NationalWatch

The Department of Homeland Security is preparing to deploy roughly 250 federal border agents to Louisiana and Mississippi in a sweeping operation aimed at arresting nearly 5,000 people in the two states, The Associated Press reported Tuesday, citing internal documents and people familiar with the operation.

The two-month immigration initiative, dubbed “Swamp Sweep,” is expected to begin Dec. 1 and will center heavily on southeastern Louisiana, according to the report. The crackdown marks one of the largest single-state deployments of immigration authorities under the Trump administration to date.

Agents are expected to start arriving in New Orleans on Friday to position equipment, vehicles and other logistics before fanning out into communities across Louisiana. Operations will stretch from New Orleans through Jefferson, St. Bernard and St. Tammany parishes, reaching north toward Baton Rouge, The AP said. Additional enforcement is being planned in southeastern Mississippi, though details remain limited.

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

TRUMP’S LOOMING CHICAGO TAKEOVER PUTS VIOLENT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMES IN SPOTLIGHT: ‘INCOMPETENT MAYOR’ 

“For the safety and security of law enforcement we’re not going to telegraph potential operations,” spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told the outlet.

ILLINOIS DEMOCRAT LEADERS BLAST TRUMP PUSH TO SEND NATIONAL GUARD TO CHICAGO

Spokespeople for Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves — both Republicans who have previously backed President Donald Trump and his agenda — also did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Reeves announced in August that he “approved the deployment of approximately 200 Mississippi National Guard Soldiers to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump’s effort to return law and order to our nation’s capital.” 

In May, Landry similarly touted a partnership with “the federal government to crack down on criminal illegal aliens in the great State of Louisiana.”

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

The expansion into Louisiana and Mississippi comes as the Trump administration accelerates its nationwide immigration enforcement strategy. Federal immigration officers have already been sent to major cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and, most recently, Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan told Fox News earlier Tuesday that additional operations are being prepared for New York City, signaling the crackdown is poised to widen even further in the weeks ahead.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., was ridiculed as “dishonest” and “sick” after arguing from the House floor that his former law school student and colleague was only “taking a phone call from her constituent” when she was texting disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein during a 2019 House hearing.

Republicans on Tuesday, led by Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., introduced a resolution to censure Plaskett for “inappropriate coordination with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein,” which it says “reflects discreditably on the House of Representatives.” 

Plaskett was caught texting Epstein, whose primary residence was in the U.S. Virgin Islands, during a 2019 hearing when former Trump attorney Michael Cohen was testifying about his work with the former president amid an ongoing probe into Trump’s business dealings and matters tied to the 2016 election. 

“They want to give them another headline! Which is, that they’ve arraigned a Democratic member for taking a phone call from her constituent, Jeffrey Epstein, in the middle of a hearing. And, of course, I don’t think there are any rules here against taking phone calls in a hearing,” Raskin exclaimed on the House floor Tuesday afternoon amid Congress’s efforts to pass a bill aimed at censuring Plaskett.

DEMOCRAT FOUND TEXTING JEFFREY EPSTEIN FACES HOUSE CENSURE, COMMITTEE REMOVAL THREATS 

“Are we saying just because they were on a phone call, they’re guilty of something? We should strip them of their committee assignments. We should censure them. Have we gotten to that point? I mean, come on,” he continued. “Look, this is the House of Representatives. The United States of America. Let’s stick by the Constitution. Let’s stick by due process.”

The White House’s Rapid Response team quickly shot back at Raskin on social media, posting a clip of his remarks that they described as “sick.” Raskin’s defense, while novel, was not alone, however. Several Democrats spoke from the House floor in defense of the congressional delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands on Tuesday, railing against Democrats for “besmirch[ing]” their colleague.  

“Jamie Raskin — one of the worst to ever disgrace the halls of Congress — says Stacey Plaskett was just ‘taking a phone call from her constituent’ when she colluded with a convicted sex offender during a committee hearing,” the White House Rapid Response team said in response. “These people are SICK!”

Meanwhile, independent journalist Lee Fang, who was formerly with The Intercept, called Raskin’s comments “incredibly dishonest,” noting that court filings revealed Plaskett had much closer ties to Epstein than the average constituent.    

“Just incredibly dishonest. Plaskett helped Epstein while serving in the Virgin Islands gov w/ tax credits, went on to work directly for Epstein’s fixer, then received lavish campaign support from Epstein and his aides to clinch her election victory,” Fang said in response to Raskin’s comments. 

EPSTEIN REFERENCED TRUMP IN PRIVATE EMAILS TO GHISLAINE MAXWELL AND OTHERS, NEW RECORDS SHOW

Fang previously reported in 2023 that Plaskett, despite attempting to distance herself from the disgraced financier and claiming she had no knowledge of campaign donations made to her from Epstein, that was not the case. 

“Plaskett not only repeatedly sought financial contributions from Epstein and had multiple face-to-face encounters with him, but she also worked directly for a St. Thomas-based law firm that played a role in cultivating influence for Epstein’s clandestine activities,” Fang wrote at the time.

He also added that Plaskett’s involvement with Epstein could potentially even go further back because she previously served as an attorney on the Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority that granted Epstein hundreds-of-millions in alleged “improperly obtained tax exemptions over the course of two decades.”

“The spin is outrageous,” conservative influencer CJ Pearson said of Raskin’s defense. 

“You can’t make this up!” quipped Eric Daugherty, assistant news director at Florida’s Voice News.

“Let the person that hasn’t colluded with a convicted sex offender to rig the questions in a hearing cast the first stone,” Red State writer Bonchie wrote on X.

“Why is Raskin trying to downplay his colleague chatting with a convicted sex offender? Is it because he knows his colleague Hakeem also wanted dinner with Epstein? Or is it because he’s worried about what else will be revealed about Dems…?” White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson posted on X.

Conservative journalist, filmmaker and podcaster, Mel K, highlighted the fact Raskin was Plaskett’s professor at American University’s law school in her response to Raskin’s House floor comments, which questioned if the Maryland Democrat was “for real.”

Plaskett, defended by Raskin and others on the House floor, also stood up and defended herself, arguing there was no “public knowledge at that time” Epstein was under federal investigation despite 

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“I began to get innumerable texts from friends, from foes, from constituents about what was happening in that hearing. And I got a text from Jeffrey Epstein, who, at the time, was my constituent, who there was not public knowledge at that time that he was under federal investigation,” Plaskett said Tuesday after news of her hearing texts went viral.

“I heard recently from someone that I was taking advice from him,” Plaskett added in her defense from the House floor Tuesday. “Let me tell you something. I don’t need to get advice on how to question anybody from any individual. I have been a lawyer for 30 years.”

The resolution to censure Plaskett and strip her of her duties failed Tuesday night in a House vote.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that the U.S. will designate Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally, unveiling a defense and economic partnership with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a White House dinner marking 80 years of U.S.–Saudi relations.

Trump welcomed guests at the official dinner and thanked bin Salman for his visit and investment in the U.S. The crown prince gave brief remarks, thanking Trump and expressing his gratitude while saying he was looking forward to a continued partnership between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

Before announcing the new designation, Trump reflected on the nations’ long relationship, recalling a 1945 meeting between President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and King Abdul Aziz.

“It’s a special privilege to welcome his royal highness to Washington this year, as we mark the 80th anniversary of the first meeting between [a] U.S. President and a Saudi king,” Trump said. “The two became immediate and warm friends … and right now you have the best friend you’ve ever had.”

