NationalWatch

Recent U.S. military escalations involving Venezuela have halted flights carrying unlawful migrants from the United States back to the South American country, Venezuela’s foreign ministry said, prompting criticism from anti-intervention voices.

President Donald Trump warned pilots Saturday that the airspace “above and surrounding” Venezuela should be “closed in its entirety” as his administration weighs potential strikes on targets in and around Caracas.

“Through this action, the United States government has unilaterally suspended the Venezuelan migrant flights that were being carried out regularly and weekly as part of the repatriation of Venezuelans through the Plan Vuelta a la Patria (Return to the Homeland Plan),” the ministry said in a statement.

The deportation flights had been one of the only areas of cooperation between Washington and the government of Nicolás Maduro. Venezuelan officials say nearly 14,000 nationals have been returned on twice-weekly charter flights in recent months.

VENEZUELA AGREES TO RESUME DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN RESPONSE TO PRESSURE FROM TRUMP

At the same time, the Trump administration has continued moving forward with plans to end temporary protected status for roughly 600,000 Venezuelans living in the United States.

“Genius. Enough with this immigration enforcement nonsense. Let’s get back to True MAGA — neocon wars that exacerbate and cause migration crises. About darn time,” said Curt Mills, executive editor of The American Conservative, criticizing the shift toward military action.

So far, U.S. strikes have targeted alleged narco-traffickers operating in the Caribbean near Venezuela. But officials have signaled that operations could expand to land-based targets as Washington increases pressure on Maduro to relinquish power.

VENEZUELA WILL FACE ‘SEVERE, AND ESCALATING SANCTIONS’ IF IT DOESN’T ACCEPT ITS CITIZENS, RUBIO SAYS

Dozens of U.S. bombers have deployed to the region alongside the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, underscoring the scale of the buildup. With U.S. bombers and the Ford already positioned in the region, much of the world is waiting to see whether Trump will green-light the next phase of strikes against Venezuelan targets.

Trump confirmed he spoke with Maduro by phone recently. 

“I wouldn’t say it went well or badly. It was a phone call,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday. 

Trump presented Maduro with an ultimatum — step down or face potential U.S. military action. Maduro, the Miami Herald reported, sought global amnesty for himself, demanded to retain control of the military and resisted an immediate exit from power.

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Restraint-minded foreign policy analysts have sounded the alarm against a regime-change-driven intervention in Venezuela, arguing such a move could make migration patterns worse. 

“Escalatory dynamics could trigger regional instability and hostility, with migration flows among the most predictable consequences,” a report by Stimson Center analysts Evan Cooper and Alessandro Perri claimed. “Absent a credible transition structure inside Venezuela, external pressure is far more likely to deepen chaos — driving more Venezuelans to flee — than to produce political change.”

Analysts in the libertarian foreign-policy space have issued similar warnings. 

Doug Bandow, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, argued that “U.S. militarized pressure on Venezuela is far more likely to worsen instability than to produce meaningful political change,” adding that history shows “coercion in Venezuela leads to unpredictable outcomes and episodes of mass flight.” 

“Escalation without a stable political alternative inside Venezuela risks accelerating the very migration pressures Washington is trying to contain,” said George A. López, a senior analyst at the Quincy Institute. 

The White House confirmed and defended conducting a second strike against alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean in September, amid the Trump administration’s crusade targeting the influx of drugs into the U.S. 

The White House’s statement comes after the Washington Post reported Friday that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth verbally ordered that a Sept. 2 attack kill everyone on board the alleged drug boat, drawing scrutiny from lawmakers who are requesting additional oversight into the strikes. The Post reported that a second strike was conducted to take out the remaining survivors on the boat. 

Although the Pentagon pushed back against the report, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not deny that a second strike occurred and told reporters Monday that the strike Sept. 2 was conducted “in self-defense” in international waters “in accordance with the law of armed conflict.” 

HEGSETH SAYS US CONDUCTED ANOTHER STRIKE IN EASTERN PACIFIC TARGETING ALLEGED NARCO-TRAFFICKERS 

The White House said Monday that Hegseth authorized the second strike, but the head of U.S. Special Operations Command, Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley, ordered and directed it. At the time of the strike, Bradley was serving as the commander of Joint Special Operations Command, which falls under U.S. Special Operations Command. 

“On September 2nd, Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” Leavitt said. “Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.”

When asked to confirm that Bradley was the one who ordered the second strike, Leavitt said that he was “well within his authority to do so,” but declined to disclose whether the second strike was ordered because there were survivors remaining from the first strike. 

Leavitt also disputed that Hegseth ever gave an initial order to ensure that everyone on board was killed, when asked specifically about Hegseth’s instructions. 

“I would reject that the secretary of War ever said that,” Leavitt said. “However, the president has made it quite clear that if narco-terrorists, again, are trafficking illegal drugs toward the United States, he has the authority to kill them.”

US MILITARY KILLS 2 SUSPECTED NARCO-TERRORISTS IN 16TH EASTERN PACIFIC STRIKE, HEGSETH SAYS 

The White House’s statements on the matter don’t completely align with the Pentagon’s. On Friday, the Pentagon denied the Post’s reporting in its entirety. 

“We told the Washington Post that this entire narrative was false yesterday,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a post on social media Friday. “These people just fabricate anonymously sourced stories out of whole cloth. Fake News is the enemy of the people.” 

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

TRUMP SAYS HE BELIEVES HEGSETH ‘100%’ ON VENEZUELAN DRUG BOAT STRIKE DENIAL AMID ALLEGATIONS 

Meanwhile, the report has prompted lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to ask additional questions about the operations, and press for additional oversight. 

“This committee is committed to providing rigorous oversight of the Department of Defense’s military operations in the Caribbean,” Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Adam Smith, D-Wash., who lead the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement on Saturday. “We take seriously the reports of follow-on strikes on boats alleged to be ferrying narcotics in the SOUTHCOM region and are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question.”

Spokespeople for the committee did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital regarding the nature of these additional oversight efforts. 

Additionally, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said Monday that she is calling for an investigation into the matter as well, and said that Hegseth “owes answers to the American people immediately.”

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The Trump administration has carried out more than 20 strikes against alleged drug boats in Latin American waters, and has bolstered its military presence in the Caribbean to align with Trump’s goal to crack down on the influx of drugs into the U.S.

The White House also confirmed Monday that Trump is slated to hold a meeting on Monday evening to discuss future actions concerning Venezuela. 

The House unanimously passed a bill on Monday barring anyone linked to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel from moving to the United States.

It’s a rare moment of bipartisanship on the topic of Israel, an issue that’s otherwise exacerbated deep fractures within both parties in the House of Representatives — particularly for Democrats.

The Republican-led legislation is called the “No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act of 2025” and was introduced by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif.

CHIP ROY AND OTHER REPUBLICANS PUSH BILL TO BLOCK AND DEPORT SHARIA LAW-ADHERENT ALIENS: ‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT’

It passed the House by voice vote on Monday afternoon, meaning it advanced with unanimous approval without lawmakers taking individual votes on the bill.

“There are still some things we can come together on in this body, and one of them is opposition to Hamas and the terrorism they unleashed on civilians in Israel more than two years ago,” McClintock told Fox News Digital.

“What this does is place them in the same category as Nazi collaborators in the Holocaust, which are also referenced in the Immigration Nationality Act.”

NEARLY 200 HOUSE DEMS VOTE AGAINST HIKING CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT FELONS

The bill now heads to the U.S. Senate, where a parallel effort was introduced earlier this year by Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Jacky Rosen, D-Nev.

McClintock told Fox News Digital he was hopeful the Senate would take up the bill — while noting it passed the House last term as well without the upper chamber taking action.

“The repeated actions of the House in passing this bill, I think, will hopefully inspire the Senate to take it up this year and send it to the president,” he said. “It’s important for two reasons. Number one, to prevent a future Joe Biden from admitting such people, and to empower a future Donald Trump presidency to keep them out.”

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The legislation would amend existing U.S. immigration law to deem “any alien who carried out, participated in, planned, financed, afforded material support to, or otherwise facilitated any of the attacks against Israel initiated by Hamas beginning on October 7, 2023” inadmissible to the country.

It would also add Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to the list of terror groups whose members and supporters are barred from the U.S. under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

It comes after a Gazan native, Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi, who was residing in Louisiana, was arrested earlier this year over his alleged involvement in the Oct. 7 attack.

FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican wants to end dual citizenship to require citizens to submit “exclusive allegiance” to the U.S. 

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, plans to introduce legislation on Monday that would require any U.S. citizen who has foreign citizenship to choose between the two countries, Fox News Digital has learned. It would also require that if a U.S. citizen seeks a foreign citizenship in the future, that person would effectively give up their U.S. citizenship. 

Moreno, who was born in Colombia, said in a statement to Fox News Digital, “One of the greatest honors of my life was when I became an American citizen at 18, the first opportunity I could do so.” 

