NationalWatch

EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., has opened a commanding lead in the New York Republican primary for governor, locking down endorsements from GOP county chairs, state lawmaker and Conservative Party leaders across the state, a consolidation of support that party officials say leaves Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman with virtually no path to the nomination.

Stefanik’s backing now accounts for more than 75% of the New York Republican Party’s weighted vote, an overwhelming advantage that makes her the presumptive nominee and would require any rival to petition his or her way onto the ballot.

Under New York’s rules, that means gathering at least 15,000 signatures from registered Republicans across the state, the Gothamist reported.

Party operatives describe the scale of Stefanik’s early support as unprecedented for a GOP gubernatorial race in recent cycles, especially this far ahead of the state convention.

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They say Stefanik’s name recognition, national fundraising network and county-level organizing have effectively closed the primary before it began, while Blakeman has failed to gain traction outside Long Island.

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Stefanik enjoys a much broader-based candidacy across New York.

“Elise is honored to have earned endorsements from 58 GOP county party chairs representing over 75% of the New York Republican Party’s weighted vote at the convention,” Stefanik spokesperson Bernadette Breslin told Fox News Digital. 

“According to two independent polls, Elise is the strongest candidate against Hochul and has the highest name ID and most favorable polling. Her strong support across the state only continues to grow as she earns more endorsements from prominent GOP leaders, including 40 out of New York’s 45 Conservative Party organizations. New York Republicans are wholly united behind the common goal of firing Kathy Hochul to save New York, and they have entrusted their full confidence in Elise to do so.”

That consolidation extends well beyond the county chairs. Fourteen Republican state senators, including Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt, have endorsed Stefanik for governor. So have 10 county executives from across New York, adding weight from suburban, upstate and rural regions that traditionally anchor GOP turnout. The upstate chairs who have met with both candidates say Blakeman’s attempts to shift the narrative have fallen flat.

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“We appreciated County Executive Blakeman meeting with us during his visit Upstate, but nothing discussed at the meeting impacted our unwavering support for Elise Stefanik and her campaign to save New York,” said Liz Joy, chair of the Schenectady County GOP. “Elise has consistently delivered for our Upstate communities, and we trust she’s the right person to tackle the challenges New Yorkers face.”

Trish Turner, chairwoman of the Ontario County GOP and regional chair for the Finger Lakes, said Stefanik’s early organizing has impressed leaders statewide. 

“It was a great honor to host Congresswoman Elise Stefanik in my home for a gathering of county Republican chairs from the Finger Lakes, Western New York, Central New York and the Southern Tier,” Turner said. 

“The energy and enthusiasm in the room were inspiring, and it was clear that many leaders from across our regions are excited about her candidacy for NYS governor. Congresswoman Stefanik’s vision, leadership and deep commitment to New Yorkers were evident throughout our conversations. The Upstate Chairs who attended expressed not only strong support, but also genuine enthusiasm to get involved and help drive momentum in the months ahead.”

Dutchess County GOP Chairman Mike McCormack echoed that sentiment, telling Fox News Digital, “I’m with Elise, and that’s not changing. We need to focus on saving our state, and she’s the hope for New York.”

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Even as Stefanik’s margins grow, Blakeman has continued visiting counties upstate and has attempted to contrast himself as an executive-focused candidate who leads one of the state’s largest suburban counties. In prior public remarks, Blakeman has argued Stefanik’s national profile draws attention away from New York-specific issues. But GOP chairs say those arguments haven’t changed their “unwavering support” for Stefanik.

Blakeman’s electoral record has also become a talking point among Republican officials who describe Stefanik as a proven winner. Over the course of his multi-decade political career, Blakeman has lost a statewide comptroller race by more than 30 points in 1998, a Nassau County Legislature race in 1999, dropped out of the 2009 New York City mayoral contest, lost a 2010 U.S. Senate primary by more than 20 points and lost a 2014 congressional race in NY-14, the same year Stefanik won her seat.

Stefanik, by contrast, has never lost an election and raises annually what Blakeman has raised over multiple cycles. Stefanik secured more than 72% of the weighted vote on the very first day she launched her gubernatorial campaign and has only expanded her margin since.

With the backing of 40 of New York’s 45 Conservative Party organizations, which control their own separate ballot line, she is positioned to secure both the GOP and Conservative nominations long before either party’s convention. Early unity around Stefanik could allow Republicans to focus resources on the general election well ahead of schedule, a rare advantage for GOP candidates in deep blue New York.

The New York Republican Party’s convention is scheduled for early next year, with the petitioning period opening soon after. If Stefanik’s level of support holds through the convention, she would secure the nomination outright, leaving any challenger to attempt the 15,000-signature petition process instead of running through the party’s formal endorsement.

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For now, pollster James Johnson calls the primary a “done deal.”

“Stefanik seems to dominate the Republican vote. It’s a done deal,” Johnson said. 

President Trump announced Friday he intends to issue a “full and complete pardon” to former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, while simultaneously reaffirming his support for presidential candidate Nasry “Tito” Asfura just days before Hondurans head to the polls.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Hernández. who was sentenced in New York last year to 45 years in prison for conspiring with drug traffickers to move over 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S., was “treated very harshly and unfairly.”

“I will be granting a Full and Complete Pardon to Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez who has been, according to many people that I greatly respect, treated very harshly and unfairly,” Trump said. “This cannot be allowed to happen, especially now, after Tito Asfura wins the Election, when Honduras will be on its way to Great Political and Financial Success.”

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Hernández was convicted in March 2024 on charges of conspiring to import cocaine into the U.S. and two related weapons offenses after a two-week trial, according to The Associated Press.

Trump also doubled down on his backing of Asfura, the National Party candidate and former mayor of Tegucigalpa, saying the U.S. would be “very supportive” if he wins because Washington has “so much confidence in him, his policies and what he will do for the great people of Honduras.”

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In a separate Truth Social post earlier Friday, Trump said he and Asfura “can work together to fight the narcocommunists and bring needed aid to the people of Honduras.”

He also sharply criticized Asfura’s rivals, including ruling party candidate Rixi Moncada and TV host Salvador Nasralla of the Liberal Party.

“His chief opponent is Rixi Moncada, who says Fidel Castro is her idol,” Trump said. “Normally, the smart people of Honduras, would reject her, and elect Tito Asfura, but the Communists are trying to trick the people by running a third Candidate, Salvador Nasralla.

“Nasralla is no friend of Freedom. A borderline Communist, he helped Xiomara Castro by running as her Vice President. He won, and helped Castro win. Then he resigned, and is now pretending to be an anti-Communist only for the purposes of splitting Asfura’s vote. The people of Honduras must not be tricked again.”

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Hondurans vote Sunday, and polls show Asfura virtually tied with Moncada and Nasralla, according to Reuters. 

The winner will govern from 2026 to 2030.

The Central American country has been led since 2022 by President Xiomara Castro, the country’s first female president.

The Department of State has immediately paused all visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports following an attack in Washington, D.C., Wednesday targeting National Guard members.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, an Afghan national, is charged with first-degree murder among other counts related to the ambush, which has since claimed the life of West Virginia National Guard Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, and critically wounded U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24.

Lakanwal was vetted by the CIA in Afghanistan and granted final asylum approval under President Donald Trump‘s administration earlier this year, multiple sources told Fox News Digital.

“The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports,” the agency wrote in an announcement on social media. “The Department is taking all necessary steps to protect U.S. national security and public safety.”

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio also took to X to share the news.

“President Trump’s State Department has paused visa issuance for ALL individuals traveling on Afghan passports,” Rubio wrote in a post. “The United States has no higher priority than protecting our nation and our people.”