SAUDI ARABIA IS ALREADY AMERICA’S TOP ARMS BUYER, AND NOW TRUMP WANTS TO ADD F-35S

He added that ever since the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have been “enduring partners,” they were “making that partnership closer and stronger than ever before” Tuesday night. 

Trump said the partnership reached a new level after a day of meetings and signings with bin Salman. He praised Saudi Arabia’s modernization, calling it “an economic engine and a modern-day miracle,” and said new agreements in energy, minerals and artificial intelligence were “unprecedented.”

He added that Saudi Arabia had agreed to boost its investment in the U.S. from $600 billion to $1 trillion, a move he said would create American jobs and further strengthen the growing alliance.

TRUMP SET TO HOST SAUDI ARABIA’S POWERFUL CROWN PRINCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE THIS WEEK

“So, that’s why tonight I’m pleased to announce that we’re taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, which is something that is very important to them,” Trump said.

He added that both countries had just signed “a historic strategic defense agreement,” calling it proof of “a stronger and more capable alliance” that would serve “the highest interest of peace.”

The announcement followed Trump saying Saudi Arabia would invest $1 trillion in the U.S., doubling an earlier pledge.

SAUDI CROWN PRINCE BIN SALMAN HIKES COMMITTED US INVESTMENT TO NEARLY $1T

“He said, ‘I am going to up that to $1 trillion,'” Trump told the audience. “So, he’s investing $1 trillion into the United States … and now you have the hottest country anywhere in the world.”

Trump also pointed to what he called the largest arms purchase in history — $142 billion in American military equipment and services — and said the move “will mark and make both of our nations safer and cement the kingdom’s role as a key force for stability and security in the Middle East.”

The president said the new defense pact would make both nations safer and referenced a recent U.S. military operation using B-2 bombers against what he described as an Iranian nuclear threat.

SAUDI ARABIA’S 40-YEAR-OLD DISRUPTOR: HOW MBS REWIRED THE KINGDOM IN 10 SHORT YEARS

“Saudi Arabia has never been as safe as it is right now,” he said. “You always had a little cloud over your head. … That cloud is not there anymore.”

After the announcement, Trump tied the agreement to his broader Middle East peace agenda, citing the end of the war in Gaza, the return of hostages and a U.N. resolution endorsing his “Board of Peace” initiative.

“This is a board like no other,” he said. “It will have the heads of major countries … and I was honored to be chosen the chair.”

TRUMP, SAUDI CROWN PRINCE MOHAMMED BIN SALMAN TO MEET AT WHITE HOUSE AMID DIPLOMATIC SHIFTS IN REGION

Bin Salman thanked Trump for the “warm and great welcome,” calling the day “special” and emphasizing the growing economic relationship between the two countries.

The crown prince also said he believed this is a huge opportunity and vowed to remain focused on implementing and increasing opportunities between both countries.

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Trump closed by saying the alliance marked the strongest moment in U.S.–Saudi relations since Roosevelt’s meeting with King Abdul Aziz.

“Someday, maybe we’ll talk about us as being two wonderful men,” he said. “Forget about great — wonderful is OK — but two wonderful men that did tremendous work for their countries.”

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani reiterated this week that he would honor the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should the leader visit the city, a stance he first announced before winning office.

Mamdani’s made his remarks as outgoing Mayor Eric Adams met with Netanyahu and encouraged him to attend Mamdani’s upcoming inauguration, according to local reports.

During a live appearance on ABC7, Mamdani described NYC as a “city of international law” that would uphold the ICC’s 2024 arrest warrants, which accused Netanyahu of intentionally attacking civilians and using starvation as a method of warfare.

“I’ve said time and again that I believe this is a city of international law, and being a city of international law means looking to uphold international law,” he said. “And that means upholding the warrants from the International Criminal Court, whether they’re for Benjamin Netanyahu or Vladimir Putin.

RESURFACED VIDEO SHOWS MAMDANI URGING END TO NEW YORK FUNDING OF ISRAELI ‘SETTLER CRIMES’

“We are a global city, but what New Yorkers are looking for is consistency in the way we talk about our values and follow through with them,” he said. “That’s why these warrants from the International Criminal Court are worth fully exploring — every legal possibility to actually follow through on.”

ZOHRAN MAMDANI SAYS NYC SHOULD UPHOLD ICC ARREST WARRANT FOR NETANYAHU IF HE VISITS CITY

Prior to his election victory, Mamdani also told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on “The Story” in October that he would arrest Netanyahu if legally permitted, saying New York “wants to uplift and uphold” such principles.

Mamdani said he would not pursue a new law to ensure Netanyahu could be arrested, while also criticizing President Donald Trump.

“Unlike Donald Trump, I’m someone who looks to exist within the confines of the laws that we have,” he said. “So, I will look to exhaust every legal possibility, not create my own laws, to do so.”

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

SOCIALIST SHOCKWAVE: ZOHRAN MAMDANI STUNS NYC AS VOTERS HAND POWER TO DEMOCRATS’ FAR-LEFT FLANK

He has previously acknowledged that the United States is not a signatory to the ICC treaty but maintains that the city should still aim to uphold ICC arrest warrants while “abiding with all of the laws in front of us.”

Mamdani made his declaration as outgoing Mayor Eric Adams met with the Israeli leader for a farewell visit. 

In an interview with Israel Hayom, Adams said, “I believe the prime minister should visit the city. I think he should start with the inauguration ceremony of Mamdani in the presence of the City Council on January 1 to send a strong message to the largest Jewish community outside Israel. He needs to make clear to the entire community that he will continue visiting the city as often as possible, and he should begin on January 1.”

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In his ABC7 interview, Mamdani then reaffirmed his commitment to protecting and supporting New York’s Jewish community. 

“It will be my responsibility that I will uphold to not only protect Jewish New Yorkers, but to celebrate and cherish them in the city,” he added.

After Adams leaves office Jan. 1, Mamdani will be the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of the nation’s largest city.

Fox News’ Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump has demanded an end to excessive state-level regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) and warned that state rules will end up threatening the U.S. economy.

In a post shared to Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump also slammed “Woke AI” and referred to a “patchwork” of state regulations in the AI space.

“Investment in AI is helping to make the U.S. Economy the ‘HOTTEST’ in the World,” Trump wrote.

“But overregulation by the States is threatening to undermine this Major Growth Engine. Some States are even trying to embed DEI ideology into AI models, producing ‘Woke AI’ (Remember Black George Washington?). We MUST have one Federal Standard instead of a patchwork of 50 State Regulatory Regimes.”

AMERICA’S SECRET WEAPON TO CRUSH CHINA IN THE GLOBAL AI RACE

Trump made his comments as House Republican leaders signaled they may try to include AI preemption language in the annual National Defense Authorization Act. 

This would block states from bringing in their own AI rules and protections.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Monday that GOP leaders are considering the measure to prevent what he called “regulatory chaos” as states advance their own rules. 

Trump’s push for a unified national framework is in line with his broader “Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan.”

Under executive orders issued in July, federal agencies must avoid procuring AI systems that “sacrifice truthfulness and accuracy to ideological agendas,” adhere to “Unbiased AI Principles” and support the fight against AI-generated deepfakes through the “Take It Down Act.”

AMERICA’S SECRET WEAPON TO CRUSH CHINA IN THE GLOBAL AI RACE 

Vice President JD Vance echoed Trump’s stance at February’s Artificial Intelligence Action Summit.

“We believe that excessive regulation of the AI sector could kill a transformative industry just as it’s taking off,” Vance said.