“It was an honor to pledge an Oath of Allegiance to the United States of America and only to the United States of America. Being an American citizen is an honor and a privilege — and if you want to be an American — it’s all or nothing,” he said. “It’s time to end dual citizenship for good.”

NEARLY ALL REPUBLICAN AGS ADD FIREPOWER TO TRUMP’S BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP PUSH

Moreno’s bill fits into the broader fabric of the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration in the U.S., and it isn’t the first time that a lawmaker has sought to undo dual-citizenship laws in the country.

Current law allows for Americans to hold citizenship both at home and abroad and does not require that a person choose one allegiance over the other. 

Moreno’s legislation, dubbed the Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, is billed as a measure that would bolster the interests of the U.S. out of concern that holding dual citizenship creates “conflicts of interest and divided loyalties.”

It would change that immigration law to make current dual citizens choose between the U.S. and whichever country they hold citizenship in.

TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP FIGHT HEADS BACK TO SUPREME COURT AS NEW TERM BEGINS

The legislation would require that the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) create databases and rules to track and enforce the change in citizenship law. 

It would give Americans with dual citizenship one year after its enactment to either write to the secretary of state for a renunciation of their foreign citizenship or notify DHS of their intent to denounce their U.S. citizenship. 

If a person does not comply with the change within the year, they will automatically be considered to have relinquished their U.S. citizenship.

AS ‘SQUAD’ TURNS ASSIMILATION INTO ‘DIRTY WORD,’ EXPERT URGES US LEADERS TO RENOUNCE FOREIGN LOYALTIES 

And for those who do give up their U.S. citizenship, voluntarily or involuntarily, the DHS and attorney general will be required to ensure that those people are “appropriately recorded in Federal systems and treated as an alien for purposes of the immigration laws,” according to the bill text. 

There have been previous attempts to dismantle the country’s dual-citizenship law, most recently in the House, where Republican lawmakers have moved to ensure that their colleagues either disclose any foreign citizenship on their statement of candidacy or completely prevent anyone with a dual citizenship from serving in Congress.

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And though President Donald Trump has made moves to end birthright citizenship, which has been snarled in the courts and so far not taken up by the Supreme Court, the administration has not staked a position on dual citizenship. 

Moreno’s push may also face issues in court. The Supreme Court weighed in on the question of dual citizenship in the 1950s and has upheld the ruling ever since.

The White House is preparing to hold a meeting about its strategy regarding Venezuela — as it also is gearing up for Christmas and the administration’s ninth Cabinet meeting this week. 

The White House confirmed CNN’s reporting that Trump will hold a meeting Monday evening with members of his Cabinet and other national security leaders to discuss future actions regarding Venezuela. 

Trump admitted Sunday that he spoke to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro over the phone in late November, amid escalating tensions between the two countries as the Trump administration has waged a crusade against alleged drug traffickers in Latin America. 

WASHINGTON’S SHADOW WAR: HOW STRIKES ON CARTELS THREATEN TO COLLAPSE MADURO’S REGIME

The meeting comes after Trump announced Saturday that pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers should “consider” the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela closed, but he told reporters Sunday to not “read anything into it” when asked if an airstrike was imminent. 

The meeting also comes amid additional scrutiny from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle about the strikes, following a Friday report from the Washington Post that claimed Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth instructed that no survivors remain during an attack on an alleged drug boat in September, prompting a second strike. 

Hegseth denied the report, and labeled it “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory.” 

But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Monday that a second strike occurred, and said that commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, Adm. Frank Bradley, was within his legal right to do so. 

“On September 2nd, Secretary Hegseth authorized Admiral Bradley to conduct these kinetic strikes,” Leavitt said. “Admiral Bradley worked well within his authority and the law, directing the engagement to ensure the boat was destroyed and the threat to the United States of America was eliminated.” 

Even so, she pushed back on the Washington Post’s reporting describing that Hegseth ordered that everyone aboard the ship be killed. 

“I would reject that the Secretary of War ever said that,” Leavitt said. “However, the president has made it quite clear that if narco-terrorists, again, are trafficking illegal drugs toward the United States, he has the authority to kill them.” 

Lawmakers, including the top Republican and Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, are seeking answers. 

“This committee is committed to providing rigorous oversight of the Department of Defense’s military operations in the Caribbean,” Reps. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Adam Smith, D-Wash., said in a Saturday statement. “We take seriously the reports of follow-on strikes on boats alleged to be ferrying narcotics in the SOUTHCOM region and are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the operation in question.”

Spokespeople for the committee did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital regarding the nature of these additional oversight efforts.

TRUMP AGREES MADURO’S DAYS AS VENEZUELA’S PRESIDENT ARE NUMBERED IN ‘60 MINUTES’ INTERVIEW 

The Trump administration has carried out more than 20 strikes against alleged drug boats in Latin American waters, and has bolstered its military presence in the Caribbean to align with Trump’s goal to crack down on the influx of drugs into the U.S.  

Additionally, Trump is slated to hold a Cabinet meeting at the White House Tuesday before making an announcement about Trump Accounts, a new tax-advantaged savings and investment account established through the passage of Trump’s massive tax and domestic policy bill known as the one “big, beautiful bill” signed into law in July. 

No additional details were immediately available on the new Trump Accounts update. 

Likewise, Trump is slated to welcome the presidents of the Republic of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to sign a peace and economic agreement secured Thursday that seeks to end conflict in Congo between government forces and armed groups including Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. The armed group seized control of the Congo cities of Goma and Bukavu in 2025. 

Trump also is scheduled to attend the FIFA World Cup final draw at the Kennedy Center Friday. During the event, FIFA will divvy up all the soccer teams into 12 different groups.  

The FIFA World Cup will be held in June 2026 and July 2026 in Mexico, Canada and the United States. 

Meanwhile, the White House also unveiled its Christmas decorations for 2025 in keeping with the theme first lady Melania Trump selected: “Home is Where the Heart Is.” Christmas tours for the public are slated to begin Tuesday. 

The White House is outfitted with 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. Additionally, the White House has more than 50 Christmas trees on display.

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“Every detail of the 2025 White House Christmas decorations was personally selected by Mrs. Trump to honor the heart of America and the theme ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is,’” the White House told Fox News Digital.

Fox News’ Brooke Singman and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Senior Trump officials reiterated in recent days their plans to explore “all options” to proceed with criminal charges against former FBI director James Comey after a judge last week dismissed his case on the grounds that the interim U.S. attorney tasked with prosecuting the case had been unlawfully appointed. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed last week to “immediately appeal” the judge’s ruling, which also rendered invalid a separate case brought by the same prosecutor against New York Attorney General Letitia James.

In the interim, FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI and Justice Department are exploring other options to keep Comey’s case alive.

“The judicial process can make whatever determination it wants, but we at the FBI and our partners at the DOJ have numerous options to proceed, and we’re executing on all those options,” Patel told the Epoch Times in an interview Saturday.

COMEY SEEKS TO TOSS CRIMINAL CASE CALLING TRUMP PROSECUTOR ‘UNLAWFUL’ APPOINTEE

“And we’re executing on all those options,” Patel said. “We’re not done.”

Patel did not elaborate on what that process might entail. 

But his remarks are the latest indication that the Trump administration has no plans to stand down on Comey’s case, even in the face of what appears to be steep legal hurdles.

Here’s what we know about the dismissal of Comey’s criminal case and what obstacles the Trump administration might face in efforts to revive it.

Where things stand

Comey was indicted in September on one count of allegedly lying to Congress during testimony before a Senate subcommittee in 2020 and one count of obstruction stemming from the same event.

Trump announced days earlier that Halligan would be heading up the Eastern District of Virginia to replace interim U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert. Siebert resigned under pressure to indict Comey and New York Attorney General James, as Fox News and other outlets previously reported.

Comey’s lawyers quickly filed two motions to dismiss his criminal case, including on the grounds that Lindsey Halligan, the interim U.S. attorney and former White House aide who presented the case to a grand jury, was unlawfully appointed.

That question was reviewed by U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie, an outside district judge who ultimately sided with Comey’s lawyers on the matter. 

“Because Ms. Halligan had no lawful authority to present the indictment, I will grant Mr. Comey’s motion and dismiss the indictment,” Currie said. 

​​JAMES COMEY SEEKS TO DISMISS HIS CRIMINAL CASE, CITING ‘VINDICTIVE’ PROSECUTION

The Trump administration is free to seek to appeal Currie’s dismissals to the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, and Bondi vowed to do so “immediately” last week at a conference in Memphis.

Judge Currie also dismissed both Comey’s case and James’s case “without prejudice” — a detail that could leave the door open for the government to secure new indictments, should it choose to do so. 

But any attempts to bring new charges against either Comey or James would be held up further by appellate court review. It is unclear how long that process could take and many court watchers have declined to speculate on the process, given the many uncertainties that remain at play. 

Statute of limitations concerns

Comey’s case in particular has raised unique and potentially tricky questions for the Justice Department. 