U.S.-based Afghanistan allies relocation and resettlement nonprofit AfghanEvac denounced Friday’s decision, calling the administration’s move a “violation of federal law.” 

“It appears Secretary Rubio is attempting to shut down the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program in direct violation of federal law and standing court orders. He is seemingly acting at the direction of President Trump and Stephen Miller, and there is no doubt this is the outcome they have been driving toward for months,” AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver said in a statement. “They are using a single violent individual as cover for a policy they have long planned, turning their own intelligence failures into an excuse to punish an entire community and the veterans who served alongside them.”

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The new policy comes less than a day after the media questioned Trump about how the attack could have taken place after successful vetting.

“I mean, he went nuts, and that happens. It happens too often with these people,” Trump told reporters from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. “There was no vetting or anything. … We have a lot of others in this country, and we’re going to get them out, but they go cuckoo. Something happens to them.”

Trump noted “when it comes to asylum, when they’re flown in, it’s very hard to get them out. No matter how you want to do it, it’s very hard to get them out. But we’re going to be getting them all out now.”

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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph B. Edlow also announced on Thursday that at Trump’s direction, there would be a “full scale, rigorous reexamination” of every green card issued to immigrants from “every country of concern.”

The 19 countries deemed “high-risk” by the USCIS include: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

Thanksgiving typically slows the news as Americans gather with family and friends. But the holiday also has a habit of amplifying Washington, D.C.’s political drama and surprises.

Americans are no strangers to controversy and scandals, including a handful that have played out across the decades as citizens gathered around the dinner table for Thanksgiving or headed out for Black Friday shopping. 

Fox News Digital took a look back at the biggest scandals and political events that rocked Washington, D.C., around the fall holiday. 

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‘I am not a crook’

The Saturday before Thanksgiving in 1973, President Richard Nixon held a press conference in Orlando, Florida, where he famously said he was not a “crook” as the Watergate break-in and subsequent scandal came to light. 

At the heart of the scandal were Nixon’s efforts to obstruct justice by directing a cover-up of the Watergate office complex break-in, including suppressing the FBI’s investigation, paying hush money and misusing federal agencies to shield his administration from scrutiny.

As the scandal surrounding the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters heated up, Nixon defended himself in a televised Q&A with newspaper editors gathered at Walt Disney World for a convention. 

“Let me just say this, and I want to say this to the television audience: I made my mistakes, but in all of my years of public life, I have never profited, never profited from public service. I have earned every cent,” Nixon said, initially answering questions about his personal finances. “And in all of my years of public life, I have never obstructed justice.

“And I think, too, that I could say that in my years of public life, that I welcome this kind of examination, because people have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I am not a crook. I have earned everything I have got.” 

Nixon resigned in August 1974 with an impeachment process underway and a grand jury prepared to indict him on charges of bribery, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and obstruction of a criminal investigation related to the Watergate cover-up. 

Nixon was later pardoned and did not face any federal prosecution in the matter. 

Iran–Contra breaks open

Details unraveled about the Iran–Contra affair in the early days of November 1986 before crescendoing the week of Thanksgiving, including then-President Ronald Reagan dismissing Lt. Col. Oliver North and announcing the resignation of National Security Advisor John Poindexter two days before the holiday. 

News began to percolate overseas in early November 1986 that the U.S. made a secret arms sale to Iran to secure the release of American hostages held in Lebanon. U.S. officials later divulged the funds from the deal were used to fund an anti-communist rebel group in Nicaragua called the Contras. 

Two days before Thanksgiving, Reagan announced he had dismissed North from the National Security Council, with Poindexter resigning that same day. On Thanksgiving eve, Reagan announced the creation of a Special Review Board to review the National Security Council’s role in the deal, later known as the Tower Commission. 

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The fallout from the report continued over the holiday and even into the George H.W. Bush administration, when the president granted pardons to a handful of individuals involved on Christmas Eve 1992. 

Clinton’s impeachment heats up 

While many Americans were out shopping on Black Friday in 1998, the Clinton White House delivered President Bill Clinton’s written responses to 81 questions from House Judiciary related to his affair with intern Monica Lewinsky as part of an impeachment inquiry. 

Clinton already had declared to the nation that he “did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky” in January 1998, and the House authorized an impeachment inquiry in October that intensified around the Thanksgiving holiday. The Judiciary had sent Clinton 81 questions that focused on his relationship with Lewinsky based on independent counsel Kenneth Starr’s report that included evidence related to the affair allegations. 

Clinton returned the 81 questions on Black Friday, which included questions about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky and his conduct in the Paula Jones case, which accused him of sexual harassment in 1994. Judiciary Republicans accused Clinton of playing “word games” in his responses, which included Clinton denying he committed perjury or obstructing justice, and the impeachment inquiry continued. 

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The House ultimately impeached Clinton on charges of perjury to a grand jury and obstruction of justice related to his efforts to conceal the affair with an intern, while the Senate voted to acquit Clinton on both articles of impeachment. 

Bush’s secret Thanksgiving trip to Iraq 

In a more light-hearted Thanksgiving political event, President George W. Bush quietly traveled to Iraq in 2003 to meet with the troops stationed in Baghdad. The visit, cloaked in secrecy until he was there, marked the first time a sitting president visited Iraq. 

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“Our planners worked to answer every question,” Bush said at the time about the intense planning for the trip. “I had a lot of questions.”

Bush was on the ground for over two hours before he made the trip back to the U.S. The trip set off some claims that the president was working for a political gain ahead of the 2004 election, while the administration brushed off such claims while stressing the commander in chief’s visit was focused on supporting the troops amid a war. 

Trump pardons Michael Flynn

Just after 4 p.m. on the eve of Thanksgiving in 2020, Trump announced he delivered a full pardon to his former national security advisor, retired Army Gen. Michael Flynn.

The White House later in the day released a statement saying Flynn “should never have been prosecuted” and that the pardon ends “the relentless, partisan pursuit of an innocent man.”

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“While today’s action sets right an injustice against an innocent man and an American hero, it should also serve as a reminder to all of us that we must remain vigilant over those in whom we place our trust and confidence,” the statement continued.

The pardon ended a yearslong legal battle stemming from then-special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Flynn’s pardon was preceded by his 2017 guilty plea for lying to the FBI about contacts with Russia. He also had admitted to filing paperwork under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. His sentencing, however, was stalled due to his cooperation with authorities. 

In 2019, Flynn claimed he was innocent in the case and sought to withdraw his guilty plea, citing alleged government misconduct. 

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The Department of Justice was in the midst of moving to dismiss the case when Trump pardoned Flynn. 

The tragic Wednesday shooting of two West Virginia National Guardsmen in Washington, and President Donald Trump’s call to reexamine green card holders from “countries of concern” including Afghanistan, was predated by a warning from Fox News host Laura Ingraham about the Biden administration’s announcement amid the withdrawal that they were vetting evacuees on the “back end.”

The identification of a suspect has raised concerns again about the chaotic 2021 Kabul evacuation and previous reports of misconduct by evacuees on U.S. military bases.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, originally of Afghanistan and once part of a CIA-linked team fighting the Taliban, was identified as the main suspect in the shooting, which has since claimed the life of West Virginia National Guard Spc. Sarah Beckstrom of Nicholas County, West Virginia.

On Friday, “Ingraham Angle” host Laura Ingraham told Fox News Digital she and other conservatives have been sounding the alarm on failures of Biden-era vetting following the withdrawal ever since the Fox News host exclusively broke the story in September 2021 that members of Congress brought concerns over chaos at Army bases holding refugees directly to the State Department. 