Not all Republicans are on board. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shared a post to X Tuesday and warned that overriding state authority would serve as a “subsidy to Big Tech” and “prevent states from protecting against online censorship of political speech, predatory applications that target children, violations of intellectual property rights and data center intrusions on power/water resources.”

MEET THE EX-BIDEN APPOINTEE WHO COULD BE MAJOR FORCE AGAINST TRUMP’S AI AGENDA: ‘DOOMSAYER’ 

Trump’s Truth Social post also came after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman committed during Tuesday’s visit to the White House to increasing his planned investment in the U.S. economy to nearly $1 trillion over the next year.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., raised concerns Tuesday about the government’s potential use of taxpayer funds to support OpenAI and other AI firms.

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“OpenAI’s actions suggest that it may be pursuing a deliberate strategy to entangle itself with the federal government and the broader economy, so the government has no choice but to step in with public funds,” she said in a letter.

“We have seen this before: take on enough debt, make enough risky bets, and then demand a taxpayer bailout when those bets go south, so the economy does not crash.”

As Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., prepares to resign her congressional seat, a crowded Democrat primary stable has emerged with nearly a dozen hopefuls ranging from moderate establishment types to far-left candidates.

Sherrill, who represents New Jersey’s 11th District in the House of Representatives, was elected governor of the Garden State during the recent Election Day Democratic sweep in blue states and cities nationwide.

Her resignation, as yet unscheduled, will trigger a special election for the House seat. Eleven candidates have expressed interest in the race, including former Obama administration staffer Cammie Croft, former House Rep. Tom Malinowski, and Governor Murphy-endorsed Brendan Gill, his former campaign manager.

Cammie Croft called on Gov. Murphy in a statement just days after Sherrill won the governorship to set up a date for a special election.

FORMER HOUSE DEMOCRAT TARGETS TRUMP IN BID FOR POLITICAL COMEBACK

“In these extraordinary times, New Jersey’s 11th District deserves representation in Washington — not weeks or months of uncertainty,” said Croft. “Just like the governor-elect has in Congress, the residents of this district need someone in Washington fighting like heck to bring down the cost of groceries, energy, and healthcare and rein in the Trump administration’s abusive and corrupt policies.”

According to FEC filings, Croft has $176,000 cash on hand by the Sept. 30 filing date. In those same filings, Morris Township mayor and candidate Jeff Grayzel has over $310,000 cash on hand.

“I am 100% in the race,” Grayzel told the New Jersey Globe. “My full intention is to run for the seat should Mikie win the election, as many believe she will. The timeline for a special election in early 2026 is already very short, and planning for this kind of race takes time.”

DEM REP MIKIE SHERRILL SKIPS 145 HOUSE VOTES AS NJ GOVERNOR’S RACE HEATS UP

Former House Rep. Tom Malinowski has also thrown his proverbial hat in the ring and is especially active on social media. While not living in NJ-11, Malinowski has pledged to move into the district should he win the special election, according to reporting from the Washington Examiner.

Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., endorsed Tom Malinowski via X in a video posted on Nov. 17. 

“I’m happy to endorse Tom Malinowski for Congress! I’ve known Tom for over 12 yrs, far longer than anyone else I know in Jersey politics, when we worked under President Obama,” the senator wrote. “Politics right now needs courage. People able to stand against the pressures of politics and special interests. @Malinowski has shown that in his actions.”

Malinowski, a former House Rep. for New Jersey’s seventh District, lost his seat when the area was redistricted to include much of NJ-11.

NEW JERSEY DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR HOPEFUL ATTENDS ‘NO KINGS’ PROTEST, VOWS TO FIGHT TRUMP ‘TOOTH AND NAIL’

The former representative all but asked for Sherrill’s endorsement in a campaign video posted to X earlier this month announcing his run.

“I’m running for Congress again to pick up where my friend Mikie Sherrill left off,” Malinowski said in the video.

Governor-elect Sherrill’s office did not offer comment to Fox News Digital on any plans to endorse Malinowski or any other candidate.

Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill has the endorsement of over 60 Democrats in the county, according to reporting from the New Jersey Globe, and enters a crowded field as a well-established party operative.

“I’m running for Congress because our president, enabled by bootlickers in Congress and Wall Street, is wreaking havoc on our streets, hollowing out our economy, tearing down our American values. I’m running to fight back against Donald Trump and his crooked buddies and to make sure that everyone has a place at the table,” Gill stated in a campaign video.

John Bartlett, the only other candidate with a sizable war chest, according to FEC filings, still had around $200,000 left over from his 2018 House run, which was unsuccessful at the time. He serves as a commissioner in Passaic County.

The FEC also notes Democrat candidates Anna Lee Williams, Justin Strickland and Marc Chaaban. There is only one Republican listed in the race in the FEC filings — Joe Hathaway, mayor of Randolph Township.

“Thank you, New Jersey,” Governor-elect Sherrill wrote in a post on Nov. 12. “Next week, I intend to submit my resignation in order to serve as your 57th governor.

“To my House colleagues: Do not become a rubber stamp for an agenda to take food and healthcare away from kids. To the country: Stand strong. Don’t give up the ship.”

Sherrill won the district in 2024 with a healthy lead, receiving 56.34% of the vote, according to the New Jersey State Board of Elections. The Cook Political Report has designated New Jersey 11 as “Solid D.” 

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The primary does not yet have a set date.

The office of Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

-Federal judges block Texas from using redrawn congressional map

-Democrat found texting Jeffrey Epstein faces House censure, committee removal threats

–Blue school district hit with federal complaint alleging it ‘sidestepped’ law depriving parent of transparency

House votes overwhelmingly to force DOJ to release Jeffrey Epstein files

The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to force the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

It was the product of a months-long pressure campaign by Democrats and the bill’s leaders, Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif.

Several of Epstein’s survivors were present in the House chamber during the vote as well and appeared to erupt in cheers when the resolution passed.

All but one House lawmaker present in the chamber voted in favor of the bill, which passed 427 to 1. The lone “no” vote was Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., who posted on X shortly thereafter to explain his decision…READ MORE.

White House

DC REDUX: Power stripped from Education Department in latest Trump move to dismantle it

‘GET IT DONE, NOW’: Trump takes aim at ‘BIG, FAT, RICH INSURANCE COMPANIES,’ declares the ‘ONLY HEALTHCARE’ he’ll greenlight

BIG-DOLLAR DEAL: Saudi Crown Prince bin Salman hikes committed US investment to nearly $1T

‘COMING TO RALEIGH’: Trump immigration enforcement focus to expand to new city, mayor indicates

BROADCAST BRAWL: Trump erupts on ABC reporter over Epstein questions, suggests yanking network license

World Stage

BEIJING ON NOTICE: New Arctic discovery could deal massive blow to Chinese dominance of rare earth mineral

DOOR SLAMMED SHUT: Ex-officials could get lifetime bans from lobbying for China, Russia under new bipartisan push

FAITH UNDER SIEGE: US Ambassador Michael Waltz declares atrocities against Christians in Nigeria ‘genocide’

ICE COLD DEFENSE: Noem announces Arctic defense pact with Canada, Finland to counter rival powers

Capitol Hill

DEMS IN DISARRAY: House Dems defy Jeffries, vote to rebuke progressive over controversial election move

NO ESCAPE: Schumer says he’ll move to pass Epstein bill ‘immediately’ in Senate

‘REAL RECKONING’: Khanna, Massie, Greene urge Senate to pass Epstein bill unchanged, warn of ‘reckoning’

Across America 

CRISIS WARNING: Lawmakers warned PennDOT of illegal immigrant-CDL crisis before bust; GOP demands answers from Shapiro

DEMS RESIST RAIDS: North Carolina Democrats fall silent after ICE arrests dozens with violent records

‘RADICAL EXTREMISTS’: Texas Gov Abbott declares CAIR, Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist groups, preventing land purchases

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

No Senate Republicans blocked an attempt to force a vote on a resolution that would compel the release of documents and files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., made good on his vow to force a vote on the resolution just hours after it passed through the House behind a near unanimous wave of support.