Comey was charged with making false statements to Congress and for obstruction related to his testimony in September 2020. Both charges had a five-year statute of limitations that expired Sept. 30 — just three days after Bondi installed Halligan at the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia. 

It is unclear whether the judge’s order “resets the clock” on the statute of limitations under a federal law, as Trump’s allies have argued it should. The statute would give the Trump administration six additional months from the date of Currie’s dismissal to re-indict Comey. 

Under the same law, a dismissal by the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals would trigger a 60-day window for the Trump administration to re-indict Comey.

Currie’s ruling addresses just one of two major issues that Comey’s lawyers cited in their effort to toss his criminal case, however — and any attempt to revive the case or reverse the dismissal is widely expected to be featured heavily into the second  motion to dismiss.

FBI AGENTS SUE TRUMP DOJ TO BLOCK ANY PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES WHO WORKED ON JAN. 6 INVESTIGATIONS

Vindictive, selective prosecution 

Comey’s lawyers filed not one, but two motions to dismiss his criminal case. The second filing seeks to do so as a result of what Comey’s lawyers argued is “vindictive” and selective prosecution by the Justice Department.

“President Trump ordered the Department of Justice to prosecute Mr. Comey because of personal spite and because Mr. Comey has frequently criticized the president for his conduct in office,” Comey’s lawyers, Patrick Fitzgerald and Jessica Carmichael, said in the motion to dismiss, filed in late October.

The motion ticks through the years-long, strained relationship between Trump and his onetime FBI director, which Comey’s lawyers said bolsters their claim that the indictment “arises from multiple glaring constitutional violations and an egregious abuse of power by the federal government.”

Unlike the motion to dismiss the case based on the unlawfulness of Halligan’s appointment, which was reviewed by an outside judge, Comey’s motion to dismiss was slated to be heard by U.S. District Judge Michael Nachmanoff, the district judge assigned to Comey’s case.

It would be expected to come into play immediately, should an appeals court reverse Currie’s ruling, since the motions to dismiss must be reviewed by a court before the start of a criminal trial.

It would also almost certainly involve witness testimony from Trump officials with knowledge of the case to speak to what steps the administration took in the run-up to Comey’s indictment, the timing of the charges brought against him, and who in the administration ordered certain actions. 

MAURENE COMEY SUES DOJ FOR ‘UNLAWFUL’ FIRING, DEMANDS REINSTATEMENT

Lawyers for Comey asked Judge Nachmanoff to dismiss the case with prejudice — an outcome that, if granted, would block the government from seeking to re-indict Comey for the same actions.

Still, it is notoriously difficult to have a case tossed on the grounds of selective or vindictive prosecution, and in order to do so, Comey’s legal team must prove to the court both that prosecutors were acting with genuine animus in bringing the case against him — and that prosecutors singled him out because of that animus. 

Still, his lawyers presented an abundance of evidence in their filing that they argued satisfies that burden, and which primarily includes statements and admissions made by Trump and by senior administration officials.

“Objective evidence establishes that President Trump directed the prosecution of Mr. Comey in retaliation for Mr. Comey’s public criticisms and to punish Mr. Comey because of personal spite,” his lawyers said.

Short of outright dismissal, the next steps would be expected to involve additional discovery and an evidentiary hearing.

Next steps 

In the meantime, Bondi told reporters that Halligan will also remain in her post at the U.S. attorney’s office for the Eastern District of Virginia. 

As of this writing, neither the Trump administration nor Comey’s lawyers seem to think the case is mooted.

Comey’s lawyers vowed to continue the fight after his case was dismissed: “We will continue to challenge any further politically motivated charges through every lawful means available,” Comey’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement last week. 

And Comey himself also weighed in on the matter in a video posted last week to social media.

Trump “will probably come after me again, and my attitude’s going to be the same,” Comey said, shortly after his case was dismissed. “I’m innocent. I am not afraid. And I believe in an independent federal judiciary.”

Senior Trump administration officials have said much of the same. 

“This will not be the final word on this matter,” White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said last week.

And Patel, for his part, suggested in the interview on Saturday that the Trump administration is readying “multiple” responses, which could come sooner than later. 

As for timing, Patel said to “stay tuned for right after Thanksgiving,” though he declined to elaborate further, due to what he said was the appeals court process.

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The FBI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on Patel’s remarks, or on next steps in Comey’s case. 

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey and Maj. Gen. James Seward, adjutant general of the West Virginia National Guard, provided an update Monday on their operations in Washington as well as the condition of critically wounded guardsman SSgt. Andrew Wolfe.

Wolfe, of Inwood, W.Va., and Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, of Webster Springs, W.V., were shot – Beckstrom fatally — allegedly by Afghan evacuee Rahmanullah Lakanwal of Bellingham, Wash., on Wednesday as they patrolled outside the Farragut West Metro station not far from the White House.

Morrisey said Wolfe has been upgraded to serious condition, a step down from the previously reported “critical” status.

“I’m not the doctor, and I’m not going to try to pretend to be so,” Morrisey said of speculation about the future of Wolfe’s condition.

DC ATTORNEY GENERAL SUES TRUMP OVER NATIONAL GUARD ‘INVOLUNTARY MILITARY OCCUPATION’

Morrisey said Wolfe’s condition appears to be improving, telling reporters in Charleston that there had been some “positive news” from friends and family in the hospital.

“Andrew was asked if he could hear the nurse who asked the question to give a ‘thumbs up’ and he did respond,” the governor said, calling the soldier’s mother, Melody, “such a positive force” and that she and her husband, Jason’s top request of the public is to continue to offer prayers.

Morrisey said he attended a vigil for Beckstrom in Webster County over the weekend, and traveled to the Eastern Panhandle for a prayer service for Wolfe that was held in Martinsburg; only 80 miles from Farragut Square.

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

Seward and Morrisey spent Thanksgiving Day with the National Guardsmen at the Armory. A video from Morrisey’s social media feed indicated he met with personnel at the Washington, D.C. base.

“Every single one of the people there are volunteering,” he said, confirming 170 remain active in Washington.

WHITE HOUSE BLASTS MS NOW CORRESPONDENT’S ‘BEYOND SICK’ REACTION TO DC SHOOTING OF NATIONAL GUARDSMEN

He called the attack an “unspeakable evil,” and said West Virginia has not been asked to deploy additional troops beyond the rotations it has been contributing to-date.

“They’re volunteering because they believe in the mission — they want to support the state of West Virginia, and they want to support the country.”

As for the future of the Guard’s activities in the Mountain State, Morrisey said he has been in touch with President Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, and will defer to them on their processes.

ALINA HABBA BLASTS BIDEN IMMIGRATION POLICIES AS ‘ABSOLUTE FAILURE’ AFTER DEADLY NATIONAL GUARD AMBUSH

He underlined, however, that service in the Guard’s Washington mission is all-volunteer.

Of the shooting itself, Morrisey condemned media pundits who have speculated and want to “wrongly go to different places.”

“We’re not going to do that. At this point, that investigation is ongoing. The most important thing I can [say is] the citizens of West Virginia are rightfully angry about what’s happened right now,” he said.

ABBEY GATE GOLD STAR FATHER BLISTERS BIDEN AFTER AFGHAN NATIONAL ALLEGEDLY AMBUSHES 2 NATIONAL GUARDSMEN IN DC

“Justice must be done in this case. Justice will be meted out.”

Morrisey said he supports Trump’s call for new vetting proposals for “undocumented aliens” and loopholes to be closed in refugee vetting.

Seward said the Guard numbers about 6,000 statewide and that members have been shaken by Beckstrom’s killing and Wolfe’s injuries.

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“When we lose one of our family members, I can tell you that every Guardsmen I talk to is grieving,” he said.

Top Armed Services lawmakers are launching inquiries into the Trump administration’s lethal strikes in the Caribbean following a Washington Post report alleging that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered U.S. forces to kill anyone who survived a Sept. 2 strike on an alleged narcotics vessel.

“We will be conducting vigorous oversight to determine the facts related to these circumstances,” Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and ranking member Jack Reed, D-R.I., said in a joint statement. 

House Armed Services Committee leaders announced a parallel review, saying they are seeking “a full accounting” of the operation.

GOP LAWMAKERS RALLY BEHIND TRUMP’S VENEZUELA STRIKES AS CRITICS QUESTION LEGALITY

“We take seriously the reports of follow-on strikes on boats alleged to be ferrying narcotics in the SOUTHCOM region,” said Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and ranking Democrat Adam Smith, D-Wash. 

They said the committee is pursuing bipartisan oversight.

The Washington Post report, published Friday, cites unnamed individuals who claim Hegseth “gave a spoken directive” to “kill everybody” aboard a vessel U.S. intelligence believed was carrying narcotics in the Caribbean Sea. A Joint Special Operations commander overseeing that Sept. 2 mission “ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions” once two survivors were seen in the water after the initial blast, according to the report. 

Fox News has not independently verified the Post’s reporting.

Some lawmakers cast doubt on the account and stressed they have not been briefed on any order resembling what was described.

