diplomatic than incendiary, merely touted that he would be the most effective general election candidate. And he pointed to Paxton and Hunt and argued, “They’re probably not going to be able to win, certainly by the same margin, and they might not be able to win at all because they’re flawed candidates.”

4 KEY SENATE SEATS REPUBLICANS AIM TO FLIP IN 2026 MIDTERMS TO EXPAND THEIR MAJORITY

“I’ve been through a lot of races before. This is nothing new for me, and we look forward to a good primary on March the third and probably a runoff that will finish the race off in May, and then we’ll get ready for whoever the Democrats decide to nominate for November,” he added.

Paxton campaign spokesman Nick Maddux, pushing back against Cornyn, told Fox News Digital, “Everyone knows that Jasmine Crockett, who said Hispanic Trump voters have a ‘slave mentality,’ is going to lose the general election miserably after winning the Democratic nomination. Cornyn’s reciting this tired talking point about the general election because his sad campaign has nothing else to talk about it.”

“Ken Paxton won his last statewide general election by nearly double digits, despite tens of millions in negative spending against him, and he’ll do exactly that again in 2026,” Maddux predicted.

Cornyn, who is running for a fifth six-year term representing Texas in the Senate, announced his re-election campaign in early March, with Paxton launching his primary challenge a month later.

Hunt, a West Point graduate who flew Apache helicopters during his Army service and a rising MAGA star who is in his second term representing a solidly Republican district in the Houston-area, jumped into the race in October.

As he declared his candidacy, Hunt showcased his own Trump credentials, saying, “I was the first person in the nation to endorse President Trump, and I have remained steadfast in my commitment to the people of Texas.”

Hunt had been mulling a Senate run for months and sources confirmed to Fox News earlier this year that the congressman made his case to Trump’s political team that he’s the only person who could win both a GOP primary and a general election.

Asked about Hunt, Cornyn claimed that “he can’t win the primary. He can force a runoff.”

And Cornyn said Hunt was “pretty headstrong and is determined to run, which is his right… but he also has a right to lose, which is what’s going to happen.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The 44-year-old Hunt, responding to the 73-year-old senator’s comments, told Fox News Digital that “Cornyn continues to lose support and now stands as the most vulnerable and ineffective incumbent in the country.”

“He refuses to step aside and pass the torch to a new generation of leadership, one aligned with the America First movement and committed to codifying President Trump’s agenda, something Cornyn has spent years opposing in the United States Senate,” Hunt charged.

Congress’ top fiscal hawk is back with his yearly government waste report card, this time uncovering over $1.6 trillion in spending on cocaine experiments on dogs, COVID-19 vaccine influencer campaigns and staggering yearly debt payments.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., unveiled his 11th annual “Festivus Report” on Tuesday, detailing the wonky ways that the federal government dumps taxpayer dollars into pet projects.

Paul has long been against Congress’ spending habits, routinely voting against appropriations bills and spending packages for not trying to tackle the nation’s growing debt problem. His report highlights that even with several lawmakers pounding their chests on Washington’s spending problem, Congress can’t help but spend more.

DEMOCRATS’ LAST-MINUTE MOVE TO BLOCK GOP FUNDING PLAN SENDS LAWMAKERS HOME EARLY

“No matter how much taxpayer money Washington burns through, politicians can’t help but demand more,” Paul said. “Fiscal responsibility may not be the most crowded road, but it’s one I’ve walked year after year — and this holiday season will be no different. So, before we get to the Feats of Strength, it’s time for my Airing of (Spending) Grievances.”

He lauded moves taken by the Trump administration to slash government spending, like the nearly $9 billion rescissions package that slashed funding for public broadcasting and some foreign aid, Paul said that while the action was “a good start, it’s just a drop in the bucket.”

Paul noted that in the last year, the federal debt has skyrocketed to nearly $40 trillion, up from roughly $36 trillion.

RAND PAUL’S ‘FESTIVUS REPORT’ EXPOSES $900B IN GOVERNMENT SQUANDER

“The Congressional Budget Office predicts we will add an average of $23.9 trillion in debt annually for the next decade. The U.S. government will add over $6.53 billion of debt every single day for the next ten years,” Paul said. “We borrow over $272 million every hour, we borrow $4.54 million every minute, and we borrow over $75,000 every second.”