Schumer argued on the floor that the Senate “should pass this bill as soon as possible, as written and without a hint of delay.” 

“Republicans must not try to change this bill or bury it in committee, or slow walk it in any way,” he said. “Any amendment to this bill would force it back to the House and risk further delay. Who knows what would happen over there?”

HOUSE VOTES OVERWHELMINGLY TO FORCE DOJ TO RELEASE JEFFREY EPSTEIN FILES

Now, as soon as the House transfers the bill to the Senate, it will go straight to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature. 

The resolution from Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., would require that the Department of Justice (DOJ) release all unclassified records, documents, communications and investigative materials “publicly available in a searchable and downloadable format” related to the late financier and convicted pedophile and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days of the bill being signed into law. 

The Epstein fervor has not had near the impact in the Senate as the House, which was thrust into chaos by the bipartisan push to see the release of the files. Earlier this year, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., put the House into recess to quell the Epstein drama and has since been accused of running from a vote on the issue.

KHANNA, MASSIE, GREENE URGE SENATE TO PASS EPSTEIN BILL UNCHANGED, WARN OF ‘RECKONING’

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that Republicans were already mulling the bill through the hotline process, which is where legislation is considered among lawmakers before making it to the floor. Thune said the plan, if the bill clears the hotline, would be to have it on the floor before lawmakers leave for Thanksgiving recess at the end of this week. 

“We’ll see what the Democrats have to say,” he said. “But it’s the kind of thing, probably, that could perhaps move by unanimous consent.”

That ended up not being necessary, with bill making its way through the upper chamber without a full vote. 

The calculus surrounding the Epstein bill changed in the Senate, too, given that President Donald Trump, who for months railed against attempts to release the files, threw his support behind Massie and Khanna’s legislation over the weekend.

He charged that it was a “Democrat Hoax perpetrated by Radical Left Lunatics in order to deflect from the Great Success of the Republican Party.”

HOUSE GOP BRACES FOR EPSTEIN FILES VOTE AS CONCERNS REMAIN DESPITE TRUMP’S GREEN LIGHT

“Nobody cared about Jeffrey Epstein when he was alive and, if the Democrats had anything, they would have released it before our Landslide Election Victory,” he said in a post on Truth Social.

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Senate Republicans, like their counterparts in the House, wanted more transparency on the issue when the Epstein saga resurfaced over the summer but cautioned that no materials should be released until the names or identifying traits of victims are combed through and kept safe.

But, despite calls from Johnson to amend the bill to include those kinds of guardrails in the legislation, it’s unlikely to happen in the Senate. 

“I think when a bill comes out of the House 427 to one, and the President said he sign it, I’m not sure that amending it is in the cards,” Thune said. 

Several North Carolina Democrats who criticized or opposed federal immigration authorities in Charlotte were largely silent when asked about the dozens of criminals arrested during the operation.

U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino – who hails from Watauga County and attended Appalachian State University in Boone – returned to familiar soil and was seen on-the-ground in Charlotte after weeks in Chicago.

By Monday, the Department of Homeland Security recorded 130 arrests of illegal immigrants, including at least 44 with violent criminal records ranging from aggravated assault to known gang activity, in its latest “worst of the worst” cache.

CHARLOTTE PROMISES TO RESIST PENDING FEDERAL IMMIGRATION RAIDS: ‘CAMPAIGN OF TERROR’

One of the more pointed reactions to the raids came from North Carolina state Rep. Aisha Dew, D-Charlotte, who said Friday that “we do not need to have Border Patrol [here].”

“As I’ve already said, I’m not quite sure what border we’re patrolling here,” Dew said at a press conference, while adding that the surrounding states – South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia – don’t pose any threats to the Old North State.

“[Charlotte] is a safe city. Our crime rates have gone down since the previous year. This is just another something out of the playbook,” Dew said.

Dew did not respond to a request for comment after the “worst of the worst” list came out.

TRUMP IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT FOCUS TO EXPAND TO NEW CITY, MAYOR INDICATES

Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C., who represents most of Mecklenburg County and Charlotte, also slammed DHS’ operations on Thursday and pledged to stand up to “intimidation” of her district’s immigrant community.

“I am extremely concerned about the deployment of U.S. Border Patrol and ICE agents to Charlotte,” Adams said in a statement.

“Charlotte’s immigrant community is a proud part of the Queen City, and I will not stand by and watch my constituents be intimidated or harassed,” she added, accusing ICE of using excessive force in prior raids in Los Angeles and Chicago, and threatening the well-being of communities they visit.

“Those tactics and values have no place in the City of Charlotte or Mecklenburg County,” Adams said.

An Adams staffer answered the phone at her Washington office, but her office did not respond to an ensuing emailed inquiry.

PROTESTERS SCREAM ‘GET THE F— OUT OF MY CITY!’ AT FEDERAL AGENTS DURING IMMIGRATION RAID

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles was also apprehensive of ICE’s arrival, writing in a joint statement with Mecklenburg County Chairman Mark Jerrell and Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board President Stephanie Sneed that they hope not to see the same public violence as Los Angeles and elsewhere.

“The expected [DHS] operations are causing unnecessary fear and uncertainty in our community,” Lyles, Jerrell and Sneed said.

“Diversity makes us stronger. And with that belief, we are unwavering in our commitment to a safe and welcoming community where everyone can grow and thrive,” they added while saying it is important for residents to understand their rights and be aware of various organizations who may be able to help with “legal guidance” on immigration matters.

Jerrell and Sneed did not respond to requests for comment after the “worst of the worst” announcement.

When reached for comment, a representative for Lyles pointed Fox News Digital to a separate Tuesday morning statement.

FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT SWEEPS CHARLOTTE MONTHS AFTER UKRAINIAN REFUGEE KILLING SHOCKED NATION

“First and foremost, the rights and constitutional protections of every person in Charlotte—regardless of immigration status—must be upheld,” Lyles said.

“Our city has a long-standing commitment to fairness, dignity, and justice. I am deeply concerned with many of the videos I’ve seen, and I urge all agencies operating here to conduct their work with respect for those values.”

“To everyone in Charlotte who is feeling anxious or fearful: you are not alone. Your city stands with you. We will continue working with community leaders, legal advocates, and service providers to make sure that resources, information, and support remain available.”

Lyles called on the city to meet the situation with “calm, compassion and a steadfast dedication to the rights and well-being of all who call Charlotte home.”

The state’s top Democrat, Gov. Josh Stein, offered a more balanced response than some in his party, like Dew.

CHARLOTTE RAID TARGETING CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS LEADS TO 130 ARRESTS, INCLUDING MS-13 GANG MEMBER

Stein said he is in regular contact with state and local law enforcement as the raids continue, and encouraged residents to follow the law and peacefully “bear witness to what you have seen.”

“To the CBP — if you know we have violent criminals in Charlotte who are undocumented, we want them out, too,” Stein said.

“Everyone wants to be safe in their homes, but the actions of too many federal agents are doing the opposite,” he claimed.

Stein claimed some ICE agents are targeting residents based on skin color and said in one case a landscaper decorating a resident’s Christmas tree was detained.