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., a retired Air Force brigadier general who has criticized Pentagon leadership on unrelated issues, said he is skeptical such an order would have been issued.

RUBIO PROMISES MORE STRIKES ON VENEZUELAN CARTELS: ‘WE’RE NOT GOING TO SIT BACK ANYMORE’

“Secretary of Defense Hegseth denies it. We should get to the truth,” Bacon said on ABC. “I don’t think he would be foolish enough to make this decision to say, ‘Kill everybody, kill the survivors,’ because that’s a clear violation of the law of war. So, I’m very suspicious that he would’ve done something like that because it would go against common sense.”

Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, the former House Intelligence Committee chairman, made a similar point Sunday.

“If that occurred, that would be very serious, and I agree that would be an illegal act,” he said on CBS, adding that the claim “is completely outside of anything that’s been discussed with Congress.”

The Post reported that the Sept. 2 operation — the first in a string of high-tempo strikes targeting alleged Venezuelan and Colombian narcotics networks — left two survivors clinging to the wreckage before a follow-on munition was employed. The Pentagon publicly reported that 11 suspected narco-traffickers were killed in the incident.

Hegseth issued a forceful denial of the story, calling it “fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory.”

“As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be ‘lethal, kinetic strikes,’” he wrote on X. “Our current operations in the Caribbean are lawful under both U.S. and international law, with all actions in compliance with the law of armed conflict — and approved by the best military and civilian lawyers, up and down the chain of command.”

The Pentagon declined to provide any additional context when asked by Fox News.

Turner said over the weekend that nothing resembling the reported follow-on strike has been described in congressional after-action briefings to date.

 “There are very serious concerns in Congress about the attacks on the so-called drug boats down in the Caribbean and the Pacific, and the legal justification that’s been provided,” he said. “But this is completely outside of anything that’s been discussed with Congress, and there is an ongoing investigation.”

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Since September, U.S. forces have conducted at least two dozen strikes against alleged maritime narcotics traffickers in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, killing roughly 80 individuals linked — according to the administration — to designated Venezuelan and Colombian criminal organizations. Senior officials have argued the operations are necessary to disrupt what they describe as “narco-terrorist” groups with ties to Nicolás Maduro’s regime.

The escalated tempo comes as the Trump administration increases pressure on Maduro. 

President Donald Trump warned in the past week that commercial airlines “should consider Venezuela’s airspace closed,” a directive that aviation and defense analysts note could precede strikes deeper into Venezuelan territory if the administration believes Maduro-aligned groups pose an expanding threat.

A D.C. councilmember with ties to the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has announced a bid for mayor of the nation’s capital.

Councilmember Janeese Lewis George issued a statement on Monday that she is launching a mayoral campaign, aiming to succeed long-serving Mayor Muriel Bowser, who is not pursuing re-election.

The progressive Democrat said that “too many residents still feel squeezed financially, from unaffordable housing to childcare, and feel unsafe in their neighborhoods. Residents face uneven access to opportunity and a city government that on its best days feels unresponsive, and on its worst, is leaving residents out in the cold all because leaders have chosen to prioritize the needs of the well-connected over us.

“That’s wrong, it’s not the DC we should be and that’s why I’m running for Mayor,” she added.

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

Bowswer, who has been in office since 2015, announced last month that she will not run for a fourth term.

“DC is a place that honors and celebrates its leaders. We will always be grateful for Mayor Bowser’s devoted public service and impactful leadership,” George said in a post responding to Bowser’s announcement.

The mayoral hopeful first won her seat on the council in a 2020 election, in which she was supported by the DSA. Upon her victory, the organization congratulated her in a press release that referred to her as “our chapter member and endorsed candidate[.]”

BOWSER ENDS DECADE-LONG REIGN AS DC MAYOR AFTER 3 TERMS IN OFFICE, WON’T SEEK FOURTH

Earlier this year, when President Donald Trump moved to leverage the National Guard and D.C. Metropolitan Police Department to crack down on crime in the nation’s capital, George was a vocal critic.

TRUMP INVITES FAMILIES OF TWO NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS SHOT IN DC TO WHITE HOUSE, PLANS TO HONOR SOLDIERS

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“Like many of you, I am shocked and outraged that President Trump has announced he is weaponizing the Home Rule Act by deploying the National Guard and exercising authority over the Metropolitan Police Department. This is a direct attack on the 700,000 residents of DC and we will not stand for it,” she said in part of the statement.

We’ll know Wednesday morning if a special election in Tennessee is truly a referendum on country music, pedal taverns and bachelorettes.

Or, we can divine a deeper political meaning from the results of the special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District.

Democrat Aftyn Behn is trying to tip the scales in favor of her party in a district which President Donald Trump carried by about 20 points and former Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., won by a similar percentage last fall.

Behn faces GOPer Matt Van Epps. It’s a Republican district. But political observers are watching the race to gauge potential weakness by Trump, a softness in the Trump coalition, issues with the Republican brand or early indications of a possible blue wave in the 2026 midterms.

TENNESSEE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE DODGES QUESTIONS ON PAST SUPPORT FOR DEFUNDING POLICE IN CONTENTIOUS INTERVIEW

It was Behn who proclaimed that she abhorred Nashville several years ago. “I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music. I hate all the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it city,’” complained Behn.

About all Behn left out in her animus toward Music City was dissing The Grand Ole Opry, hot chicken and Goo Goo Clusters. But if voters go goo goo over Behn Tuesday, Republicans face a cluster of another sort. A Behn victory may signal major problems for Republicans and President Trump heading into the midterms.

Behn is characterized as the “AOC of Tennessee,” a reference to progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Republicans have been sure to boomerang that against Behn, suggesting she’s not in tune with the district, leans too far to the left, and is closer to the liberal values of New York or Los Angeles than Nashville. Republicans believe Behn is just a bad fit for Nashville. Kind of like having Bad Bunny perform at the Ryman Auditorium. 

“It shouldn’t even be close, but it is,” mused Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., on Fox.

So Republicans are pouring in money to protect the seat. Democrats are pouring in money to steal the seat. If Democrats pull off the upset, the party should uproot the goalposts at FirstBank Stadium in downtown Nashville and dump it in the Cumberland River. Kind of what Vanderbilt fans did last year when the Commodores upset No. 1-ranked Alabama. 

FIRST ELECTION TEST FOR TRUMP’S TERM SURPRISINGLY CLOSE IN FL, GOP LOOKS TO INCREASE RAZOR-THIN HOUSE MAJORITY 

Let’s explore what a Behn win might mean for Republicans. It could indicate that voters are tiring of Trump. Or that the GOP brand is toxic. Or perhaps it’s the continuation of a trend which Democrats enjoyed this fall: near blowout wins by New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill and Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger.

But there’s a downside for Democrats. Yes. They may flip the seat. But a win may also show that the party is tilting more to the left. It would be hard to argue with success if Behn prevails, regardless of her progressive streak. But this may give other liberals ideas that they can win in other red or purple districts. That may work against Democrats — especially since every Republican, except President Trump, has highlighted the left-wing politics of New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.

Democrats probably need to run more centrist candidates in purple areas to regain control of the House. A Behn victory could open the floodgates for a host of progressive candidates in competitive House districts nationwide. Behn’s message — or that of Ocasio-Cortez or Mamdani — won’t work in most places where Democrats need to be successful to seize control of the House.

But what if Republicans hold the seat and Van Epps wins?

It probably depends by how much.

TRUMP IGNORES ELECTIONS AS DEMOCRATS STUMBLE ON THE WAY TO LIKELY VICTORIES

Yes, there were five special elections in 2017 — the first year Trump was originally in office — which Democrats made competitive. All were closer than they should have been. But Democrats didn’t win any of them. Still, astute political observers suggested there was unpopularity with the president and the GOP agenda. Democrats won 40 seats and gained control of the House in the 2017 midterms.

So, even if Van Epps wins, examine the margin. And if Behn wins, see if Republicans downplay it because it was a special election and the customary electorate just doesn’t turn out for special elections. Especially one wedged between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

If Republicans hold the seat, the GOP will argue this was a repudiation of a leftist like Behn and someone who was out of step. They will also suggest that it’s a GOP seat and Republicans should win anyway. That’s what happened earlier this year when there was consternation before two Florida special elections. But Florida Republican Reps. Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis both won in March.

Here’s another factor which bears watching: the message the press corps and political observers glean from the election results. After all, special elections are always special. It’s natural for analysts and journalists to search for particular meanings or signposts in these contests. Such was the case with the off-year elections in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City. Sometimes these observations are spot-on. Other times, they mean nothing. If anything, there is a tendency to over-illuminate the outcomes of these contests. They are moments in time. Kind of like listening to a few bars of a song. Maybe it tells you a lot about the song. Maybe not.

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

House Republicans could well freak out if Behn is victorious. There’s lots of grumbling among Republicans. Some are frustrated by how their leadership handled the government shutdown. And others could follow Green and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and hit the exits early.