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“Soon after the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal, it was obvious that their intent was to bring as many Afghans into the U.S. as possible,” Ingraham wrote in an email Friday.

“Conservatives, including myself, raised serious concerns about the cost, the difficulty of assimilation and potential threats posed to no avail,” she said. “The Biden team didn’t care.

“We kept hearing, ‘But we promised,’ — Americans didn’t promise anything — and they shouldn’t be forced to keep paying for previous presidents’ horrendous mistakes.”

In September 2021, Ingraham reported exclusively that a top Republican demanded answers from then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the reports out of Fort Pickett in Blackstone, Virginia, depicting chaos and unvetted, unaccounted for evacuees.

As Ingraham pointed out, Blinken had said the State Department tried to “get as many people out as fast as we can, while we had the airport functioning. We focused on doing just that, and we’re doing accountings on the back end as people arrive in the United States.”

“That’s your Secretary of State admitting that he didn’t care about vetting these folks before we brought them to U.S. Soil,” Ingraham said at the time. 

“And if you thought they would be securely held on US military bases, well, think again.”

Then-Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee exclusively provided Ingraham with a letter he wrote demanding answers from Blinken.

“I’ve recently been made aware from someone at Fort Pickett, Virginia, that Afghan evacuees basically have free rein of the complex and have even been allowed to leave, despite not having completed the vetting process,” Green wrote. 

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“My sources made shocking allegations, including multiple incidents of sexual assault and several evacuees have been picked up by Uber drivers without any permission from authorities or being cleared to leave.”

Green called upon his own combat service in Afghanistan as an Army special operations flight surgeon to request confirmation or denial of the allegations made by the source, telling Blinken the reports pose an obvious national security risk.

At the time, Ingraham contrasted Green’s letter with Blinken’s public statements. During a news conference at the time, Blinken said that in the administration’s effort to get “as many people out (of Afghanistan) as fast as we can, while we had the (Hamid Karzai) Airport functioning, we focused on doing just that.

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“We’re doing accountings on the back end as people arrive in the United States,” Blinken told reporters at the time. 

“If you thought they would be securely held on U.S. military bases, think again,” Ingraham said of Green’s revelation.

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Ingraham added Friday in comments to Fox News Digital that Afghan evacuees from Biden’s withdrawal not only come from a culture hostile to Western values, but they are often “all too dependent on the U.S. taxpayers to support them and their families.”

“This must end — (it’s) yet another calamitous Biden mistake President Trump is forced to address,” she said.

In his discussion with Ingraham after the withdrawal, Green, a member of and later chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee who left public life earlier in 2025, said he was hearing similar reports from bases beyond Fort Pickett, Virginia. 

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“DOD is getting its directions on how to handle these situations by the State Department,” Green claimed. “And the State Department is failing to give them adequate information. They’re letting them leave. They can catch an Uber and actually leave the base. They don’t know exactly how many are even there.

“So, they can’t account for someone if they don’t return.”

Green said officials warned evacuees that if they leave the base their visa processing would stop but that such a warning appeared to have little effect on those who may have left.

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“Then you get the shocking allegations of harassment and sexual assault, and it’s just horrific,” he said. 

At the time, Ingraham reported many of the evacuees on the planes out of Kabul came with no personal documentation at all, and she questioned how any “vetting” could be done of people who couldn’t begin to prove their own identity.

When contacted by Fox News at the time, the Biden State Department said, as a general rule, it did not comment on communications with Congress.

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Alejandro Mayorkas, Homeland Security Secretary at the time, told CBS News that the administration was dealing with “very few” evacuees who had given “any cause for concern.”

CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell followed up by pressing the secretary whether he could guarantee none of “thousands” of prisoners released by the Taliban would be coming to America.

“I can guarantee you that we are doing everything possible to make sure that they don’t,” Mayorkas said.

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By one year after the Afghanistan withdrawal, lawmakers were still focusing on fallout from the apparent chaos.

Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., said on Fox News in September 2022 he had heard similar reports out of Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, in his home state as Green had out of Virginia. 

“Should it be any surprise to the American people that they were misled? This is no different than the Southern border when Secretary Mayorkas came before the (House) Judiciary Committee and lied to us and said the border is secure. A year ago, President Biden said ‘inflation is transitory’. And now, a year later, we find out that they did not vet them,” Tiffany said.

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Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

Tiffany said he was at Fort McCoy in Tomah, Wisconsin, when the first 2,000 refugees arrived there.

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“None of them had gone through the SIV (Special Immigrant Visa) process,” he said. “I asked about it.

“People could walk right off from the base without any authorization from the commanding officer. We sounded the warning bell on that. And now, finally, the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security is talking about this and saying this is a threat to national security and to our local communities.”

With the year winding down, 2025 has left many top Democratic figures wishing things had turned out differently — or maybe that the public had put its focus elsewhere. Here are the top political turkeys ripped by conservatives in the past year.

Chuck Schumer

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has received scorching criticisms from Republicans and Democrats alike in the wake of a 43-day government shutdown that left Democrats empty-handed.

Democrats led by Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., had refused to advance spending legislation to keep the government open past Oct. 1 without first considering extensions to supplemental funding for Obamacare.

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But by the end of a painful and highly visible shutdown — the longest in the country’s history — Republicans had rebuffed efforts to negotiate over the subsidies. Without an off-ramp or negotiating strategy, even the chamber’s most progressive members expressed doubts about continuing the shutdown.

“I just don’t get what the point is of delaying even longer,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said just moments after a key vote to reopen the government cleared the Senate.

Many Democrats in and out of Congress blamed Schumer for failing to either keep Democrats united in their standoff over the subsidies or for failing to deliver on some other sort of concession. Across both chambers on Capitol Hill, Schumer faces questions about his continued role as the party’s leader in the Senate. 

Kamala Harris

The country’s worst kept secret got a fresh coat of paint in 2025 when a groundbreaking book by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson took readers behind the scenes of President Joe Biden’s physical decline — and the effort to hide it. 

Questions about what Vice President Kamala Harris knew about Biden’s cognitive state rebounded in the wake of the book’s publication.

Harris, who maintains that Biden could have served out another term, would eventually take his place as the Democrat on the ticket in 2024.

At the time, Harris’ stand-in for Biden was seen by many in the party as the obvious choice. But that view soured later when President Donald Trump stormed to victory in November and questions arose about whether Harris should have joined the calls for Biden to step down.

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The autopen

The presidential walk of fame at the White House features portraits of every president — except one. Instead of President Joe Biden, the Trump administration put up a picture of an autopen, a device used to mimic the signature of someone else, symbolizing President Joe Biden’s reliance on his inner circle to make presidential-level decisions.

The House of Representatives launched an investigation into just how much of his power Biden decided to delegate. In a report released in October, the House Oversight Committee slammed the Biden administration for what it called “invalid executive actions.”

“The report exposes how President Joe Biden’s top advisors, political operatives, and personal physician concealed the President’s mental and physical decline from the American people. The findings reveal that as President Biden’s condition deteriorated, his aides exercised presidential authority and facilitated executive actions without his direct authorization,” the report states.

Questions remain about just how far Biden’s use of the autopen went and whether the legal standing of sensitive decisions like pardons could receive a second look. 

Andrew Cuomo

The former governor of New York attempted a political comeback in 2025 by running for New York City mayor. The bid, which came after disastrous management of the state’s nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic and sexual harassment allegations during his time as governor, did little to improve his political standing. 

Cuomo failed to capture the Democratic Party nomination, losing to Zohran Mamdani by 7.7 percentage points. Refusing to call it quits, Cuomo launched an independent campaign. There, Cuomo again fell behind Mamdani — this time by almost nine points.