He said the federal immigration system is broken and blamed Congress for playing politics.

Stein said he supports “strong borders” but also a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers.

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“Governor Stein believes that government’s top priority must be keeping people safe. He has long supported efforts to hold accountable and deport violent criminals and drug dealers,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

“The governor continues to urge CBP to target people based on the level of threat they pose, not their skin color.” 

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump administration, Capitol Hill and more Fox News politics content. Here’s what’s happening…

-Trump says Mamdani meeting in the works: ‘We’ll work something out’

–Zeldin overhauls Biden-era water rule to end ‘weaponization’ that led ‘puddles’ to trigger pricy permits

-Rapper Nicki Minaj and U.N. ambassador join voices against Christian persecution in Nigeria

Judge orders DOJ to give Comey grand jury records, citing prosecutor’s misconduct

A judge on Monday ordered the Department of Justice to hand over grand jury material to former FBI Director James Comey, an unusual move that the judge said was necessary because of the department’s “highly unusual” activity during the secret grand jury proceedings.

Magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick scolded the DOJ in the order for what he said was a glaring mishandling of evidence presented to grand jurors and possible misstatements by the case’s lead prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan.

“The Court is finding that the government’s actions in this case — whether purposeful, reckless, or negligent — raise genuine issues of misconduct, are inextricably linked to the government’s grand jury presentation, and deserve to be fully explored by the defense,” Fitzpatrick wrote…READ MORE.
 

White House

LONGSHOT: Traders bet Supreme Court won’t back Trump on tariffs, dimming rebate hopes

CHECKS AND BALANCES: Ex-judges blast top Trump DOJ official for declaring ‘war’ on courts

World Stage

LIGHTS OUT PLOT: China’s energy siege of Taiwan could cripple US supply chains, report warns

RED DRAGON RISING: China military reaches ‘war footing’ with new missile silos and advanced AI warfare systems

Capitol Hill

‘PUBLICITY STUNT’: ‘Radical Left’ shutdown message ignites firestorm as Democrats push for federal probe

‘NO DOWNSIDES’: Shutdown chaos reignites debate over privatizing US air traffic control

Across America 

PATRIOTIC CHEER: Iconic DC landmark unveils first Christmas tree as part of push to revive holiday spirit

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

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday announced a strategic partnership with Canada and Finland to build nearly a dozen cutting-edge icebreaker ships to help defend the Arctic against rival powers such as China.

Noem signed a letter of intent on what’s been dubbed the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact) alongside Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman and Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs Sakari Puisto at DHS headquarters in Washington, D.C.

“To thrive in the Arctic, we need icebreakers,” Noem said, adding that the ICE Pact will help power the economies of the three countries and strengthen the collective Arctic defense.

Noem called the Arctic “the world’s last, most wild frontier,” where the U.S. and its allies, as well as their adversaries, are competing for strategic positions and the rich natural resources within the region.

HEGSETH, NOEM ON BOARD WITH ‘VITAL STEP’ TO CREATE COAST GUARD SECRETARY AMID TRUMP’S DRUG SMUGGLING CRACKDOWN

Noem said soon after the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Storis, a polar icebreaker, was commissioned earlier this year, Chinese ships began to openly operate in and near U.S. Arctic waters.

“Their goal was clear. They wanted to test America’s resolve,” Noem said of China. “The Coast Guard responded immediately. In fact, we deployed the Cutter Healy and a fleet of air assets to the scene, and we escorted those intruders out of our waters. Our rapid response sent a clear message: Under President Trump’s leadership, we will defend our sovereignty.”

Noem said the U.S. currently has 11 cutters under contract to be built within the next several years. The first four will be built with the partnerships of Canada and Finland, while Noem said the remainder will be built in the U.S. after it rebuilds its shipyards.

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

The initiative will also help train an American workforce in the specialized skills necessary in shipbuilding to produce cutting-edge vessels more quickly and efficiently.

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“Finland and Canada are essential to the success of that mission, and American shipbuilders are some of the most innovative, dedicated and hardworking individuals in the world,” Noem said.

President Donald Trump ripped insurance companies in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, indicating that the only healthcare policy he would be willing to greenlight would involve funds flowing directly to Americans.

He emphasized his point by using all caps.

“THE ONLY HEALTHCARE I WILL SUPPORT OR APPROVE IS SENDING THE MONEY DIRECTLY BACK TO THE PEOPLE, WITH NOTHING GOING TO THE BIG, FAT, RICH INSURANCE COMPANIES, WHO HAVE MADE $TRILLIONS, AND RIPPED OFF AMERICA LONG ENOUGH. THE PEOPLE WILL BE ALLOWED TO NEGOTIATE AND BUY THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, INSURANCE. POWER TO THE PEOPLE!” the president wrote in the post.

LONGTIME OBAMACARE CRITIC SAYS TRUMP PLAN WON’T SOLVE PROGRAM’S FATAL FLAWS

He urged lawmakers to make it happen.

“Congress, do not waste your time and energy on anything else. This is the only way to have great Healthcare in America!!! GET IT DONE, NOW,” he declared.

The president’s comments in the post on Tuesday echoed remarks he made in Truth Social posts earlier this month.

DR. MEHMET OZ TEASES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S PLAN TO OVERHAUL OBAMACARE

In a post on Nov. 8, Trump declared, “I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies in order to save the bad Healthcare provided by ObamaCare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT THEY CAN PURCHASE THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER, HEALTHCARE, and have money left over.”

“In other words, take from the BIG, BAD Insurance Companies, give it to the people, and terminate, per Dollar spent, the worst Healthcare anywhere in the World, ObamaCare,” Trump wrote.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., responded at the time by indicating that he agreed. 

“Totally agree, @POTUS! I’m writing the bill right now. We must stop taxpayer money from going to insurance companies and instead give it directly to Americans in HSA-style accounts and let them buy the health care they want. This will increase competition & drive down costs,” Scott noted in a post on X.

RICK SCOTT CALLS DEMOCRATS ‘HEARTLESS’ AS HE PITCHES NEW OBAMACARE FIX

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In another Truth Social post on Nov. 8, Trump exclaimed, “NO MORE MONEY, HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, TO THE DEMOCRAT SUPPORTED INSURANCE COMPANIES FOR REALLY BAD OBAMACARE. THE MONEY MUST NOW GO DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE, TAKING THE ‘FAT CAT’ INSURANCE COMPANIES OUT OF THE CORRUPT SYSTEM OF HEALTHCARE. THE PEOPLE CAN BUY THEIR OWN, MUCH BETTER POLICY, FOR MUCH LESS MONEY, SAVING, FOR THEMSELVES, AN ABSOLUTE FORTUNE!!!”

House lawmakers gearing up to vote Tuesday on a bill that would force the Justice Department to release all its files relating to Jeffrey Epstein are pressuring the Senate to pass the measure without any amendments.

The legislation is coming to the House floor Tuesday afternoon via a mechanism called a discharge petition led by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. A discharge petition allows a bill to get a House-wide vote against leaders’ wishes, provided the petition gets support from most lawmakers in the chamber. In this case, the petition last week earned support from most lawmakers in the chamber, including from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga.

“This has never been political. This is not about questions of Trump or Biden. This is a question of doing the right thing for survivors. We’re going to get a vote today. I expect an overwhelming vote in the House of Representatives. And I don’t want the DC swamp playing any games,” Khanna said Tuesday as he appeared at a press conference alongside Massie, Greene and some of Epstein’s survivors.