This is a fragile time for House Republicans. That’s one reason why a flip of this seat could mean a little bit more.

Still, it’s rare to flip seats in House special elections. Former Rep. Don Cazayoux, D-La., won a special election in a red district in Louisiana in 2008 after former Rep. Richard Baker, R-La., resigned. But current Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., then won that seat in the general election and served in the House before moving to the Senate.

Former Rep. Mayra Flores, R-Texas, flipped the seat held by former Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Texas, in 2022. But she lost re-election that fall.

Former Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., won a special election in 2020 after former Rep. Katie Hill, D-Calif., resigned just months into office. Garcia held the seat until Rep. George Whitesides, D-Calif., defeated him a year ago.

Former Rep. Charles Djou, R-Hawaii, won a special election in Hawaii in 2010 against two Democrats – former Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, D-Hawaii, and Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii. But Democrats got the seat back in 2012. 

Former Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, won a special election in 2022 to flip Alaska’s at-large district from red to blue following the death of late Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska. Young held the seat for nearly 50 years. But Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, defeated Peltola last year.

In short, even if someone flips a seat, it’s rare that they have the seat for long. Often, only through the next regular election.

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So a word of caution as you evaluate the election results on Tuesday night. If Republicans hold the seat, that may be expected. If Democrats flip the seat, some will proclaim it’s the second coming of the Music City Miracle. 

But frankly, it’s probably not.

An appellate court found on Monday that Alina Habba is unlawfully serving as the top prosecutor in New Jersey, delivering a blow to President Donald Trump as he fights to keep his preferred nominees in charge of U.S. attorneys’ offices in blue states.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit said in a unanimous 3-0 order that a lower court was correct to disqualify Habba, a fiery Trump loyalist who previously served as the president’s personal defense lawyer.

The Trump administration could ask for a full panel of 3rd Circuit judges to reconsider the decision, or it could turn to the Supreme Court to weigh in. Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Justice and a Habba spokesperson for comment.

A three-judge panel for the 3rd Circuit heard arguments on Habba’s appointment in October and grilled a Department of Justice lawyer over the unconventional way Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi reinstalled Habba as U.S. attorney after her initial, temporary appointment expired.

TRUMP APPOINTS HABBA AS ‘ACTING’ US ATTORNEY AFTER JUDGES OUSTED HER

Habba is one of several names who became jammed up in court proceedings over allegations that Trump sidestepped the Senate and improperly exploited loopholes in federal vacancy laws to keep his preferred prosecutors in place.

Habba’s case was the furthest along in the court process, but Lindsey Halligan and Bill Essayli, temporary U.S. attorneys in Virginia and California, respectively, are among those also facing high-stakes court challenges to their appointments.

The panel that heard Habba’s case comprised two appointees of former President George W. Bush and one appointee of former President Barack Obama.

The judges voiced skepticism of DOJ lawyer Henry Whitaker’s claims that Bondi had authority to fill the vacancy for the U.S. attorney of New Jersey after Trump fired the court-appointed one. Whitaker said the administration simply took advantage of “overlapping mechanisms” afforded to it by Congress.

TRUMP’S US ATTORNEYS IN BLUE STATES FACE LEGAL CHALLENGES THAT COULD UPEND KEY PROSECUTIONS

“In this case, the executive branch admittedly took a series of precise and precisely timed steps not to evade or circumvent those mechanisms but rather to be scrupulously careful to comply with them,” Whitaker said.

One of the judges said during the oral arguments that he viewed Habba’s case as unusual and possibly unconstitutional.

“Would you concede that the sequence of events here, and for me, they’re unusual, would you concede that there are serious constitutional implications to your theory here, the government’s theory, which really is a complete circumvention, it seems, of the appointments clause?” the judge asked.

Veteran D.C. lawyer Abbe Lowell, known for his involvement in lawsuits challenging the Trump administration, represented the defendants contesting Habba’s appointment.

Two sets of defendants facing run-of-the-mill charges brought the challenge to Habba, saying she should not be allowed to prosecute them because she was an invalid U.S. attorney.

TRUMP NOMINEES SQUEEZED BETWEEN ‘BLUE SLIPS’ AND BLUE OBSTRUCTION

Habba had no path to Senate confirmation, in part because New Jersey’s Democratic senators, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, did not approve of her through the Senate’s blue slip tradition.

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That precedent has drawn Trump’s ire as Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, stands firmly behind blue slips, which require home state senators to approve of U.S. attorney and district judge nominees.

Trump recently conveyed, through his firing of former U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert, that earning Democratic senators’ approval could be disqualifying in his view, setting up a stalemate with the upper chamber over his nominees in blue states.

This is a breaking new story and will be updated. 

President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday that he would release the results of an MRI he had done in October.

“If they want to release it, it’s OK with me to release it,” Trump said. “It’s perfect.” 

“If you want to have it released, I’ll release it,” he told reporters as he traveled back to Washington, D.C., after spending the Thanksgiving weekend at Mar-a-Lago.

A reporter asked Trump what part of the body the MRI was focused on in the scan.

WHITE HOUSE PROVIDES TRUMP HEALTH UPDATE AFTER MRI SCAN CONCERNS SWIRLED 

“I have no idea,” the president responded. “What part of the body? It wasn’t the brain because I took a cognitive test and I aced it. I got a perfect mark.”

The White House released a memo on Oct. 10 from Sean Barbabella, the White House physician, that said Trump underwent advanced imaging as part of a scheduled follow-up evaluation at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Barbabella said the evaluation was part of the president’s ongoing health maintenance plan and included laboratory testing and preventive health assessments.

“Comprehensive laboratory studies performed in conjunction with the visit were exceptional, including stable metabolic, hematologic, and cardiac parameters,” the memo read in part.

TRUMP SAYS HE WOULD ‘ABSOLUTELY’ REVOKE CITIZENSHIP FROM NATURALIZED CRIMINALS – IF HE HAS THE AUTHORITY

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A reporter previously asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt in early November at a White House press briefing about releasing the results of the MRI because it is a very specific procedure and not generally routine. 

“As I said, I’ll check back for you,” Leavitt responded.

The Republican-controlled Indiana House returns to session on Monday to take action on congressional redistricting pushed by President Donald Trump.

And the GOP-dominated state Senate, in a major reversal, will reconvene in one week to “make a final decision on any redistricting proposal sent from the House.”

The proposed new map would create another GOP-leaning congressional district in the solidly Republican Midwestern state.

Indiana is the latest battlefield in the high-stakes redistricting showdown pitting Trump and Republicans versus Democrats to shape the 2026 midterm landscape as the GOP defends its razor-thin House majority.

TRUMP TURNS UP HEAT ON FELLOW REPUBLICANS IN PUSH TO REDRAW CONGRESSIONAL MAPS AHEAD OF MIDTERMS

State House Speaker Todd Huston announced last week that “House Republicans will gavel in on Monday, Dec. 1, reconvening the 2026 regular session. All legislative business will be considered beginning next week, including redrawing the state’s congressional map.”

Despite pressure from Trump and his political team, Rodric Bray, the Republican leader in the Indiana Senate, announced two weeks ago that there wasn’t enough support in the chamber to move forward with redistricting.

DEEP-POCKETED CONSERVATIVE GROUP ‘ALL IN’ ON HELPING TRUMP REDISTRICTING PUSH

Trump, in response, repeatedly threatened to back primary challenges against state Republican lawmakers who didn’t support his congressional redistricting push.

“A RINO State Senator, Rodric Bray, who doesn’t care about keeping the Majority in the House in D.C., is the primary problem. Soon, he will have a Primary Problem, as will any other politician who supports him in this stupidity,” Trump warned in a recent social media post.

Bray confirmed in a statement last week that the state Senate would return into session to take action on whatever redistricting proposal passes the House.

“The issue of redrawing Indiana’s congressional maps mid-cycle has received a lot of attention and is causing strife here in our state. To resolve this issue, the Senate intends to reconvene as part of the regular 2026 session on Dec. 8,” Bray wrote.

Republicans currently control seven of Indiana’s nine congressional districts, and any new map passed by the GOP supermajority in the legislature would likely shift the state’s 1st Congressional District from blue-leaning to a red-leaning seat.

Trump has been twisting elbows in his attempt to make Indiana the latest Republican-controlled state to change their congressional maps. The president has called state lawmakers and Vice President JD Vance visited the state twice earlier this autumn to discuss redistricting.

TRUMP TARGETS RED STATE REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS IN PUSH FOR CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING

Trump has also taken some jabs at Republican Gov. Mike Braun of Indiana, arguing that the governor “perhaps, is not working the way he should to get the necessary Votes.”

While Trump has called Braun “a good man,” he has warned he “must produce on this, or he will be the only Governor, Republican or Democrat, who didn’t.”

But Braun, pointing to the president, has touted that he is “committed to standing with him on the critical issue of passing fair maps in Indiana to ensure the MAGA agenda is successful in Congress.”