In addition to a personal loss, Cuomo’s defeat dovetails with questions about whether more traditional Democrats can still compete with the vision offered by far-left figures in the party.

“This campaign was necessary to make that point — a caution flag that we are heading down a dangerous, dangerous road,” Cuomo said in his concession speech. “Well, we made that point, and they heard us, and we will hold them to it.”

FROM AOC TO ZOHRAN MAMDANI, THE DEMOCRATS ARE PEDDLING FAR-LEFT POLITICS

Chuck Schumer — again

Schumer’s woes over the shutdown weren’t the only sore spot for the Senate minority leader in the last few months. The meteoric rise of Zohran Mamdani put this year’s biggest political turkey in a pressure cooker he could not escape. 

Schumer first faced questions about Mamdani in the lead-up to the New York mayoral primary. Then reporters began to ask him if he would endorse Mamdani after the self-proclaimed socialist secured the Democratic nomination. And even in the closing days of the race, Schumer faced questions about whether he had made a decision to support the race’s clear frontrunner.

Through it all, Schumer gave the same non-answer.

“Look, the bottom line is very simple. I have a good relationship with him, and we’re continuing to talk,” Schumer told reporters less than a week out from the election.

While other Democrats, including Jeffries, also delayed in giving responses about Mamdani, Schumer’s refusal to speak on the New York City Mayoral race stands out. 

Schumer’s dismissal of the topic fueled questions about the direction of the Democratic Party and whether its congressional factions could play along with the momentum of its leftward flank. 

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That — coupled with questions about his management of the shutdown — has resulted in some Democrats wondering if the Senate’s top Democrat should move aside for someone new.

The Trump administration is fighting with Washington, D.C., over whether it is legally allowed to deploy hundreds of National Guard members in the nation’s capital as part of a monthslong battle, certain to come under heightened scrutiny in the aftermath of Wednesday’s attack on two soldiers.

The dispute has risen to the appeals court level, where the Department of Justice (DOJ) asked the court recently to intervene and put a hold on U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb’s order blocking the administration from using the National Guard.

Cobb’s order, issued Nov. 20, was not set to go into effect until mid-December to give the DOJ a chance to challenge it.

The DOJ appealed the order Tuesday, one day prior to the attack. A DOJ spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital Friday that the department is pressing forward with the appeal — the latest sign that the administration is not backing down from its decision to use the National Guard forces as part of its nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration and crime.

OFFICIALS ID WOUNDED NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS ON JOB LESS THAN 24 HOURS BEFORE DC AMBUSH AS PROBE INTENSIFIES

The court fight comes as two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot Wednesday afternoon near the White House. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the suspect, an Afghan national named Rahmanullah Lakanwal who once assisted the CIA overseas, will face at least one charge of first-degree murder.

Lakanwal allegedly ambushed Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, in a targeted attack that President Donald Trump described as an “act of terror.” Beckstrom died of her injuries, while Wolfe remained in critical condition Friday, authorities said.

In response to the incident, Trump said he ordered another 500 National Guard members to be deployed to Washington.

“We will not be deterred from the mission the service members were so nobly fulfilling,” Trump said of his decision to mobilize the additional troops, adding, “We will make America totally safe again.”

The administration has indicated that it plans to maintain a National Guard presence in the District of Columbia through at least February.

A three-judge panel is handling the Trump administration’s appeal of Cobb’s order. The panel, which comprises two Trump appointees and one Obama appointee, has ordered parties in the case to submit arguments to the court by Wednesday. 

The panel could decide whether to block Cobb’s order and continue allowing use of the National Guard in Washington anytime thereafter.

DEM STRATEGIST SAYS ADDING 500 NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS IN DC WOULD CREATE ‘MORE TARGETS’

Lawyers have argued on behalf of Washington that the Trump administration encroached on the District’s sovereignty by creating a “federal military police force” out of what amounted to more than 2,000 D.C. and out-of-state National Guard members. The lawyers said that Washington leaders opposed the presence of the troops and that it “inflamed tensions” and diverted resources from the local police department. 

They said the out-of-state National Guard forces particularly were problematic because states cannot interfere with the District, which is governed by a unique set of federal statutes.

DOJ attorneys countered that the deployment was “plainly lawful” and said the troops were not engaging in arrests or searches, but rather in deterrence by simply patrolling areas undermanned by police and making temporary detentions as needed.

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“The results speak for themselves,” the attorneys wrote. “The deployment has been a part of a broader federal-local effort between federal agencies and the D.C. Mayor’s office to safeguard the public from violent crime. The success of that coordination is undeniable.”

The Trump administration also has attempted to deploy National Guard members in Illinois and Portland but state and local leaders resisted, leading to lawsuits, including one that is now pending before the Supreme Court.

President Donald Trump announced on Friday he is terminating all documents allegedly signed by former President Joe Biden with the autopen.

In a Truth Social post, Trump claimed 92% of documents signed during Biden’s presidency were done so with the device.

“The Autopen is not allowed to be used if approval is not specifically given by the President of the United
States,” Trump wrote. “The Radical Left Lunatics circling Biden around the beautiful Resolute Desk in the Oval Office took the Presidency away from him.”

Trump said he is canceling all executive orders and “anything else that was not directly signed by Crooked Joe Biden, because the people who operated the Autopen did so illegally.”

He further threatened to charge Biden with perjury if he claims he was involved in the autopen process.

It is unclear who will validate the signatures.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

CHARLES TOWN, W.V. – EXCLUSIVE: The Thanksgiving Eve shooting that has left one West Virginia National Guard service member dead and another clinging to his life enraged top officials in Charleston, West Virginia — as one placed blame squarely on the disastrous 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and said his state is “one big small town” that is mourning together.

The suspect, Rahmahullah Lakanwal, reportedly worked with a CIA-operated unit that fought the Taliban on America’s behalf, Fox News Digital confirmed, which helped evacuate people during the fall of Kabul under then-President Joe Biden.

West Virginia Republican Party Chairman Josh Holstein told Fox News Digital Friday the news angered him, and that anger turned to devastation when Sarah Beckstrom of Summersville, West Virginia, succumbed to her wounds, and as Andrew Wolfe of Inwood, West Virginia, remains in critical condition.

ALLEGED DC SHOOTER ENTERED US UNDER AFGHAN RESETTLEMENT PUSH MAYORKAS VOWED WOULD BE DONE ‘SWIFTLY AND SAFELY’

“It’s just been a horrible tragedy here in West Virginia,” said Holstein, who is also a state delegate from Boone County, West Virginia. “This doesn’t happen for West Virginians very often and it’s just such a deep tragedy.” 

“One of the things that I’ve I’ve said from the beginning is West Virginia is just one big small town,” he said. “And folks come together in tragedy, in triumph, in everything. We come together and we celebrate, we mourn, always together.” 

Holstein said that in times like this political parties don’t matter, and that Mountaineers again came together after the shooting. West Virginia Democratic Party Chair Mike Pushkin to Republican Sens. Jim Justice and Shelley Moore Capito all offered similar heartfelt reactions.

‘IT’S REALLY AN INVASION’: PROTESTERS SLAM TRUMP’S DC POLICE TAKEOVER AS CRIME TUMBLES

“West Virginians of all political sides of the aisle came together and just mourn(ed) and share a sense of deep grief, but not only grief, but gratitude for these folks, especially these these two young folks,” he said. “And then yesterday, of course, with it being Thanksgiving, it was a somber reminder that not all of us all of us get together with our families on Thanksgiving.”