“This year, I’m spotlighting a jaw-dropping amount of government waste — the kind that makes you wonder if anyone in Washington has ever heard the word ‘priorities,’” he continued. “A grand total of $1,639,135,969,608, which includes $1.22 trillion in interest payments on the debt.”

And several programs highlighted in the report that funneled taxpayer dollars to celebrities, drug experiments, diversity, equity and inclusion programs and several other obscure projects contributed to that staggering figure.

KENNEDY URGES GOP TO RESTART SPENDING BATTLE AMID SOARING COST OF LIVING, WARNS AGAINST WASTING MAJORITY

Among the highlights are over $40 million to social media influencers to promote getting the COVID-19 vaccine to racial and ethnic minority groups, over $5 million to dose dogs with cocaine, over $1 million to teach “teenage ferrets to binge-drink alcohol,” over $14 million to teach monkeys to play a “Price is Right”-inspired game and roughly $13 million to continue experiments on beagles.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

There’s also the over $7 billion previously allocated by Congress to build electric vehicle charging stations nationwide — only 68 have been built so far, he noted — and schools receiving nearly $200 billion in COVID-19 relief funds that has been spent on “rooms at Caesars Palace, renting out MLB stadiums, and ice cream trucks.”

The report highlighted several other programs, including over $1 million to hire celebrity influencers for anti-drug campaigns targeting “Latinx” communities, nearly $5 million total for studies looking at the effect of screen time on toddlers and mobile-phone obesity intervention for toddlers, and over $2 million for researchers to take saliva swabs at electronic dance music festivals in New York City.

A federal judge on Tuesday cleared the way for New York’s so-called Green Light Law, ruling against the Trump administration’s effort to block the state from giving people driver’s licenses without requiring proof that they are in the U.S. legally.

U.S. District Judge Anne M. Nardacci found that the Justice Department — which sued New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Attorney General Letitia James in February — had failed to prove its claims that the state law sought to invalidate federal law or that the measure unlawfully regulates or unlawfully discriminates against the federal government.

“As I said from the start, our laws protect the rights of all New Yorkers and keep our communities safe,” James said in a statement. “I will always stand up for New Yorkers and the rule of law.”

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi alleged when announcing the lawsuit that Hochul and James were prioritizing “illegal aliens over American citizens,” as the controversial state law blocks federal agents trying to enforce immigration laws from seeing illegal immigrants’ criminal driving records during traffic stops.

SANCTUARY STATE’S ‘GREEN LIGHT’ LAW IS RED FLAG FOR AMERICANS’ SAFETY, NATIONAL SECURITY: EXPERTS

Nardacci wrote in her ruling that her job was not to evaluate the desirability of the law as a policy matter, but to determine whether the Trump administration’s arguments prove its claims that the statute violates the U.S. Constitution’s Supremacy Clause, which establishes that federal laws overrule state laws.

The administration has “failed to state such a claim,” Nardacci wrote.

The Green Light Law, also known as the Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act, was adopted, in part, to improve road safety, as people sometimes drove without a license or without having passed a driving test. Under the measure, it is easier for these license holders to receive auto insurance.

The law states that people who do not have a valid Social Security number can submit alternative forms of ID, including valid passports and driver’s licenses issued in other countries. Applicants must still receive a driver’s permit and pass a road test to qualify for a “standard driver’s license.”

The legislation does not apply to commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).

BLUE STATE IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER ICE BUSTS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH ‘NO NAME GIVEN’ ON LICENSE

The DOJ’s lawsuit argued that the law was “a frontal assault on the federal immigration laws, and the federal authorities that administer them,” citing a provision that requires the state’s DMV commissioner to notify people who are in the country illegally when a federal immigration agency has requested their information.

The lawsuit further claimed that it could be easier to enforce the Trump administration’s immigration agenda if federal authorities had unrestricted access to New York’s driver information.

The Green Light Law took effect in 2019, but came under renewed scrutiny following a fatal shootout in Vermont in January that left a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent dead near the northern border with Canada after a traffic stop involving a German national.

“Any information that can help law enforcement stay safe as they conduct their duties has pretty much been taken away with this Green Light Law,” Hector Garza, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council, told Fox News Digital at the time. 

“What [the Green Light Law] does, is that it prevents law enforcement agents from getting any type of information in regards to any registrations that the state has,” Garza added. “For example, before we engage in traffic stops, typically law enforcement will always conduct a vehicle registration check to see if there’s any warrants to see if that person is considered armed and dangerous.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

But Nardacci, echoing an appeals court ruling in a county clerk’s earlier challenge to the law, wrote that the information “remains available to federal immigration authorities” through a lawful court order or judicial warrant.