NEWSOM TAKES VICTORY LAP AFTER LANDSLIDE REDISTRICTING VICTORY IN CALIFORNIA

The push by the president in Indiana is part of a broad effort by Trump’s political team and the GOP to pad the party’s razor-thin House majority ahead of the midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats.

Trump is aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections.

Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have drawn new maps as part of the president’s push. And Florida and Kansas are also mulling redrawing their maps.

“We must keep the Majority at all costs,” Trump wrote recently.

But two federal judges in Texas delivered a blow to Trump and Republicans, by ruling that the state can’t use the newly drawn map in next year’s elections. The Supreme Court put in place a temporary stay on the ruling, ahead of weighing in on the dispute.

Meanwhile, Democrats are fighting back.

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

That is expected to result in five more Democratic-leaning congressional districts in California, which would counter the passage earlier this year in Texas of a new map that aims to create up to five right-leaning House seats.

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Illinois and Maryland, two blue states, and Virginia, where Democrats control the legislature, are also taking steps or seriously considering redistricting.

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

As the Trump administration conducts deadly strikes against alleged drug boats of narco-terrorists, War Secretary Pete Hegseth posted a meme depicting the children’s book series character Franklin firing a weapon at such a vessel.

“For your Christmas wish list…” Hegseth joked when sharing the fake book cover.

The meme shows the turtle character in a helicopter, firing what appears to be an RPG at one of the boats in the water below. The RPG fired by Franklin flies toward the vessel, where there is already an explosion occurring.

HEGSETH DEFENDS LETHAL STRIKES AGAINST ALLEGED DRUG TRAFFICKERS: ‘BIDEN CODDLED TERRORISTS, WE KILL THEM’

“Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists,” the title on the fake book cover reads.

Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who is running for Senate, blasted Hegseth. 

WAR SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH SPENDS THANKSGIVING WITH US TROOPS IN LATIN AMERICA: ‘WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOU’

“You’re a disgrace,” he wrote.

“There’s nothing Christian about war crimes,” former Rep. Justin Amash wrote in response to Hegseth’s post.

WAR SECRETARY HEGSETH DELIVERS THANKSGIVING MESSAGE TO TROOPS

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“As we’ve said from the beginning, and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be ‘lethal, kinetic strikes.’ The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats, and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization,” Hegseth wrote in part of a recent post on X.

President Donald Trump on Sunday said his administration’s halt on asylum processing in the wake of the deadly National Guard shooting earlier this week could last “a long time,” and floated the possibility of revoking citizenship from some naturalized immigrants with criminal histories.

While the administration has framed the asylum freeze as an emergency response to Wednesday’s shooting, the president’s comments to reporters aboard Air Force One suggest the restrictions could evolve into a longer-term approach.

President Trump tied the pause to a more robust stance toward 19 countries he derided as “crime-ridden” and vowed that he would “absolutely” de-naturalize immigrants convicted of crimes — if it is within his presidential authority.

“We have enough problems. We don’t want those people,” Trump said, adding that there was no time limit on the moratorium.

TRUMP HIGHLIGHTS FEDERAL LAW GRANTING PRESIDENTIAL POWER TO HALT IMMIGRATION AS CRACKDOWN ESCALATES

“We have criminals that came into our country and they were naturalized,” Trump said, vowing that, “If I have the power to do it – I’m not sure that I do, but if I do – I would de-naturalize. Absolutely.”

Trump clarified his recent use of the term “reverse migration,” saying it means removing people already inside the U.S.

“Get people out that are in our country – get them out of here,” Trump said.

LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONDING AFTER 2 NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS SHOT NEAR WHITE HOUSE

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, is charged with shooting two West Virginia National Guard members just blocks from the White House on Wednesday.

U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, was killed, while her colleague, U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, remains in critical condition. Both Guard members had been deployed to D.C. as part of Trump’s crime-fighting mission that federalized D.C. police. Trump said he has invited both Guard members’ family members to the White House.

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“I said, ‘When you’re ready, because that’s a tough thing, come to the White House. We’re going to honor Sarah,” Trump told reporters. “And ‘likewise with Andrew, recover or not.”

Lakanwal faces one count of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed in the shooting, charges that prompted the Trump administration to halt all asylum decisions and pause issuing visas for people traveling on Afghan passports.

President Donald Trump delivered a stern ultimatum to Nicolás Maduro to leave Venezuela immediately before announcing the country’s airspace should be closed, according to a report.

Per the Miami Herald, Washington’s warning was delivered in a phone call with Caracas and offered guaranteed evacuation for Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores, and their son, but only if the dictator agreed to resign on the spot. 

The conversation stalled, U.S. officials said, and within hours Washington escalated dramatically. 

The ensuing impasse, a source told the outlet, was over Maduro asking for “global amnesty for any crimes he and his group had committed, and that was rejected.” 

MADURO BRANDISHES SWORD AT RALLY AS HE RAILS AGAINST ‘IMPERIALIST AGGRESSION’ AMID RISING TENSIONS WITH US

“Second, they asked to retain control of the armed forces — similar to what happened in Nicaragua in ’91 with Violeta Chamorro. In return, they would allow free elections.” 

The final issue was timing, according to the outlet, as Washington demanded that Maduro resign immediately – but Caracas refused.

Trump went on to announce Saturday that Venezuelan airspace would be considered “closed in its entirety.” 

The Herald also reported that the Maduro government tried to schedule another call to Washington but received no response.

According to a defense expert familiar with the country’s military and state-linked cartel ties, Maduro and key players in his regime could now face their most serious threat yet.

“I think the operations will start imminently,” former Venezuelan diplomat Vanessa Neumann told Fox News Digital.

“The clearing of the airspace is an indication and a very clear public warning that missiles might be coming to take out command and control infrastructure or retaliatory infrastructure,” Neumann said. “This will not be like breaking a jar into a thousand pieces, this is where you can lift the concentration of power, and it’s easier to manage.”

“The targets have been identified through covert operations over the last several years by people on the ground,” she continued. “So they’re well-mapped. This is a capture-or-kill scenario, but there’s a limit to how many people you can remove quickly.”

On Sunday, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One not to “read anything into” his declaring Venezuela’s airspace closed when asked if a strike was imminent. 

“Maduro also doesn’t have that many options, and his military is very weak,” she warned. “You can’t go after 30 people simultaneously, who are spread all around, but certainly high on the list would be Maduro himself.”

TRUMP PUSHES PEACE IN EUROPE, PRESSURE IN THE AMERICAS — INSIDE THE TWO-FRONT GAMBLE

Venezuela’s armed forces, once among Latin America’s strongest, have been weakened by years of corruption, sanctions, defections, and lack of maintenance. Much of its equipment, Neumann says, has never even been serviced.

“Their material is extremely old, decayed, and has not been serviced,” Neumann explained. 

“They’ve got junk from the Russians. The stuff they originally had from the Americans is decades old and has not been serviced.

“So, they have neither the personnel, foreign support, nor the material,” she said.

Ahead of shuttering the airspace, the U.S. also officially designated the cartel allegedly linked with Venezuela’s government, the Cartel de los Soles, as a foreign terrorist organization.

“This cartel turned Venezuela’s main oil company into a narcotics trafficking money laundering operation, using the company’s access to international finance, until it was sanctioned,” Neumann, who has worked with governments on countering transnational organized crime linked to the group, explained.

“They were using Venezuelan military jets to bring in cocaine from Colombia, process it in Venezuela, and then move it into Central America and then into Europe.

IRAN BACKS MADURO TO KEEP LATIN AMERICA FOOTHOLD AS TRUMP INCREASES PRESSURE ON VENEZUELA

“Jet pilots were making a lot of money off that, and they’ve tortured people. They target people, anybody who tell on them, they’re disappeared,” Neumann said. “They’re now one of the prime drug trafficking networks into the United States and Europe, and use their military positions, including their military-to-military relations, to grow and accelerate those movements.”

In fact, in September, the European Parliament also voted in favor of the EU designating Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organization.

“The Cartel de Los Soles is also a key collaborator and financier of Hezbollah and some of the drug money has been used to fund terrorist attacks that have killed American citizens, even in the Middle East,” added Neumann, CEO of Asymmetrica Group, which specializes in defense cooperation.

The U.S. has also ramped up a military and intelligence campaign targeting drug-trafficking networks linked to Venezuela, including strikes on suspected narcotics boats.

TRUMP’S STRIKE ON CARTEL VESSEL OFF VENEZUELA SENDS WARNING TO MADURO: ‘NO SANCTUARY’

“The decision is President Trump’s because when he says, ‘Go’, we go. And nobody knows when he’ll say that,” Neumann said. “He has mobilized so many assets down there now. But what President Trump is doing now is long overdue.”

“The timing is right now,” she added. “Because even Maduro’s biggest backers, Russia and Iran, are both on the back foot, and China will not go that far in backing Maduro as it has bigger and broader interests throughout the region.”