“These two were at the time, both fighting for their life, and now one has since passed away,” he said. “I, I just feel that West Virginians in particular have such a unique drive for service. You can see it in our numbers per capita on how many veterans we have compared to other states in the country. We’re always willing and always able to serve each other and it’s a it’s a really a perfect description of who West Virginians are.”

As reports came out about Lakanwal’s origins and background, that sentiment turned to fury, Holstein said, remarking the 29-year-old Afghan “was not even supposed to be here.”

TRUMP’S PLAN TO DEPLOY NATIONAL GUARD IN DC SPARKS BACKLASH FROM RESIDENTS—BUT SOME WELCOME IT

Turning to the 2021 Afghan withdrawal during which Lakanwal found his way to the U.S., Holstein remarked that “when you create chaos, chaos follows.”

“That Afghanistan withdrawal was complete debacle; complete chaos,” he said. “And it led to people literally running and jumping on planes and coming to the United States as a result of it. It was complete chaos. There was not a deliberate system, irrespective and irregardless of what any of the administration officials of the past administration had said about it.”

“It’s really just an indictment on our country’s immigration system,” he said. “We have an immigration system that puts other people first. It doesn’t put American citizens first, it doesn’t put the good of the country first. It puts other people from random places throughout the country.”

MAN IN DC SHOT AND KILLED HOURS AFTER TRUMP FEDERALIZES CITY’S POLICE DEPARTMENT

Holstein said President Donald Trump struck the right response when he pledged to crack down on third-world-country immigration and immigration from unstable governments.

“I think this is just yet again example one thousand of our need to focus more on merit-based immigration and vetting who comes into our country at all times,” he said.

Asked whether he wants to see the West Virginia National Guard continue to deploy to Washington as part of Trump’s and U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro’s efforts to clean up crime, Holstein was undeterred.

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“We can’t cower to people like this (Lakanwal). You can’t cower in tragedy,” he said, adding that there are about 150 other guardsmen from his state serving in Washington.

“So, I hope to see everybody stay there and maybe even have some more folks come in from different places,” he added.

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Singman and Tessa Hoyos contributed to this report.

Thanksgiving is a time for people across the country to express gratitude, and it’s no different for those who work on Capitol Hill.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle told Fox News Digital they were grateful for their families, including Reps. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., and Erin Houchin, R-Ind.

“And it’s a real blessing to be able to be here and serve,” Houchin added of her work.

Other lawmakers were excited to simply be out of Washington.

“I’m happy I’ll be in Massachusetts. I’m thankful for that … I’m going to be away from this, you know, s— show that’s been going on here over the last couple of weeks,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.

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

Asked what he would be doing while home, McGovern said, “I do a 43-mile walk every year for the food bank in Western Massachusetts. So Monday and Tuesday, I’ll be walking 43 miles.”

He joked, “So this may be the last time you see me.”

And some are grateful for newfound family time — like House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, and former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who just remarried in June 2023.

“I’m thankful for a lot of things. I’ve got a wonderful new wife who I’ll be married to now for two and a half years,” Hoyer said. “My first wife died in ‘97, so I was single for a long time.”

Now, however, he added, “I’m very happy. I’m thankful for, we have 17 grandchildren, they’re all healthy, they’re all doing well.”

TOP HOUSE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN REVEALS HE WON’T SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2026

And Arrington, who is retiring from Congress at the end of 2026 after 10 years, told Fox News Digital, “I am thankful for 10 years of an awesome opportunity to serve my country and to leave a legacy of a better future for my children, and now to return to those children to be a man of my own house instead of the man in the people’s house.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., said Thanksgiving was a good reminder to practice gratitude in one’s day-to-day life.

“I’m always most thankful for the blessings that I’ve received, both for me personally and for my family. I’m just very grateful. It’s an important practice, I think, for everybody, just to always be thankful. Even when things are going bad, you’ve got to try and be thankful all the time. Gratitude is the attitude,” he said.

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Asked about her favorite Thanksgiving tradition, Houchin told Fox News Digital, “My family and I — we don’t do it anymore — but have a popsicle stick ornament making contest. It was a good time.”

Luna said hers was “binge-watching ‘Harry Potter,’” and Hoyer smiled, “I’m a big turkey and gravy guy.”

“Eat a lot of food and watch a lot of football,” Arrington said when asked about what tradition he was most looking forward to this holiday.

As Americans around the nation celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday, progressive Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts — a member of the left-wing cadre of House lawmakers known as the “Squad” — indicated that there were vacant seats at some tables due to people being “abducted & deported.” 

“This Thanksgiving, I’m thinking of our neighbors with an empty seat at the dinner table. Those with loved ones abducted & deported from their families. Those we lost due to gun violence, mass incarceration, & more. A more just America is possible, if we fight for it,” Pressley said in the post.

President Donald Trump’s administration has been cracking down on illegal immigration.

DEM REP CONDEMNS TRUMP ADMIN FOR BEING ‘CRUEL ENOUGH’ TO ISSUE WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR FOOD STAMPS

Democratic Rep. Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, another squad member, said that Thanksgiving reminds some people of “stolen land and broken treaties.”

“Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude and community for many, but it’s also a reminder of stolen land and broken treaties for others. As we give thanks today, let’s also honor Indigenous communities by committing to the fight for sovereignty, justice, and freedom,” Lee declared in a post on Thursday.

SQUAD 2.0: MEET AMERICA’S NEXT WAVE OF RADICAL DEMOCRATS SHAPING THE PARTY’S FUTURE

In a post last month, Pressley indicated that Americans are living “on stolen land.”

“Happy Indigenous People’s Day! We are all on stolen land,” Pressley declared in the post. 

‘SQUAD’ DEM LAUNCHES COMEBACK HOUSE BID AFTER ANTI-ISRAEL VIEWS TORPEDOED CAMPAIGN: ‘WE NEED A FIGHTER’

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“And while Republicans try to whitewash American history, we acknowledge our country’s role in inflicting trauma on our Indigenous neighbors. We’ll keep celebrating their contributions, centering Native voices in our policymaking, & building a more just, equitable future,” she added. 

President Donald Trump used a late-night Thanksgiving post on Truth Social to outline what he called a “reverse migration” plan, pledging a permanent halt to immigration from what he described as “Third World Countries” and a sweeping rollback of Biden-era admissions.

Trump said his administration would pause all migration from nations he labels “Third World,” revoke what he claimed were “millions” of Biden-era admissions — “including those signed by Sleepy Joe Biden’s Autopen” — and remove foreign nationals he deems public charges, security risks, or “non-compatible with Western Civilization.”

He argued that the U.S. immigration system has been overwhelmed and said his approach would allow it to “fully recover.” Trump also vowed to end federal benefits for noncitizens, denaturalize migrants accused of undermining “domestic tranquility,” and expand deportations.

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

Trump’s comments come after two National Guard members were shot just blocks from the White House in what officials called a “targeted” attack. One of the guardsman, Sarah Beckstrom, 20, of West Virginia, has died, Trump announced earlier on Thursday.

NATIONAL GUARD MEMBER SARAG BECKSTROM DEAD AFTER DC SHOOTING: ‘HIGHLY RESPECTED’

The president said the second service member wounded in the attack, Andrew Wolfe, 24, is still “fighting for his life.”

The suspected gunman, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, is also in serious condition.

Lakanwal entered the U.S. legally in 2021 under humanitarian parole as part of the Biden administration’s Operation Allies Welcome in the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

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Trump ended his social media post with a stern warning: “Other than that, HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL, except those that hate, steal, murder, and destroy everything that America stands for — You won’t be here for long!”

President Trump on Thursday said the U.S. will “very soon” begin stopping suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers “by land.”