New York is one of a dozen states that allows illegals to drive.

Fox News Digital’s Michael Ruiz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: The House Small Business Committee sent a letter this week to the Small Business Administration demanding answers on federal pandemic relief funds that flowed from the Biden administration to entities in Minnesota possibly connected to the massive unfolding fraud scandal.

In a letter sent Monday to SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, the committee said it is conducting oversight into reports of fraud and concealment involving the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, both of which were created to help small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic.

The letter cited public reporting and federal prosecutions tying Minnesota-based nonprofits and individuals to massive fraud schemes that drained hundreds of millions of dollars from federal programs under Democratic Gov. Tim Walz’s watch.

The letter also points out that the Minnesota nonprofit Feeding Our Future was at the center of what the Justice Department has called the largest pandemic relief fraud scheme charged in U.S. history, with 78 individuals charged as of late November in a case involving roughly $250 million in fraudulent claims as part of an overall system of fraud that prosecutors said last week could total up to $9 billion or more.

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER MINNESOTA AG POSTS ABOUT CRACKING DOWN ON FRAUD: ‘YOU’RE KIDDING RIGHT?’

“The SBA’s COVID lending programs were created to keep small businesses afloat during an unprecedented crisis, not to subsidize fraud,” Small Business Committee Chairman Roger Williams, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

“Under the Biden-Harris administration, weak oversight and reckless decision-making allowed bad actors to exploit these programs and steal hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars. The Feeding Our Future case highlights the severity of these failures, and the Committee on Small Business is determined to hold those responsible accountable.”

The committee’s letter requests detailed records on PPP and EIDL loans issued to dozens of individuals and businesses tied to Minnesota-based fraud investigations, including loan amounts, disbursement dates, forgiveness decisions and internal SBA communications.

MEDIA ‘COMPLICITY’ BLAMED AS FEDS SAY MINNESOTA FRAUD CRISIS COULD REACH $9B: ‘SHOWN THEIR TRUE COLORS’

Lawmakers are also seeking all documents and communications between the SBA and Walz’s office or Minnesota state agencies during the Biden-Harris administration, arguing such records are necessary to determine whether warning signs were ignored or oversight failed.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Loeffler says she is looking forward to working with Congress to get to the bottom of the situation. 

“Earlier this month, SBA determined that numerous Somali nonprofits indicted as part of the $1 billion pandemic fraud scandal in Minnesota received PPP and EIDL Loans totaling at least $2.5 million, including Feeding Our Future,” Loeffler said. 

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“SBA has since broadened its investigation to uncover pandemic-era fraud across the entire state of Minnesota and looks forward to working in partnership with Congressional leaders to uncover the full depth of the abuse and deliver accountability on behalf of American taxpayers.”

The letter asks for the documents to be provided by Jan. 12, 2026.

On Tuesday, Fox News Digital first reported that Loeffler sent a letter to Walz alerting him that her agency will “halt” more than $5.5 million in annual support to resource partners in the state “until further notice.”

The Department of Justice warned Tuesday that some documents in the latest batch of files it published related to Jeffrey Epstein included false and unverified information about President Donald Trump.

The DOJ wrote in a statement that the material included “untrue and sensationalist claims” about the president that the FBI received ahead of the 2020 election.

“To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already,” the DOJ wrote on social media, adding that it published the documents because of its “commitment to the law and transparency.”

The documents included an email sent by an unnamed federal prosecutor with the U.S. attorney’s office in the Southern District of New York on Jan. 7, 2020, saying Trump flew on Epstein’s private jet at least eight times in the 1990s. Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell accompanied Trump on some of the flights, and two of the flights included passengers who were “possible witnesses in a Maxwell case,” the prosecutor wrote.

The U.S. attorney’s office “didn’t want any of this to be a surprise down the road,” the prosecutor wrote. 

The documents also indicated a number of tips that were provided to the FBI about Trump’s alleged involvement with Epstein in the early 2000s. Trump has said he ended his friendship with Epstein before Epstein faced charges. It is unclear what was done with the information provided in the documents, or whether any of it was corroborated or used in the prosecutions of Epstein and Maxwell.

The DOJ has been sharing on a public website since Friday tens of thousands of pages of files related to Epstein’s and Maxwell’s sex-trafficking cases. Maxwell was found guilty in 2021 of trafficking minors, while Epstein died in 2019 in prison by suicide, authorities say.