“They need to pass this in the Senate, and they should not amend it. President Trump has said he would sign the Epstein Transparency Act. It’s going to get overwhelming support in the House. It should go straight to the Senate, and it should be signed. No amendments, no adding loopholes. Justice is long overdue,” he added.

HOUSE GOP BRACES FOR EPSTEIN FILES VOTE AS CONCERNS REMAIN DESPITE TRUMP’S GREEN LIGHT

Massie reiterated Khanna’s statements. 

“As Ro said, don’t muck it up in the Senate. Don’t get too cute,” Massie warned the upper chamber. “We’re all paying attention. If you want to add some additional protections for these survivors, go for it. But if you do anything that prevents any disclosure, you are not for the people, and you are not part of this effort. Do not muck it up in the Senate.”

GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital Monday evening said they would vote for the bill and were optimistic their colleagues would as well — though many of them said they still had concerns about how it was written.

It comes after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who had been against the bill but pushed parallel transparency efforts in Epstein’s case, said he hoped it would undergo material changes when it reached the Senate to give more protection for innocent people whose names may appear in the files against their wishes.

“These women have fought the most horrific fight that no woman should have to fight, and they did it by banding together and never giving up,” Greene said Tuesday. “And that’s what we did by fighting so hard against the most powerful people in the world, even the President of the United States, in order to make this vote happen today.”

“I was called a traitor by a man that I fought for five, no, actually, six years for. And I gave him my loyalty for free. I won my first election without his endorsement, beating eight men in a primary, and I’ve never owed him anything. But I fought for him for the policies and for America First,” Greene said, days after President Donald Trump pulled his endorsement of the Georgia Republican. “And he called me a traitor for standing with these women and refusing to take my name off the discharge petition.”

“Let me tell you what a traitor is,” Greene added. “A traitor is an American that serves foreign countries and themselves. A patriot is an American that serves the United States of America and Americans, like the women standing behind me.”

TRUMP SAYS WHETHER HE WOULD SIGN EPSTEIN FILES BILL

“And today, you are going to see probably a unanimous vote in the House to release the Epstein files. But the fight, the real fight will happen after that. While I want to see every single name released so that these women don’t have to live in fear and intimidation, which is something I’ve had a small taste of in just the past few days. Just a small taste,” she added. “They’ve been living it for years, but the real test will be will the Department of Justice release the files, or will it all remain tied up in investigations?”

Khanna also called Tuesday the “first day of real reckoning for the Epstein class.”

“We’re here to stand with forgotten and abandoned Americans against an Epstein class that had no regard for the rules or the laws,” Khanna continued. “Because survivors spoke up, because of their courage, the truth is finally going to come out. And when it comes out, this country is really going to have a moral reckoning.”

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“How did we allow this to happen? There should be no buildings named after people in this Epstein class. There should be no scholarships named after them. They shouldn’t be enjoying the perks of being affiliated with corporations or universities, or writing op-eds or being lionized. And many of the survivors will tell you some of these people still are celebrated in our society. That’s disgusting. There needs to be accountability,” he also said.

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Tuesday revealed his decision on the House’s forthcoming vote on forcing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein.

Johnson told reporters at his weekly press conference that he would vote in favor of the bill, despite concerns about what he saw as lackluster protections for victims and other innocent people whose names may be released against their own wishes.

“I’m going to I’m going to vote to move this forward,” Johnson said.

“I think it could be close to a unanimous vote, because everybody here, all the Republicans, want to go on record to show their from maximum transparency.”

HOUSE REPUBLICANS SAY DEMS TWISTING EPSTEIN PROBE TO SMEAR TRUMP IN NEW MEMO

The vote is expected on Tuesday afternoon at 2 p.m.

The legislation is a bipartisan product by Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky. Massie has been known to be a frequent critic of both Johnson and President Donald Trump.

Despite that, however, Trump gave House Republicans his blessing to vote for the bill on Sunday night. 

House GOP leaders had vehemently opposed the legislation for months, arguing it was written in a way that did not provide sufficient protections for innocents while also claiming it was unnecessary given the ongoing bipartisan investigation into Epstein’s crimes.

JEFFREY EPSTEIN SAGA CONTINUES AS CONGRESS RETURNS FROM RECESS

That probe, led by the House Oversight Committee, has produced tens of thousands of pages of documents both from the DOJ and Epstein’s estate.

Johnson made clear he still held concerns about the bill’s language and said he hoped it would be changed when the legislation was sent to the Senate.

“We stated our opposition as long as possible, but we’re also for maximum transparency. So what am I to do as a leader in a situation like this?” the speaker said.

“I’m very confident that when this moves forward in the process, if and when it is processed in the Senate — which there’s no certainty that that will be — that they will take the time methodically to do what we have not been allowed to do in the House, to amend this discharge petition and to make sure these protections are there.”

He warned it could have a “chilling effect” on future investigations as well.

“Who’s going to want to come forward if they think Congress can take a political exercise and reveal their identities? Who’s going to come talk to prosecutors? It’s very dangerous. It would deter future whistleblowers and informants,” he said. “The release of that could also publicly reveal the identity, by the way, of undercover law enforcement officers who are working in future operations.”

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Johnson said he brought his concerns to Massie and Khanna but was told in essence, “Jump in the Potomac.”

Massie and Khanna, for their parts, held a press conference alongside one of the bill’s GOP supporters Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., on Tuesday morning.

“Don’t muck it up in the Senate. Don’t get too cute. We’re all paying attention,” Massie warned. “If you want to add some additional protections for these survivors, go for it. But if you do anything that prevents any disclosure, you are not for the people and you are not part of this effort. Do not muck it up in the Senate.”

Republican Rep. Don Bacon won nine heavily contested GOP primary battles and general elections over the past decade in his swing U.S. House district.

But the retired Air Force general and moderate Republican who represents an Omaha, Nebraska-anchored congressional district told Fox News Digital that “the fire wasn’t there” anymore.

Bacon, who announced this summer that he wouldn’t run for a sixth two-year term in Congress in next year’s midterms, is one of 36 U.S. House members who’ve announced they won’t seek re-election next year.

And the surge in retirements may impact next year’s midterm elections, when Republicans are aiming to protect their fragile House majority.

AS CONGRESS GROWS OLDER, DEBATE HEATS UP OVER WHEN TO STEP ASIDE

“We’re above average,” noted David Wasserman, a senior editor and elections analyst at the non-partisan political handicapper “The Cook Report,” as he pointed to the pace of House retirement announcements so far this cycle.

And we’ve still got six weeks left until the calendar hits 2026.

Waves of retirement announcements traditionally come in the final month or two, amid the holiday season, in the year before congressional elections.

The party breakdown so far on the retirements: 15 Democrats and 21 Republicans.

DEMOCRAT RETIREMENT GIVES GOP BOOST IN BID TO FLIP KEY HOUSE SWING SEAT

A handful of the Democrats headed for the exits are in their 70s and 80s and retiring after long tenures in the House. The most prominent is 85-year-old former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

But in a continued sign that the bitter partisanship in the House has made the lower chamber in Congress far from a pleasant work environment, most of the members who are passing on re-election are much younger.

Among those forgoing re-election next year is 53-year-old Republican Rep. Jodey Arrington of Texas, the House Budget Committee chair who shared his retirement news first with Fox News Digital.

“I have a firm conviction, much like our founders did, that public service is a lifetime commitment, but public office is and should be a temporary stint in stewardship, not a career,” Arrington said.

Also on that list is moderate Democratic Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, who is only 43.