Speaking to U.S. service members on Thanksgiving, Trump praised the U.S. Air Force’s 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas, and their efforts to deter Venezuelan drug networks.

“In recent weeks, you’ve been working to deter Venezuelan drug traffickers, of which there are many,” Trump said. “Of course, there aren’t too many coming in by sea anymore. Have you probably noticed that?”

The president noted that drug traffickers are killing “hundreds of thousands of people a year” in the U.S. from the “poisons” that they bring in. 

US TROOPS IN VENEZUELA? TRUMP HINTS MAJOR MOVES POSSIBLE AS TENSIONS SOAR

“From sending their poisons into the United States, where they kill hundreds of thousands of people a year — but we’re going to take care of that situation,” Trump said. “We’re already doing a lot… It’s about 85% stopped by sea.”

The president added, “You probably noticed that now people aren’t wanting to be delivering by sea, and we’ll be starting to stop them by land also. The land is easier, but that’s going to start very soon.”

“We warn them, ‘stop sending poison to our country’,” Trump said.

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

Earlier this month, Trump said he was not ruling out sending U.S. ground troops into Venezuela amid his administration’s crackdown on criminal networks tied to the country’s top leadership and drugs that are exported from it. 

“No, I don’t rule out that, I don’t rule out anything,” Trump said Nov. 17 when asked if he had ruled out sending U.S. troops to Venezuela. 

US CARRIES OUT MORE ‘LETHAL’ STRIKES ON ALLEGED DRUG BOATS IN INTERNATIONAL WATERS, SECRETARY HEGSETH SAYS

Since early September, strikes across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean have destroyed dozens of vessels, many tied to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang and Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional. 

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The administration has since carried out at least 21 fatal strikes on the boats.

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

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Across generations, America’s first families have celebrated Thanksgiving not just with speeches and ceremonies, but with dishes that tell stories of home. 

TRUMP KICKS OFF THANKSGIVING WEEK WITH TURKEY PARDON AND CHRISTMAS TREE ARRIVAL

From spicy deviled eggs inspired by the Bushes’ Texas roots to the Reagans’ pumpkin pecan pie, these presidential recipes offer a delicious glimpse into the tastes that once graced the nation’s most famous dining room.

Herbert and Lou Hoover’s Marshmallow Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
6 sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons of butter
2 cups chopped walnuts
Nutmeg
Salt
Cream
Marshmallows

Instructions
1. Boil the sweet potatoes until tender. Drain well.
2. Mash the potatoes thoroughly with a potato masher, making sure to remove any strings.
3. Add butter, then season with nutmeg and salt to taste (start with small amounts and adjust as you like).
4. Pour in cream gradually, mixing until the potatoes reach a smooth, soft consistency.
5. Fold in the chopped walnuts.
6. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and bake for 10 minutes.
7. Top with marshmallows and return to the oven. Bake until the marshmallows are lightly browned and the top is golden.

George and Laura Bush’s Deviled Eggs

Ingredients
12 large eggs, boiled hard and peeled
1 tablespoon (plus) soft butter
1 tablespoon (plus) mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Yucatán Sunshine Habanero sauce (can be substituted for another hot sauce)
Salt to taste

Instructions
1. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise and carefully remove the yolks. Set the egg white halves aside.
2. Place the yolks in a food processor and add the mustard, Habanero sauce, and salt.
3. Process for about 20 seconds, or until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
4. Taste and adjust seasoning—add a bit more mustard, salt, or hot sauce if desired.
5. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a star tip, and pipe the filling into the egg white halves.
6. Sprinkle with paprika and chopped parsley for color and flavor.
7. Chill for about 1 hour before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

Note: The Bush family favored Yucatán Sunshine Habanero sauce so much while living in Texas that their White House chef incorporated it into a variety of dishes.

Gerald and Betty Ford’s Celery Stuffing

Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
⅓ cup of butter
2 teaspoons of poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons of chopped parsley
1 teaspoon of salt
5 cups of diced stale bread
1 cup of giblet broth
2 eggs, beaten

Instructions
1. Sauté the onions and celery in butter over medium heat until tender but not browned.
2. In a large bowl, combine the bread and seasonings.
3. Add the sauteed vegetables to the bread mixture and toss gently to mix.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the giblet broth and eggs.
5. Pour the broth mixture over the stuffing, stirring until evenly moistened and well combined.

PUMPKIN OR APPLE? AMERICA’S FIERCEST THANKSGIVING DESSERT DEBATE HEATS UP

Ike and Mamie Eisenhower’s Deep Dish Apple Pie

Ingredients
6 tart apples
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Grated rind of 1 orange
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 pastry recipe (below)

Pastry ingredients
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shortening
Cold water

Pastry instructions

1. Sift the flour once to measure accurately.
2. Mix and sift the flour and salt together into a large bowl.
3. Cut in the shortening using two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with pieces about the size of small peas.
4. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cold water over the mixture and toss lightly with a fork.
5. Continue adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently after each addition, until the dough gathers together into a soft ball.
6. Divide the dough in half.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each half to about ⅛ inch thickness. Handle the rolling pin lightly to avoid overworking the dough.
8. Use as desired for two 9-inch pie crusts.
Note: For a deep-dish or single-crust pie, make half this recipe.

10 ESSENTIALS YOU NEED TO HOST A STRESS-FREE THANKSGIVING DINNER 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. Grease a deep baking dish and arrange the apple slices evenly inside.
3. In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, nutmeg, lemon rind, and orange rind.
4. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the apples.
5. Dot with butter or margarine.
6. Cover with a thin sheet of pastry, pricking the top with a fork to create a simple design and allow steam to escape.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry is golden brown and the apples are tender, about 25–30 minutes.
8. Serve warm. Makes about six servings.

Ronald and Nancy Reagan’s Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Ingredients
4 slightly beaten eggs
2 cups canned or mashed cooked pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
1 cup chopped pecans

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Combine all ingredients except the pecans, mixing until smooth.
3. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell.
4. Arrange the pecans evenly over the top.
5. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the filling is set and the top is lightly browned.
6. Cool before serving to allow the filling to firm up.
 

EXCLUSIVE – Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley – the South Texas nonprofit long known for its migrant shelter run by Sister Norma Pimentel – has been suspended from receiving federal funds and now faces a rare six-year debarment after a Department of Homeland Security investigation found major grant violations, according to internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documents shared exclusively with Fox News Digital.

The action, taken by FEMA on behalf of DHS on Nov. 19-20, follows months of warnings and data reviews that auditors say uncovered sweeping inaccuracies, large gaps in migrant records and significant billing outside federally allowed timeframes.

The suspension applies only to this South Texas affiliate, not to Catholic Charities USA or any other Catholic Charities chapters nationwide.

In a formal Notice of Suspension and Proposed Debarment, DHS officials accused the organization of submitting migrant data so inconsistent the agency could not verify whether many of the people it reported serving had ever appeared in DHS databases.

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Investigators also alleged at least 248 instances in which the nonprofit billed the government for services outside the 45-day window federal rules allow for migrants released from DHS custody.

FEMA concluded the group provided assurances that its spreadsheets were accurate and compliant, statements the agency said were “false” or “not entirely truthful,” according to the documents.

The proposed punishment is unusually severe. While federal debarments typically run three years, DHS is seeking a six-year ban due to what it describes as a pattern of “pervasive” problems that spanned multiple programs and multiple years.

LAWYERS CHALLENGE DEPORTATION OF HUNDREDS OF MINORS TO GUATEMALA

If finalized, the designation would cut the organization off from most federal funding streams and flag it in the government-wide System for Award Management, warning agencies and pass-through partners not to issue new grants.

Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley (CCRGV) now has 30 days to respond, submit documentation or request a meeting to argue it remains “presently responsible.” If it does not, the six-year ban would likely go into effect.

The DHS findings center heavily on migrant intake data the nonprofit submitted to justify millions of dollars in payments through FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter-Humanitarian program (EFSP-H) and its newer Shelter Services Program. FEMA said it asked the group to provide names, A-numbers, countries of origin and evidence of DHS encounters for individuals it claimed to assist. In response, the nonprofit told the agency all migrants had A-numbers recorded and asserted its spreadsheets were accurate within a 4.99% margin of error.

TEXAS SUES COUNTY FOR HELPING MIGRANTS ACCESS LEGAL SUPPORT AS THEY FIGHT DEPORTATION: ‘EVIL AND WICKED’

Auditors said the reality was far different. In sample sets reviewed by the agency, A-numbers were frequently missing, truncated to four digits, or replaced with phone numbers and other stray entries. Error rates reached 21%, 26% and 42% across three spreadsheets, the documents show. When FEMA tested 100 names, it could not find 61 of them in DHS systems at all.

Investigators also stressed the Rio Grande chapter’s 45-day rule violations. Under federal guidelines, NGOs may only bill for food, shelter or transport for migrants within 45 days of their release from DHS custody.

FEMA told the organization it found at least 248 cases where billing dates occurred after that window had closed, raising concerns that federal dollars were used for services outside what the law allows. The agency wrote that such activity could amount to “potential criminal activity,” though DHS has not said whether it plans to refer the case for criminal review.

TRUMP’S IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN SPARKS BIPARTISAN CALL FOR ASYLUM FIXES, PROTECTION FOR LONGTIME MIGRANTS

The documents further cite the nonprofit’s own posted FY 2024 audit, which reported “material weaknesses” in internal controls over federal awards, inconsistent intake procedures and missing documentation for roughly 5% of sampled recipients. FEMA said corrective-action plans were copied forward almost verbatim year to year, without meaningful improvements.

Catholic leaders have recently pushed back against efforts to cut funding. Pope Leo XIV praised Catholic Charities USA this fall as “agents of hope,” commending its 168 agencies for decades of work with migrants, refugees and the poor.

Pimentel, who leads the Rio Grande Valley branch, has for years been a national figure in migrant ministry. Her Humanitarian Respite Center once processed more than 1,500 migrants per day at the height of mass crossings. She has been publicly praised by the Vatican for her humanitarian work and has spoken out against a return to the Remain in Mexico policy, saying families forced to wait in Mexico suffered “tremendously.”

But her organization has also been a political focal point. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has pursued cases against several Catholic migrant shelters, accusing them of encouraging illegal immigration and operating illegal “stash houses,” including his suit against Annunciation House in El Paso. A judge earlier this year blocked Paxton from deposing Sister Norma in that separate matter.

The suspension now places the Rio Grande Valley operation under simultaneous federal and state scrutiny. It is not yet clear whether other local shelters or municipal partners can absorb the South Texas caseload if the nonprofit ultimately loses federal funds. CCRGV currently serves far fewer migrants than in prior years, but remains one of the region’s key intake points.

DHS has not said when a final decision on debarment will be made. The organization continues to operate during the suspension period but cannot receive new federal awards until the matter is resolved.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Catholic Charities for comment.

DHS noted to Fox News Digital that future debarments may occur and that investigations remain ongoing.

Nearly three months after his assassination, Charlie Kirk’s legacy is inspiring many to live their lives with gratitude, prayer and truth. In 2024, just weeks after the presidential election, Kirk delivered a Thanksgiving statement on the importance of being thankful. Communio president JP De Gance says it is a message that is still relevant in 2025.

“I think Charlie’s message repeats those messages of Thanksgivings long ago when we were at different times, we’ve had setbacks as a country, we have had sufferings as a country, we had losses as a country and the message of Thanksgiving is that in all things we can be grateful,” De Gance told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “We can look to God above, and thank him both for all of our many blessings and then even, you know, it’s through our sufferings that we so frequently grow to become better men and women.”

Kirk said that he loved Thanksgiving, which he called a “uniquely American tradition,” because it was a time when people of all faiths could come together to recognize the importance of gratitude.

“I think it speaks very well to our nation that there is a day when we stop and say thank you,” Kirk said in 2024. He believed that “the ungrateful make the world worse” and “the grateful make the world better.”

PASTOR RECALLS LAST MOMENTS WITH CHARLIE KIRK: ‘AMERICAN MARTYR’

“Gratitude is the fruit that makes everything else taste sweet. But then you must be thankful to whom? To the Almighty God,” he added.

De Gance also spoke about the significance of gratitude in the Christian faith, noting that humility allows Christians to recognize the good things in their lives that emanate from God. He added that while Thanksgiving comes once a year for the nation, it is something that “ought to be part of the daily Christian walk.”

In his 2024 Thanksgiving message, Kirk encouraged his listeners to disconnect from technology during Thanksgiving and instead connect with their families.

ERIKA KIRK REFLECTS ON LIFE, LOSS AND FAITH IN FIRST TV INTERVIEW SINCE CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH

De Gance agreed with the sentiment, saying that it was important for Americans to take time to focus less on the “noise” of the modern world and more on those around them.

“There’s so much noise from our technology and from the world around us, and I think it’s a great reminder, a great message and exhortation to disconnect from the devices and take a step back from the daily noise,” De Gance said.

In line with the mission of Communio, De Gance advised that this Thanksgiving people look to find ways to invite those who may not have a community to join them. He touched on the importance of seeking out those who may not have people to enjoy Thanksgiving with and extending an invitation to them.

CHARLIE KIRK’S BELIEF IN GOD AND THE WAY HE ‘DEFENDED FAITH’ IMPACTS SCORES OF YOUNG PEOPLE

“It can give us a chance and an opportunity to invite others into our homes to invite them in, to experience that gratitude,” De Gance said. “We’ve got an epidemic of loneliness that is ravaging our country. . . .  So we can ask ourselves, what are we doing to invite folks in who might not have someone to enjoy Thanksgiving with this season, or someone who might be far away from family and unable to travel, someone who might be a first responder and can’t get back to his family.”

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For those looking to honor Kirk’s legacy this Thanksgiving, De Gance suggests they look to the late activist’s core messages for inspiration. He also advised young people to go to church on Thanksgiving weekend and for all to invite family and loved ones to join in prayers of gratitude.

In his last Thanksgiving message, Kirk said that “the fundamental story of Thanksgiving is to understand that there is a God and that you are not above him.”

“We must have the humility to know that God is sovereign,” Kirk said.

Thanksgiving is often cast as a holiday of unity, but it has also become a microcosm of the country’s fractures.

What winds up being served for Thanksgiving dinner, who shows up — or doesn’t — and whether politics gets mentioned, can reflect broader shifts in ideology and culture. Simultaneously, Thanksgiving is still intended to bridge divides and emphasize the magnificence of the great American experiment launched centuries ago. 

One example of this is the food Americans choose to eat on Thanksgiving and how they make it. 

6 CLASSIC THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES THAT HAVE DISAPPEARED FROM AMERICAN TABLES

Take-out and dine-in options have become more widely adopted in contemporary Thanksgiving celebrations, with research from restaurant software company Popmenu finding a 42% increase from 2024 in the number of folks who plan to order from, or dine-in at a restaurant on Thanksgiving. Costs were a primary reason for the shift, along with wanting to spend more time with family and not worry about cooking. 

The length of time spent at the dinner table can also be quite telling. 