SCHUMER ACCUSES DOJ OF BREAKING THE LAW OVER REDACTED EPSTEIN FILES

Among the files was also a letter that appeared to show Epstein had written to former physician Larry Nassar, a convicted child molester, and had referenced Trump liking young women. The DOJ said later Tuesday, after the letter had made the rounds on social media, that the FBI confirmed the letter was “fake.”

“The fake letter was received by the jail, and flagged for the FBI at the time,” the DOJ wrote in a statement on social media. The department said suspicious features of the letter included that it was postmarked three days after Epstein died and was sent from Virginia, rather than New York where Epstein was imprisoned.

The latest trove of documents came as part of the DOJ’s response to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, a law passed last month that imposed a 30-day deadline on the department to release all unclassified material related to the cases.

The last batch of documents included several photos of former President Bill Clinton, who was pictured in a pool and hot tub. A woman whose face was redacted was featured in the latter. A Clinton spokesperson responded by demanding the DOJ release all the files and that refusal to do so would confirm the DOJ was “not about transparency, but about insinuation.” The spokesperson noted that Clinton’s name has “repeatedly” been cleared by prosecutors.

CLINTON TEAM DEMANDS TRUMP DOJ RELEASE ‘ANY REMAINING’ DOCS RELATED TO FORMER PRESIDENT, EPSTEIN

The transparency bill allowed the DOJ to withhold information about potential victims and material that could jeopardize open investigations or litigation. Officials could also leave out information “in the interest of national defense or foreign policy,” the bill said. But the bill explicitly directed the DOJ not to redact any details that could be damaging to high-profile and politically connected people.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The file rollout has stirred controversy as critics have aired grievances about over-redactions and the law’s lapsed deadline. Trump signed the bill into law on Nov. 19, meaning the statutory deadline for all the files to be released was Dec. 19. The DOJ has said more files are forthcoming by the new year.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said on “Meet the Press” on Sunday there was “well-settled law” that supported the DOJ missing the bill’s deadline because of a need to meet other legal requirements, like redacting victim-identifying information.

Bill Mears contributed to this report.

Boca Raton, Florida’s Republican Mayor Scott Singer announced a run for Congress last week and spoke to Fox News Digital about his case to voters that Washington needs more local, common-sense leadership and fewer policies that he says have fueled inflation, weakened border security and slowed economic growth.

Singer announced his run against Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz in Florida’s 23rd Congressional District with a launch video referencing New York City’s onerous taxes and referencing Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s “radical left policies” while contrasting the economic and tax landscape with Florida, where many New Yorkers have fled to in recent years.

“I love public service,” Singer told Fox News Digital. “It’s been the honor of my life to serve as mayor. We have an opportunity to keep America going in the right direction and reverse some of the policies from the past four years that led to porous borders, high taxes, higher inflation and have hurt our economy.”

Singer, who joins a race where several other Republicans have also declared, praised recent Republican-led efforts in Washington, including what he described as historic tax relief and policies aimed at boosting wages and lowering costs for working families.

DESANTIS BLASTS NYC’S ‘BALLISTIC PODIATRY’ AFTER ZOHRAN MAMDANI WINS MAYOR’S RACE AND FLORIDA EXPECTS EXODUS

“The Republican Party has become the party of the middle class,” he said, pointing to proposals to eliminate taxes on overtime and tips, strengthen domestic manufacturing and bring jobs back to the U.S. “These are the things that are helping the middle class, higher wages, lower inflation and lower costs.”

The mayor drew a sharp contrast with today’s Democratic Party, arguing it has moved too far to the left to deliver practical solutions.

“Unfortunately, the Democratic Party of today is not our parents’ Democratic Party,” Singer said. “With an increasingly out-of-touch, far-left progressive party, it’s hard for common-sense solutions to come out of that.”

Singer said his experience in local government has shown him what effective governance looks like — and what Washington is missing.

“At the local level, we’ve excelled because we have to,” Singer said. “We have balanced budgets. We can’t shut down the government. We have to pick up the trash every day and deliver essential services. And we do that by finding common ground.”

20% OF NYC MAYOR-ELECT MAMDANI TRANSITION APPOINTEES HAVE ANTI-ZIONIST TIES: ADL

That approach, Singer argued, is increasingly absent in Congress, where partisan gridlock often stalls progress.