SENIOR REPUBLICAN SAYS HE’LL ‘MISS THE CLOWNS,’ NOT ‘THE CIRCUS’ AS HE EYES LIFE AFTER CONGRESS

“After 11 years as a legislator, I have grown tired of the increasing incivility and plain nastiness that are now common from some elements of our American community — behavior that, too often, our political leaders exhibit themselves,” Golden wrote last week in an op-ed for the Bangor Daily News, where he revealed his unexpected decision.

“I don’t fear losing. What has become apparent to me is that I now dread the prospect of winning. Simply put, what I could accomplish in this increasingly unproductive Congress pales in comparison to what I could do in that time as a husband, a father and a son,” Golden emphasized.

Pointing to Golden’s comments, Bacon noted, “He said something I was feeling. The thought of winning was unattractive this cycle. If it feels like it’s a little bit depressing to win, then better let somebody else run.”

“I think that’s where this hyper-partisan ugliness fits in. The thought of winning and going through another two years of this was not a fulfilling thought,” he added.

VULNERABLE HOUSE DEM CRITICIZES ‘EXTREME’ LEFT IN SHOCKING 2026 ANNOUNCEMENT

Former Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire, who retired a year ago after serving a dozen years in the House, said the dysfunction and political tension in Congress was “definitely a factor” in her decision to leave.

“It had gotten so much more difficult over 12 years to work across the aisle,” Kuster told Fox News Digital. “It had gotten much more fractured, partisan, less congenial.”

Kuster said “a big factor for me was that most of the moderate Republicans that I worked with all the time had left Congress. The people who were coming in were more hard right partisans.”

Bacon, who describes himself as a Ronald Reagan-style, old-fashioned Republican, joked that he was “stuck in the middle” with “crazies on the right and crazies on the left.”

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

While some, like Bacon and Arrington, are taking a break from politics, most of those not seeking re-election to their House seats are running for statewide offices next year.

Wasserman said that “on the Republican side, there’s a sense that not much will get done beyond OBBBA in the next two years of Trump’s presidency.”

OBBBA is the acronym for One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the massive GOP domestic policy bill passed along partisan lines this summer by the Republican-controlled House and Senate that is the centerpiece of President Donald Trump‘s second-term agenda.

“They’ve made the heavy lift and now there are opportunities to be more impactful elsewhere,” Wasserman said.

The bitter battle between Republicans and Democrats over the measure was another sign of the vicious partisan climate on Capitol Hill.

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But Bacon remained optimistic about the future of Congress.

“When folks move on, new people move in, and I know there’s good people out there,” he said.

There’s no business quite like the U.S. arms business and no audience roars louder in approval than Saudi Arabia.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump is expected to close several deals with Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a visit that could see billions more in U.S. weapons flow to one of the world’s most prolific importers of military hardware.

TRUMP SET TO HOST SAUDI ARABIA’S POWERFUL CROWN PRINCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE THIS WEEK

Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that the U.S. will likely move forward with a deal to sell F-35 jets to Saudi Arabia.

The F-35, the crown jewel in Lockheed Martin’s portfolio, is among the most advanced fighter jets in the world and one of the most sought-after symbols of U.S. military might.

Saudi Arabia’s oil-rich monarchy is one of America’s most crucial strategic partners in the Middle East and one of the U.S. defense industry’s most dependable customers.

For Washington, the partnership means billions in defense revenue and a key ally in the Gulf. For Riyadh, it’s a pipeline to the world’s most advanced military technology and a symbol of its ambition to stand shoulder to shoulder with the world’s military powers in a volatile region.

TRUMP SET TO HOST SAUDI ARABIA’S POWERFUL CROWN PRINCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE THIS WEEK

According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, between 2020 and 2024, Saudi Arabia was the top buyer of American-made arms, accounting for 12% of all U.S. weapons exports, followed by Ukraine (9.3%) and Japan (8.8%). The U.S. was also by far the kingdom’s main supplier, providing 74% of all Saudi arms imports during that period.

That level of spending underscores Saudi Arabia’s regional military ambitions, but globally, it’s the U.S. that dominates by an extraordinary margin.

SAUDI ARABIA’S 40-YEAR-OLD DISRUPTOR: HOW MBS REWIRED THE KINGDOM IN 10 SHORT YEARS

With $997 billion in defense spending in 2024, the U.S. outspent every other nation several times over, investing more than triple what China, the world’s second-largest spender, devoted to its military.

Beyond defense spending, the U.S. also leads the world in arms exports, responsible for nearly half of all major weapons sold globally between 2020 and 2024. In total, 162 nations purchased major weapons systems, but just five importers, Ukraine, India, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, accounted for 35% of global imports, highlighting how concentrated the world’s arms trade remains.

The crown prince serves as the kingdom’s powerful understudy to his 89-year-old father, King Salman. Widely regarded as Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, he manages nearly all daily affairs of state and frequently represents the kingdom in international summits and diplomatic meetings.

Tuesday’s meetings will mark the crown prince’s first visit to the White House in more than seven years. 

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The two last met in May, when Trump made his first state visit of his second term to Riyadh. He was welcomed with a fighter jet escort, an honor guard wielding golden swords and a parade of Arabian horses flanking his limousine.

It was a scene that captured the enduring spectacle of U.S.–Saudi ties, a partnership as opulent as it is strategic and one that remains vital to both nations’ ambitions.

The House Freedom Caucus is rallying behind one of its own members’ push to impeach U.S. District Judge James Boasberg.

Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, introduced an impeachment resolution against Boasberg last month for his role in Arctic Frost, a code name for ex-Special Counsel Jack Smith’s probe into President Donald Trump and the 2020 election.

Gill argued Boasberg acted in a partisan fashion when he signed off on subpoenas and gag orders related to the investigation, including subpoenas for phone records from several Republican legislators in Congress — the news of which was made public in documents released by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, this year.

But it’s not immediately clear whether the push to impeach Boasberg is strong enough to launch an actual pressure campaign on House GOP leaders.

FROM ‘LEGISLATIVE TERRORISTS’ TO CENTER OF TRUMP’S DC REVOLUTION: WHERE KEY CONSERVATIVE CAUCUS IS NOW 

“It absolutely should be done,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., told Fox News Digital last week. “I think this is levels above what we thought was going on. His bias is pretty clear, someone with that kind of bias cannot exist in the federal judiciary.”

But Harris signaled it would not be an issue the conservative group would pressure House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on anytime soon.

“No, we have other issues as well. We’re concentrated right now on the fiscal issues,” Harris said when asked if he would bring the issue to House leaders. “But we have discussed that, and there is broad support to impeach the judge.”

DEM-APPOINTED MARYLAND SUPREME COURT JUSTICE IN HOT SEAT OVER POLITICALLY CHARGED HALLOWEEN DISPLAY

Still, his conservative caucus appears largely supportive.

“I think there’s considerable movement over here, particularly in light of, actually the genesis here, Arctic Frost  … the massive concerns we have with what the judge is doing — just making up facts out of thin air and assumptions based on motives that have no basis,” House Freedom Caucus Policy Chairman Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., who is also running for governor of South Carolina, told Fox News Digital, “I hope so,” when asked if this impeachment push would be stronger than the last.

“He’s so partisan. He’s one of the rogue judges that exist today,” Norman said. “There are consequences for what he did.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., pointed out that he was one of the earliest supporters of impeaching judges who conservatives saw as casting overly partisan rulings in the Trump era.

“I think a lot of these judges have gone way out of bounds and violated their oaths. I’m in support of it, yeah,” he told Fox News Digital.