She also noted that “Maduro is also weakened because his partners are weakened and have their own issues to deal with,” and that “we also now have a concentration of power and deep repression within the country that’s quite unified, which means it’s easy to flip.”

WASHINGTON’S SHADOW WAR: HOW STRIKES ON CARTELS THREATEN TO COLLAPSE MADURO’S REGIME

Neumann identified others in the regime who may be targeted, including Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, Diosdado Cabello, Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace and Alexander Granko Arteaga, head of Venezuela’s counter-intelligence agency, the DGCIM.

“One of the reasons Granko is an important figure is that he’s one of the reasons why they haven’t capitulated and why there has not been a military uprising,” Neumann explained.

“It’s because of the brutality of the counter-intelligence that they do to their own military, and hundreds of soldiers are tortured. That said, the Venezuelan people have made it clear that they wanted Maduro out and fought democratically but lost,” she added.

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“They voted in elections, protested peacefully, lobbied for sanctions, and lobbied for international support,” Neumann said.

EXCLUSIVE: The White House is officially decorated for Christmas with a decor and a theme personally selected by first lady Melania Trump to celebrate the holiday season–“Home is Where the Heart Is.” 

This is the fifth time Mrs. Trump has had the opportunity to decorate 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for the Christmas season. This year, the first lady’s decor highlights the American spirit of “generosity, patriotism, and gratitude.”

MELANIA TRUMP UNVEILS WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS, THEME FOR 2020

Mrs. Trump has decked the halls of the White House this season 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.

“Every detail of the 2025 White House Christmas decorations was personally selected by Mrs. Trump to honor the heart of America and the theme ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is,’” the White House told Fox News Digital.

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

“The saying ‘Home is Where the Heart is’ resonates deeply with me, especially as I navigate the joys, challenges, and frequent motion that comes with motherhood and business,” the first lady told Fox News Digital. “The constant movement has taught me that home is not merely a physical space; rather, it is the warmth and comfort I carry within, regardless of my surroundings.”

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

The theme in the East Room is “Home is Where the Heart Is: America, Our Home.” The room is filled with patriotic decorations to celebrate the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The decor is red, white and blue, along with national symbols including eagles, the Great Seal, roses and oak. On the trees are 56 eagle ornaments to represent each state and territory; along with 250 stars to represent America’s upcoming birthday.

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

“We are deeply honored that America250 is represented in this year’s White House holiday celebration,” an America250 spokesman told Fox News Digital. “The decor and concept of the East Room highlights ‘America, Our Home,’ beautifully reflecting the spirit of unity, hope, and shared purpose that defines our nation.”

“As we enter a truly historic year leading up to America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, this holiday season offers an opportunity to reflect on what connects us as Americans,” the spokesman continued. “It’s also a moment to look ahead with excitement—to the many ways we’ll come together in the year ahead to honor our past, celebrate our present, and imagine our collective future.”

Next, the Green Room’s theme is “Home is Where the Heart Is: Family Fun.” The room highlights America’s favorite games and activities, with playing cards; Lego portraits of President Trump and President George Washington; dominoes and more.

In the Blue Room, the theme “Home is Where the Heart Is: Where Strength and Sacrifice Meets Home.” Decor honors the “beauty, unity, and sacrifices made by Gold Star families on behalf of the United States of America.

The Blue Room decorations feature blue, gold, and ivory, with gold stars to honor Gold Star families; custom lithophane ornaments to depict each state and territory’s official bird and flower; and more. The White House said the first lady chose birds to represent “freedom, hope, and courage,” while the flowers symbolize the “vigilance, bravery and steadfast spirit of Gold Star families.”

The custom ornaments were designed with AI support and created with 3D printers— a move highlighting the first lady’s emphasis on the importance of AI education and responsible use.

MELANIA TRUMP GIVES TOUR OF 2018 WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS DECOR

On the Blue Room tree alone, which is an 18-foot noncolor fir from Sidney, Michigan, there are 420 strands of bulbs—21,000 individual lights; and 3,000 feet of ribbon. That Christmas tree is the official White House Christmas tree.

The Red Room’s focus in on the first lady’s “Fostering the Future” effort to support foster children. The room’s decor celebrates her “Be Best” initiative, with more than 10,000 butterflies— a symbol of “transformation and representing the hope that every child will have the chance to grow into their full potential.”

“Fostering the Future is a mission the first lady cares about deeply.  As we began discussing Christmas decorations, the butterfly emerged as a prominent theme, as it symbolizes renewal, resilience, and new beginnings for the foster care community,” Herve Pierre, who is Melania Trump’s “creative artist,” told Fox News Digital. “It was clear that the blue butterfly was the perfect choice to fulfill Mrs. Trump’s creative vision for her Christmas themed Be Best Room.”

Pierre has overseen the implementation of her creative vision. 

“Incorporating thousands of magnificent blue butterflies in the Red Room creates a vibrant and festive atmosphere that reflects the first lady’s style,” Pierre said. “This striking color combination captures the essence of the holiday spirit.”

The room also features historic cranberry trees—a tradition first introduced in 1975, but which became well-known as former first lady Nancy Reagan’s favorite holiday decoration—her favorite color was also red.

The state dining room’s theme is “Home is Where the Heart Is: A Place to Gather,” which showcases the “joy of hosting at home” and the “history of diplomacy at the White House.”

The decor in the State Dining Room features custom tree boxes with hand-painted magnolia blossoms, gilded acorns and fruits of harvest. It also features the White House Historical Association’s official ornament, which celebrates the 150th anniversary of state dinners at the White House.

WHITE HOUSE’S 2017 HOLIDAY DISPLAY INCLUDES 53 CHRISTMAS TREES, AND HONORS FOR THE MILITARY

In the room is a gingerbread house showcasing the south portico of the White House. The gingerbread house offers a “unique glimpse into the yellow oval in the private residence of the White House.” 

The gingerbread house is made of 120 pounds of gingerbread dough, 100 pounds of pastillage dough, more than 10 pounds of chocolate, nearly 80 pounds of royal icing and five pounds of isomalt sugar.

And in the White House’s Grand Foyer and Cross Hall, the first lady highlighted a space as one “Where Love Blooms.”

The decor highlights “the love that blooms in our homes, families and communities,” the White House said.

The spaces feature a forest of 28 trees in burgundy and gold, decorated with foliage, ribbon, ornaments, and taper candles. The planters are filled with amaryllis, which the White House said represents strength and love—especially around the holidays.

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A portion of the White House creche, or nativity scene, is featured in the grand foyer, but the White House said it is undergoing “a much-needed restoration overseen by the White House curators.”

The White House will reopen its doors for public Christmas tours on Dec. 2. The tours will feature the White House Christmas decorations on the state floor, and will 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.”

President Donald Trump on Sunday defended Secretary of War Pete Hegseth over allegations he ordered a second strike on a Venezuelan drug boat, saying he believes Hegseth’s denial and would not have supported a follow-up attack if it happened.

The exchange came during a gaggle aboard Air Force One as reporters pressed Trump on claims that Hegseth authorized a second strike that allegedly killed two wounded men after an earlier attack on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel.

Trump repeatedly said Hegseth denied giving such an order. He added that he was aware of the allegation but stressed that Hegseth told him the claim was untrue and that he accepted that explanation without hesitation.

“He said he did not say that, and I believe him 100%,” Trump said.

HEGSETH SHARED DETAILS OF YEMEN STRIKES IN SECOND SIGNAL CHAT: REPORT

Reporters asked Trump whether he would have approved a second strike if Hegseth had ordered one, prompting him to again distance himself from the allegation while stressing that he trusted his secretary of war.

Trump said he planned to seek additional information about the reported incident but reiterated that Hegseth assured him nothing improper happened.

“No, I wouldn’t have wanted that. Not a second strike,” Trump said.

DEM SEN JOHN FETTERMAN BACKS USE OF MILITARY FORCE TO COMBAT DRUG TRAFFICKING INTO US

Still, he praised the wider campaign targeting drug-smuggling boats, saying the strikes had sharply reduced the flow of narcotics into the U.S. by sea in recent months.

Trump argued the vessels posed a deadly threat and framed the operations as necessary to protect Americans, calling the missions lethal but justified.

“You can see the boats,” he said. “You can see the drugs in the boats and each boat is responsible for killing 25,000 Americans.”

TRUMP SAYS ‘DON’T READ ANYTHING INTO IT’ WHEN ASKED ABOUT DECLARING VENEZUELA’S AIRSPACE CLOSED

Trump went to Hegseth’s defense after reports from outlets such as The Washington Post and CNN claimed the U.S. military ordered a second strike on a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean on Sept. 2 after the earlier attack left two survivors.

According to The Washington Post, the commander overseeing that operation told colleagues on a secure conference call that the survivors were legitimate targets because they could still contact other traffickers for help and ordered the second strike to comply with what he said was a directive from Hegseth that everyone must be killed.

“As usual, the fake news is delivering more fabricated, inflammatory and derogatory reporting to discredit our incredible warriors fighting to protect the homeland,” Hegseth wrote on X on Friday.