In 2018, university researchers analyzed smartphone location data pings and determined that “politically diverse” Thanksgiving dinners tended to be significantly shorter than those dinners involving a family of entirely like-minded individuals. The study, conducted in 2018, showed the average dinner was 30 minutes to 50 minutes shorter at tables full of politically diverse folks, while a study measuring the same thing in 2020 found politically diverse dinners to be about 24 minutes shorter on average.

Meanwhile, other Thanksgiving survey data from 2025, published by YouGov, found that 19% of Democrats expect to have political arguments at the dinner table, compared to 9% of Republicans.

GUY FIERI INSISTS THANKSGIVING IS ‘ONE OF THE MORE AFFORDABLE HOLIDAYS’ FOR FAMILIES TO COOK ON A BUDGET   

It is hard to say overall whether Thanksgiving diners have gotten longer, or shorter, but according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, people typically spend around 128 minutes on meal preparation and cleanup, 89 minutes on eating and drinking, and about 148 minutes socializing, according to a long-term analysis conducted between 2003 and 2015.

According to the National Turkey Federation, 94% of Americans plan to celebrate Thanksgiving. 

The group added that 87% of those who celebrate say turkey is part of their holiday tradition, with 74% planning to serve an entire bird.

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However, simultaneously, other findings from turkey producer Jennie-O indicated that there is a growing openness for less traditional Thanksgiving meal options, which the group said shows a “blend of old and new is redefining what Thanksgiving dinner looks like across America.” 

The turkey product brand noted that 55% of Americans were “open to trying Thanksgiving recipes from different cultures,” particularly via side dishes.

Even the changing treatment of the turkeys used for the presidential pardon has shifted slightly over the years as well. 

In the early-2000s, turkeys that were presented were sometimes unnamed, or treated more anonymously, but more recently it has become standard to dub the turkeys with names and humanize them a bit. That trend also mirrors a shift toward better care for the pardoned turkeys over the years. 

The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian migrants living in the United States.

The agency posted a federal register notice stating that the 353,000 Haitian migrants who currently hold TPS will see their status expire in February. TPS protects eligible migrants from deportation and lets them work legally in the United States while conditions in their home country remain unsafe.

“After consulting with interagency partners, Secretary [Kristi] Noem concluded that Haiti no longer meets the statutory requirements for TPS,” DHS said in a news release. “This decision was based on a review conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, input from relevant U.S. government agencies, and an analysis indicating that allowing Haitian nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is inconsistent with U.S. national interests.”

DHS told Haitian migrants under TPS to prepare to depart if they have no other lawful basis for remaining in the United States.

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The agency advised them to use the U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP Home mobile application to report their departure from the United States.

“This secure and convenient self-deportation process includes a complimentary plane ticket, a $1,000 exit bonus, and potential future opportunities for legal immigration to the United States,” DHS said.

Haiti was first granted TPS in 2010 after an earthquake and has been repeatedly extended or redesignated by successive administrations.

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Former President Joe Biden’s administration extended TPS for Haitians in 2024, citing “simultaneous economic, security, political, and health crises” in the country fueled by gangs and a lack of a functioning government. That extension lasts through Feb. 3, 2026.

Haiti has been in turmoil for years, with natural disasters and political violence rocking the Caribbean nation.

Governance effectively collapsed in 2021 with the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, leaving power vacuums. Kidnappings, gang rule and a lack of law enforcement have surged.

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The number of people displaced by violence and instability in Haiti has reached an unprecedented level, with more than 1.4 million people forced from their homes this year, according to the International Organization for Migration.

UNICEF, according to the DHS notice, estimated in October that more than 6 million people — over half the population, including 3.3 million children — need humanitarian assistance.

Some Haitians have attempted to flee to the U.S. despite the Trump administration’s hardline approach to immigration. For instance, in February, the Coast Guard intercepted 132 Haitians on a boat south of the Florida Keys. The Coast Guard boarded the 30-foot vessel and processed the migrants before they were repatriated to Haiti, officials said.

Fox News’ Adam Sabes and Reuters contributed to this report. 

President Donald Trump pardoned two turkeys Tuesday — Gobble and Waddle — as part of an annual tradition that has occurred at the White House for more than 35 years. 

The Thanksgiving Turkey Pardoning is a ceremony originating from the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation that started dating back to the 1940s, when the National Turkey Federation would present the president with a live turkey for Thanksgiving. 

President John F. Kennedy is often credited with pardoning the first turkey in 1963, when he said that he would “let this one grow.” Although Kennedy didn’t use the word “pardon,” the L.A. Times reported on the matter with the headline, “Turkey gets presidential pardon,” according to an NBC News archive. 

President Ronald Reagan also made a joke about pardoning that year’s turkey, Charlie, in response to a question from a reporter, according to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum.

TRUMP JOKES THAT BIDEN TURKEY PARDON IN 2024 ‘INVALID’ DUE TO AUTOPEN 

“If they’d given me a different answer on Charlie and his future, I would have pardoned him,” Reagan said in 1987. 

However, the tradition was codified during George H.W. Bush’s administration as an annual tradition, according to the White House Historical Association. Bush used the word pardon, and the tradition continued each year afterward. 

“But let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy — he’s presented a presidential pardon as of right now — and allow him to live out his days on a children’s farm not far from here,” Bush said in 1989. 

Gobble and Waddle clocked in at 50 pounds and 52 pounds each, and traveled from North Carolina to the Washington’s Willard InterContinental Hotel for the annual tradition. Following the pardoning, they will head to North Carolina State University’s Prestage Department of Poultry Science.

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During the ceremony in the Rose Garden, Trump also took aim at former President Joe Biden, and said that Biden used the autopen to pardon the 2024 turkeys, and as a result those pardons were “totally invalid.” 

As a result, Trump quipped that he had pardoned those turkeys too, and said that he “saved them in the nick of time.”

A federal court ruled Wednesday that President Donald Trump and his former lawyer, Alina Habba, are still on the hook for a $1 million penalty for filing a “frivolous” lawsuit against Hillary Clinton, former FBI director James Comey and others.

The ruling from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals relates to a now-dismissed lawsuit filed by Trump relating to Russian collusion claims. Trump was first ordered to pay the $1 million in the case in 2023, but he and Habba appealed the ruling.

In addition to Clinton and Comey, their lawsuit also named Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, and many more.

Trump and Habba, who now serves as U.S. attorney for New Jersey, will be forced to pay approximately $938,000 — split between the dozens of individuals named in the lawsuit.

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In the original lawsuit, Trump accused the high-profile figures of conspiring to tank his successful 2016 presidential campaign.

“Here we are confronted with a lawsuit that should never have been filed, which was completely frivolous, both factually and legally, and which was brought in bad faith for an improper purpose,” wrote Judge Donald Middlebrooks in his 2023 ruling, which was upheld Wednesday.

“Mr. Trump is a prolific and sophisticated litigant who is repeatedly using the courts to seek revenge on political adversaries. He is the mastermind of strategic abuse of the judicial process and he cannot be seen as a litigant blindly following the advice of a lawyer,” he added.

Two defendants in the case also claimed that Trump’s appeal itself was frivolous and sought additional sanctions for it, but the court disagreed.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

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

Wednesday’s ruling comes just days after a separate federal court dismissed false statements charges leveled against Comey. Judge Cameron Currie ruled that the charges were brought by an unqualified U.S. attorney. That U.S. attorney is Lindsay Halligan, who Trump appointed to the position just weeks prior.

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Currie, a Clinton appointee based in South Carolina, was brought in from out of state to preside over proceedings about the question of Halligan’s authority because it presented a conflict for the Virginia judges. Comey’s and James’ challenges to Halligan’s appointment were consolidated because of their similarity.