He also voiced strong support for President Donald Trump’s policy agenda, particularly efforts to combat antisemitism on college campuses, reduce the size of government and roll back federal regulations.

“Our campuses have been unsafe for years,” Singer said. “President Trump has stood up to antisemitism by holding universities accountable. We need to codify those gains, not just rely on executive orders.”

Singer pledged he would also push to restore more authority to states and local governments, particularly on education and environmental policy, and continue efforts to rein in federal spending.

“Harmful regulation has killed jobs and increased costs,” he said. “We need long-term solutions that put power back in the hands of states and communities, not Washington bureaucrats.”

Singer told Fox News Digital one of his day one priorities if elected to Congress will be legislation to “ban individual stock trading by members,” which he called an “important” issue.

The Cook Political Report currently ranks the race as “Lean Democrat” as House Republicans will try to buck historical trends and hold their razor-thin majority in the House next November.

“What Americans want is a strong economy, a strong national defense and common-sense solutions,” Singer said. “That’s what I’ve delivered as mayor, and that’s what I want to bring to Congress.”

Earlier this year, shortly before Mamdani’s victory, Singer told Fox News Digital that the socialist candidate’s rise in New York City is likely to spark an exodus of businesses to Florida, a move he said he has already started to see in his conversations with business owners.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“It’s hard to predict how bad the economic situation is going to be, but Mamdani doubled down at last week’s debate and said it’s about time we raised taxes, and he was grateful for it,” Singer said. “When he’s proposing a 17% marginal tax rate for New York City residents between state and local taxes, that’s 17% that they can simply give up by moving here and with jobs more mobile because of technology and with companies finding great office space here, there’s less and less reason for people to stay there.”

Singer continued, “I think one year out, you’re going to see a substantial exodus of companies that are able to move. Two years out, we’re going to see depressed values, more unemployment, higher crime. And four years out? We don’t know. I think at that point, they’ll be ready for a new mayor if what we expect to happen in November happens.”

President Donald Trump’s newly appointed envoy to Greenland said Tuesday the administration wants to open a dialogue with residents of the territory, stressing the U.S. is not seeking to “conquer” the island.

During an appearance on Fox News’ “The Will Cain Show,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, who was tapped as special envoy to Greenland by Trump on Sunday, said discussions must be had with Greenlanders to understand what they want moving forward.

“What are they looking for? What opportunities have they not gotten? Why haven’t they gotten the protection that they actually deserve?” Landry said.

Landry added that the U.S. “has always been a welcoming party,” and that the Trump administration is not going to “go in there trying to conquer anybody” or “take over anybody’s country.”

TRUMP MOVES GREENLAND MILITARY INSTALLATION UNDER US NORTHERN COMMAND IN ARCTIC POWER SHIFT

Landry’s comments came after Danish leaders sharply criticized Trump after he announced the appointment of the new special envoy to Greenland, a territory controlled by Denmark.

“We have said it before. Now, we say it again. National borders and the sovereignty of states are rooted in international law,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a joint statement Monday. “They are fundamental principles. You cannot annex another country. Not even with an argument about international security.”

Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday that Landry “understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World.”

DENMARK PM SAYS ‘YOU CANNOT SPY AGAINST AN ALLY’ FOLLOWING REPORTS OF US SPYING ON GREENLAND

On Tuesday, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen called Trump’s comments “completely unacceptable,” adding that he would summon the U.S. ambassador.

The Danish kingdom, he wrote on Facebook, is “sovereign and cannot accept that others question it.”

Trump has previously expressed ambitions for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, posting on Truth Social in December 2024 that “ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity” for national security purposes.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

In another post from January 2025, Trump said Greenland is an “incredible place,” and its people will “benefit tremendously if, and when, it becomes part of our Nation,” before declaring, “MAKE GREENLAND GREAT AGAIN!”

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

Fox News Digital’s Alex Nitzberg and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump went all black for their official Christmas portrait photo.

The White House on Tuesday released the image, showing the president dressed in a tuxedo with a white shirt and Melania Trump in a sleek black dress.

The photo was taken on Dec. 7 in the Cross Hall of the White House. The first lady selected the “Home is Where the Heart Is” theme for the White House Christmas decor.

MELANIA TRUMP GIVES TOUR OF 2018 WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS DECOR

The halls of the White House are decked with more than 25,000 feet of ribbon; more than 2,000 strands of light; more than 120 pounds of gingerbread; more than 2,800 gold stars; more than 10,000 blue butterflies; and more than 700 feet of garland.