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“As we’ve said from the beginning and in every statement, these highly effective strikes are specifically intended to be ‘lethal, kinetic strikes,’” Hegseth continued. “The declared intent is to stop lethal drugs, destroy narco-boats and kill the narco-terrorists who are poisoning the American people. Every trafficker we kill is affiliated with a Designated Terrorist Organization.”

Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman and Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.

We’ll know Wednesday morning if a special election in Tennessee is truly a referendum on country music, pedal taverns and bachelorettes.

Or, if we can divine a deeper political meaning from the results of the special election in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District.

Democrat Aftyn Behn is trying to tip the scales in favor of her party in a district which President Trump carried by about 20 points and former Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., won by a similar percentage last fall.

Behn faces GOPer Matt Van Epps. It’s a Republican district. But political observers are watching the race to gauge potential weakness by President Trump, a softness in the Trump coalition, issues with the Republican brand or early indications of a possible blue wave in the 2026 midterms.

DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS GO ALL IN ON FINAL 2025 CONGRESSIONAL BALLOT BOX SHOWDOWN

It was Behn who proclaimed that she abhorred Nashville several years ago. “I hate the bachelorettes, I hate the pedal taverns, I hate country music. I hate all the things that make Nashville apparently an ‘it city,’” complained Behn.

About all Behn left out in her animus toward Music City was dissing The Grand Ole Opry, hot chicken and Goo Goo Clusters. But if voters go goo goo over Behn Tuesday, Republicans face a cluster of another sort. A Behn victory may signal major problems for Republicans and President Trump heading into the midterms.

Behn is characterized as the “AOC of Tennessee,” a reference to progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Republicans have been sure to boomerang that against Behn, suggesting she’s not in tune with the district, leans too far to the left and is closer to the liberal values of New York or Los Angeles than Nashville. Republicans believe Behn is just a bad fit for Nashville. Kind of like having Bad Bunny perform at the Ryman Auditorium.

“It shouldn’t even be close. But it is,” mused Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., on Fox.

So Republicans are pouring in money to protect the seat. Democrats are pouring in money to steal the seat. If Democrats pull off the upset, the party should uproot the goalposts at FirstBank Stadium in downtown Nashville and dump it in the Cumberland River. Kind of what Vanderbilt fans did last year when the Commodores upset number one-ranked Alabama. 

Let’s explore what a Behn win might mean for Republicans. It could indicate that voters are tiring of President Trump. Or that the GOP brand is toxic. Or perhaps it’s the continuation of a trend which Democrats enjoyed this fall: near blowout wins by New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherill and Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger.

But there’s a downside for Democrats. Yes. They may flip the seat. But a win may also show that the party is tilting more to the left. It would be hard to argue with success if Behn prevails, regardless of her progressive streak. But this may give other liberals ideas that they can win in other red or purple districts. That may work against Democrats – especially since every Republican, except President Trump – has highlighted the left-wing politics of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.

TRUMP MAKES 11TH-HOUR PLEA FOR MATT VAN EPPS OVER AFTYN BEHN, WHOM HE CLAIMS ‘HATES CHRISTIANITY’

Democrats probably need to run more centrist candidates in purple areas to regain control of the House. A Behn victory could open the floodgates for a host of progressive candidates in competitive House districts nationwide. Behn’s message – or that of Ocasio-Cortez or Mamdani – won’t work in most places where Democrats need to be successful to seize control of the House.

But what if Republicans hold the seat and Van Epps wins?

It probably depends by how much.

Yes, there were five special elections in 2017 – the first year President Trump was originally in office – which Democrats made competitive. All were closer than they should have been. But Democrats didn’t win any of them. Still, astute political observers suggested there was unpopularity with the president and the GOP agenda. Democrats won 41 seats and gained control of the House in the 2018 midterms.

So, even if Van Epps wins, examine the margin. And if Behn wins, see if Republicans downplay it because it was a special election and the customary electorate just doesn’t turn out for special elections. Especially one wedged between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

If Republicans hold the seat, the GOP will argue this was a repudiation of a leftist like Behn and someone who was out of step. They will also suggest that it’s a GOP seat and Republicans should win anyway. That’s what happened earlier this year when there was consternation before two Florida special elections. But Reps. Randy Fine, R-Fla., and Jimmy Patronis, R-Fla., both won in March.

Here’s another factor which bears watching: the message the press corps and political observers glean from the election results. After all, special elections are always special. It’s natural for analysts and journalists to search for particular meanings or signposts in these contests. Such was the case with the off-year elections in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City. Sometimes these observations are spot-on. Other times, they mean nothing. If anything, there is a tendency to over-illuminate the outcomes of these contests. They are moments in time. Kind of like listening to a few bars of a song. Maybe it tells you a lot about the song. Maybe not.

House Republicans could well freak out if Behn is victorious. There’s lots of grumbling among Republicans. Some are frustrated by how their leadership handled the government shutdown. And others could follow Mark Green and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and hit the exits early.

This is a fragile time for House Republicans. That’s one reason why a flip of this seat could mean a little bit more.

DEM HOUSE HOPEFUL GETTING YANKED FROM GOVERNOR’S OFFICE DURING ATTEMPTED SIT-IN GOES VIRAL AHEAD OF ELECTION

Still, it’s rare to flip seats in House special elections. Former Rep. Don Cazayoux, D-La., won a special election in a red district in Louisiana in 2008 after former Rep. Richard Baker, R-La., resigned. But current Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., then won that seat in the general election and served in the House before moving to the Senate.

Former Rep. Mayra Flores, R-Texas, flipped the seat held by former Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Texas, in 2022. But she lost reelection that fall.

Former Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., won a special election in 2020 after former Rep. Katie Hill, D-Calif., resigned just months into office. Garcia held the seat until Rep. George Whitesides, D-Calif., defeated him a year ago.

Former Rep. Charles Djou, R-Hawaii, won a special election in Hawaii in 2010 against two Democrats – former Rep. Colleen Hanabusa, D-Hawaii, and Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii. But Democrats got the seat back in 2012.

Former Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, won a special election in 2022 to flip Alaska’s at-large district from red to blue following the death of late Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska. Young held the seat for nearly 50 years. But Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, defeated Peltola last year.

In short, even if someone flips a seat, it’s rare that they have the seat for long. Often, only through the next regular election.

So a word of caution as you evaluate the election results on Tuesday night. If Republicans hold the seat, that may be expected. If Democrats flip the seat, some will proclaim it’s the second coming of the Music City Miracle.

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But frankly, it’s probably not.

President Donald Trump defended calling Venezuela’s airspace closed, saying the country is sending criminals into the U.S., but told reporters not to “read anything into it” when asked whether the warning suggested an imminent strike.

While speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said Venezuela is “not a very friendly country” and claimed it has sent criminals, gang members and drug traffickers into the U.S.

On Saturday, Trump told airlines, pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers to “consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.”

When asked Sunday if the warning meant an airstrike is imminent, Trump said: “Don’t read anything into it.”

WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO REPORTS OF TRUMP PREPARING TO HIT MILITARY TARGETS INSIDE VENEZUELA

Trump also confirmed a report from the New York Times that he spoke on the phone with President Nicolás Maduro, though he offered no details about the conversation.

“I wouldn’t say it went well or badly,” he said. “It was a phone call.”

The president’s comments come amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela over Venezuela’s failure to stop drug traffickers from sending narcotics into the U.S.

TRUMP’S STRIKE ON CARTEL VESSEL OFF VENEZUELA SENDS WARNING TO MADURO: ‘NO SANCTUARY’

Since September, the Trump administration has conducted over 20 strikes against alleged drug boats in Latin American waters and beefed up its military presence in the Caribbean as part of Trump’s effort to crack down on the flow of drugs into the U.S.

The strikes have brought the total number of suspected narco-terrorists eliminated to over 82, with three survivors.

But as the U.S. continues to bolster forces in the waters off Venezuela, Maduro has called for peace but also remained defiant against what he called “imperialist aggression.”

U.S. WARSHIPS TO PATROL INTERNATIONAL WATERS AROUND VENEZUELA AS TRUMP VOWS TO STOP CARTELS

Maduro delivered an address in Caracas last week while brandishing a sword and warning supporters to prepare for confrontation, saying the U.S. will “very soon” begin stopping suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers on land.

He appeared at a mass rally in the capital holding the sword of Simón Bolívar, the 19th-century independence leader regarded as the liberator of much of South America. Maduro told supporters the country was facing a decisive moment.

The Associated Press reported that he said, “For anyone, whether civilian, politician, military, or police –  Let no one make excuses. Failure is not an option. The homeland demands it! Our greatest effort and sacrifice. And with (Simón) Bolívar, I come to say that if the homeland demands it, the homeland will have our lives, if necessary,” he declared while raising Bolívar’s sword.

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Maduro framed the situation as a struggle against what he described as external threats, urging Venezuelans to mobilize against any foreign aggression.

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.