He was more cautious when asked if it would yield results. “I don’t tend to have confidence in anything around here until I see action taken. Talk is cheap,” Crane said.

BOASBERG’S ROLE IN ‘ARCTIC FROST’ PROBE SPARKS FURY FROM GOP SENATORS, DESPITE LOCAL RULES

Gill was one of several House Freedom Caucus members to introduce impeachment resolutions against Boasberg this past spring, when he issued an order temporarily blocking Trump’s deportation flights to El Salvador. 

At the time, however, Johnson warned Republicans that impeachment was not the most practical way to curb “rogue judges” — pointing out that removal would require support in the Senate that simply was not there.

Instead, House GOP leaders rallied around a bill by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., subcommittee chair of the House Judiciary panel’s subcommittee on courts.

That legislation, aimed at limiting the power of district court judges to issue nationwide injunctions, passed the House in early April but was never taken up in the Senate.

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Issa himself cautioned against moving too quickly toward impeachment when asked by Fox News Digital last week.

“We have a number of rogue judges, and I think before we talk about impeachment, with so many people seeing wrongdoing, both the House and the Senate need to hold appropriate hearings and evaluate just what the proper definition of good behavior is and whether not just one, but multiple judges, may have clearly violated that,” Issa said. “I think that’s the right way to approach it.”

Issa said he was “looking at” holding a hearing on the matter when lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill after Thanksgiving.

Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Courts system, which declined to comment for this story.

President Donald Trump said, “I’m all for it,” when asked by a reporter if he would sign a bill that would force the Justice Department to release all its files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump made the remark in the White House on Monday as the House of Representatives is preparing to vote on the bill Tuesday afternoon.

“We have nothing to do with Epstein. The Democrats do. All of his friends were Democrats,” Trump said. “All I want is I want for people to recognize a great job that I’ve done on pricing, on affordability, because we brought prices way down, but they go way lower. On energy, on ending eight wars and another one coming pretty soon, I believe. We’ve done a great job, and I hate to see that deflect from the great job we’ve done. So I’m all for it.”

When asked again about signing the bill if it reaches his desk, Trump added, “Sure I would.”

HOUSE GOP BRACES FOR EPSTEIN FILES VOTE AS CONCERNS REMAIN DESPITE TRUMP’S GREEN LIGHT

“Let the Senate look at it. Let anybody look at it. But don’t talk about it too much, because honestly… it’s really a Democrat problem,” Trump also said. “The Democrats were Epstein’s friends, all of them. And it’s a hoax. The whole thing is a hoax, and I don’t want to take it away from really the greatness of what the Republican Party has accomplished over the last period of time.”

GOP lawmakers who spoke with Fox News Digital Monday evening said they would vote for the bill and were optimistic their colleagues would as well — though many of them said they still had concerns about how it was written.

TRUMP CALLS ON HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO VOTE TO RELEASE EPSTEIN FILES: ‘WE HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE’

It comes after House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who had been against the bill but had been pushing parallel transparency efforts in Epstein’s case, said he hoped it would undergo material changes when it reached the Senate to give more protection for innocent people whose names may appear in the files against their wishes.

The legislation is coming to the House floor on Tuesday afternoon via a mechanism called a discharge petition led by Rep Ro. Khanna, D-Calif., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, Trump urged House Republicans to vote in favor of releasing the documents.

Trump also argued that if the Democrats “had anything,” it would have surfaced prior to last year’s presidential election.

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“Nobody cared about Jeffrey Epstein when he was alive and, if the Democrats had anything, they would have released it before our Landslide Election Victory,” Trump said. “Some ‘members’ of the Republican Party are being ‘used,’ and we can’t let that happen. Let’s start talking about the Republican Party’s Record Setting Achievements, and not fall into the Epstein ‘TRAP,’ which is actually a curse on the Democrats, not us. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

Fox News Digital’s Elizabeth Elkind and Sophia Compton contributed to this report.

Florida Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, who could potentially mount a gubernatorial bid in the Sunshine State, appears to be taking jabs at U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the candidate President Donald Trump has endorsed for governor. 

Collins — who Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped for the lieutenant governor role earlier this year — retweeted a post on X that appeared to juxtapose him and Donalds with the phrases “Tough as Nails” and “Soft as Soy.”

“Hard times → Strong men,” Collins wrote when retweeting the post. “Strong men → Good times,” he continued. “Good times → Weak men,” he added. “Weak men → Hard times.” 

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“Traveling around the state with ZERO record and nothing but an endorsement to brag about is not good enough,” Collins declared in part of another post, in which he later asserted, “Florida deserves better and I’ve delivered.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Donalds’ campaign for comment.

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While interviewing Collins, CBS News Miami’s Jim Defede asked the politician point blank, “Are you running for governor?”

Collins replied by saying “we are just finalizin’ that plan.” He later said “we’ll put out our final decision here shortly. But we are really close to makin’ that … final call.” 

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In addition to President Trump’s backing, Donalds has also been endorsed by GOP Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, and Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas.

Business tycoon Elon Musk has also declared that Donalds has his “full support.”

In a collaboration no one saw coming, United Nations Ambassador Mike Waltz and rapper Nicki Minaj are teaming up this week to spotlight Christian persecution in Nigeria.

Revealing himself as a fan of the ‘Super Bass’ singer, Waltz deemed Minaj “arguably the greatest female recording artist.” Waltz said on X: “I’m grateful she’s leveraging her massive platform to spotlight the atrocities against Christians in Nigeria, and I look forward to standing with her as we discuss the steps the President and his administration are taking to end the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters.”

Minaj replied: “Ambassador, I am so grateful to be entrusted with an opportunity of this magnitude. I do not take it for granted. It means more than you know.  The Barbz & I will never stand down in the face of injustice. We’ve been given our influence by God. There must be a bigger purpose.”

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The address, first reported by Time Magazine correspondent Eric Cortellessa, will take place on Tuesday in New York. 

Years of bloodshed in Africa’s most populous nation has only recently garnered widespread attention in the U.S., with President Donald Trump threatening military action if the Nigerian government cannot get a handle on violent Islamist groups. 

While the government disputes that Christians are specifically targeted — pointing out that non-religious and moderate Muslims have fallen victim too — Christian advocacy group Open Doors deems Nigeria the seventh most dangerous country in the world for Christians and says, “more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined.”

“Terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology — Muslims, Christians, and those of no faith alike,” the office of the Nigerian presidency wrote on X. 

TRUMP DESIGNATES NIGERIA AS ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN’ OVER WIDESPREAD CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION, KILLINGS

The nation is home to 100 million Christians and various human rights groups claim that 50,000 have been killed since the beginning of a Boko Haram insurgency in 2009. 

Numbers are difficult to verify, but the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law reports at least 52,000 Christians have been killed, some 18,500 abducted and unlikely to have survived, and 20,000 churches and Christian schools attacked between 2009 and 2023.

Trump this month designated Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’ – putting it among the likes of China, Iran, Russia and North Korea – and tasked Reps. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., and Tom Cole, R-Okla., with leading an investigation into what they call Christian “genocide.” 

In a video on Truth Social this month, Trump threatened to “do things to Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about” and “go into that now-disgraced country guns-a-blazing.”

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Minaj has said that during hard financial times early in her music career, she considered giving up for a 9-to-5 but “faith” got her through. 

“[Faith is] what’s always got me through. My mother kept me in church when I was younger, so I never really strayed far from that in terms of my belief and my faith and my drive,” she said in a discussion on Fuse TV with Matte Babbel.