The White House has 51 Christmas trees and 75 of Trump’s signature Christmas wreaths. The wreaths have classic red bows and hang outside the windows of the White House.

WHITE HOUSE UNVEILS CHRISTMAS DECOR WITH ‘SPIRIT OF AMERICA’ THEME

“This season also invites us to reflect on the blessings we share,” the White House Christmas message states. “For nearly 250 years, our Nation has grown through the hopes and hard work of families who believed in something greater than themselves. Their example inspires us today, especially at Christmas, when we gather with loved ones to celebrate the faith, family, and freedom that define our national story.”

The White House reopened its doors for public Christmas tours on Dec. 2, Fox News Digital reported.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The tours feature the White House Christmas decorations on the state floor and give visitors the opportunity to “enjoy the beloved annual tradition that transforms the White House into a festive reflection of the spirit, warmth, faith, and hope of the holiday season.”

A potential veto of Chicago’s 2026 budget by Mayor Brandon Johnson could trigger the Windy City’s first-ever municipal shutdown.

Johnson reportedly rebuked the budget passed by council over the weekend, which lacks the mayor’s favored per-employee “head tax” on corporations, as “morally bankrupt.”

If Johnson were to veto the budget, it would place the onus back on city council to rehash a plan that could get signed before Dec. 30 – or plunge the city into shutdown.

RECORDS REVEAL CHICAGO MAYOR’S ‘GIFT ROOM’ WAS CONSTRUCTED AFTER INVESTIGATORS TURNED AWAY

City Council lacks any Republican representation – with a Democratic majority of 48 plus two independents, so the situation represents a clash within factions of the left.

One such Democratic critic was Alderman Gilbert Villegas of Belmont-Cragin on the city’s northwest side. Villegas, a noted ally of ex-Mayor Lori Lightfoot, tweeted that he will “work hard to see if we can get 38-40 votes to override the veto” – noting that it originally passed 30-18.

Chicago faces a projected $1.2 billion shortfall for 2026. Johnson has argued that policies under the Trump administration favor corporations over working-class families and that businesses should “put more skin in the game.”

HOW TRUMP CAN TURN THE TABLES ON THE LEFT WITH A RADICAL TAX PLAN

But not all Democrats in Illinois agree. Gov. JB Pritzker has criticized the proposed $33-per-worker, per-month head tax, warning it would “penalize the very thing that we want, which is more employment.”

Johnson also rebuked the Washington Post for its scathing editorial entitled, “Chicago Has Lost Its Mind,” which argued the head tax and other pressures on businesses will stifle economic growth.

Johnson quipped that the paper “wouldn’t be the first time a publication got something I’ve done wrong.”

CHICAGO MAYOR CREATES ‘ICE-FREE ZONES’ TO BLOCK FEDERAL AGENTS FROM CITY PROPERTY

Items in the council’s budget include legalized video-gambling machines at eateries and Chicago-Midway Airport, raising the shopping-bag tax and a nationally unique proposal to tax social media companies – levying $0.50-per active Chicago user beyond 100,000 users that a platform has – with an expected windfall of $31 million, if approved.

While a shutdown would be a novel development, late-year budget vetoes in Chicago are not.

Popular 1980s Democratic Mayor Harold Washington vetoed several budgets in that decade, which often led to successful last-minute negotiations.

Washington, the city’s first Black mayor, vetoed four budgets during his four-and-a-half-year tenure, which ended abruptly when he unexpectedly died in office after his 1987 re-election at age 65.

A top Johnson ally, Alderman Pat Dowell of the South Side, is leading the pro-budget coalition, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. She said the council’s proposal is “not perfect but is a good budget and one we can work with.”

Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez, a progressive from the West Side, meanwhile voiced support for Johnson’s head-tax proposal and slammed council’s oppositional plan as an “immoral, bankrupt, ‘Michael Sacks’ budget.”

Sacks, a billionaire financier who runs asset manager GCM Grosvenor, is an ally of former Mayor Rahm Emanuel and donated directly to several aldermen’s campaigns before the budget fight, according to WGN.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Alderman Bill Conway III, a former military intel officer who represents “The Loop” in the heart of downtown, defended Sacks, telling WGN, “Michael is someone who cares about the future of the city, and he tries to work with those who are like-minded.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office for comment.