NationalWatch

Democrats are pushing for more answers on President Donald Trump’s crusade against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean as the number of strikes continues to climb and amid the sudden retirement announcement of the military commander who oversees U.S. operations in the region. 

While Trump claims that the strikes are necessary to put drug traffickers and cartels “on notice” and has warned them he will blow them “out of existence,” lawmakers are increasingly demanding more oversight and evidence backing up the legality of the strikes. 

As a result, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, is urging Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., to bring the House back to session so the committee can hold a hearing on the operations in Latin America and to give the outgoing military commander an opportunity to testify. 

TRUMP UNLEASHES US MILITARY POWER ON CARTELS. IS A WIDER WAR LOOMING?

“President Trump and his Administration continue to fail to answer pressing questions regarding the President’s orders to carry out lethal U.S. military strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea,” Smith said in a Monday statement. 

“They have failed to demonstrate the legality of these strikes, provide transparency on the process used, or even a list of cartels that have been designated as terrorist organizations,” Smith said. “We have also yet to see any evidence to support the President’s unilateral determinations that these vessels or their activities posed imminent threats to the United States of America that warranted military force rather than law enforcement-led interdiction.”

The Trump administration has adopted an aggressive approach to combat the flow of drugs into the U.S., and designated drug cartel groups like Tren de Aragua, Sinaloa and others as foreign terrorist organizations in February. 

Additionally, the White House sent lawmakers a memo Sept. 30 alerting them that the U.S. is engaged in a “non-international armed conflict” with drug smugglers, and the U.S. military has conducted at least seven strikes against vessels off the coast of Venezuela. 

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Meanwhile, the commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), whose area of operations includes the Caribbean waters where the strikes against the alleged drug boats have been conducted, announced Thursday he is retiring suddenly by the end of 2025. 

Navy Adm. Alvin Holsey, who became the commander of SOUTHCOM in November 2024, said that he will retire from the Navy in December in a highly unusual move. No reason for his abrupt exit was provided, and the Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

However, the New York Times reported Thursday that Holsey had raised concerns and questions about the strikes against the alleged drug boats. 

“Never before in my over 20 years on the committee can I recall seeing a combatant commander leave their post this early and amid such turmoil,” Smith said. “I have also never seen such a staggering lack of transparency on behalf of an Administration and the Department to meaningfully inform Congress on the use of lethal military force.”

“It is time for House Republicans to return to the Capitol and negotiate with Democrats so that we can all get back to doing our jobs for the sake of our national security and national defense,” Smith said. 

The House has been out of session since September, and, since then, the government has entered a partial shutdown due to a lapse in funding. 

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A spokesperson for Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

Smith isn’t the only one pressing for more information on Trump’s war on drugs. Lawmakers in the Senate — including some Republicans — also are pushing for greater oversight on the strikes, and have called into question whether the strikes were even legal as Trump weighs land operations next. 

On Friday, Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., introduced a war powers resolution that would prohibit U.S. armed forces from participating in “hostilities” against Venezuela.

“The Trump administration has made it clear they may launch military action inside Venezuela’s borders and won’t stop at boat strikes in the Caribbean,” Schiff said in a Friday statement. 

“In recent weeks, we have seen increasingly concerning movements and reporting that undermine claims that this is merely about stopping drug smugglers,” Schiff said. “Congress has not authorized military force against Venezuela. And we must assert our authority to stop the United States from being dragged — intentionally or accidentally — into full-fledged war in South America.”

Trump has brushed off lawmakers’ concerns about the legality of the strikes, and said Oct. 14 that the alleged drug vessels are “fair game” because they are “loaded up with drugs.” 

Former PBS host and ex-Boeing engineer Bill Nye “The Science Guy” will join former USDOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg to headline a rally with Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger on Tuesday in the hometown of their party’s forefather.

Spanberger will rally with Buttigieg and Nye in Charlottesville – the city that birthed President Thomas Jefferson – while across town at the college founded by America’s third president, GOP lieutenant gubernatorial candidate John Reid will headline a public “Dome Room” forum hosted by pollster Larry Sabato’s University of Virginia Center for Politics.

Spanberger’s rally occurs as she tries to separate herself from scandal-plagued attorney general candidate Jay Jones.

Nye and Spanberger are expected to receive a welcome in the notable blue dot in the sea of rural Shenandoah Valley red that is Charlottesville.

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Trump Winery and its Albemarle Estate lodging, managed by Eric Trump, lies on the opposite side of town; down the street from Monticello itself. The road that runs from Jefferson’s estate to Trump’s is regularly lined with dozens of large American flags abutting the estate’s property line.

That contrast will be evident Tuesday, as Spanberger enlists celebrity in hopes of propelling her to victory, while Reid – who has claimed to be pulling within neck-and-neck of Democrat Ghazala Hashmi, also seeks to engage with the public in the closing days.

While she has condemned Jones’ comments, Spanberger has continued to decline to call for him to drop out – while pivoting this week to attacking Republican opponent Winsome Earle-Sears on her stringent pro-life views.

WINSOME EARLE-SEARS RELEASES ‘TWO BULLETS’ AD SCATHING OPPONENT FOR FAILING TO DEMAND JAY JONES’ OUSTER

An ad released Monday criticized Earle-Sears’ support for a near-total abortion ban and in turn positioned Spanberger as the champion of individual rights.

Moving from medical science to engineering, Nye resurfaced this week clamoring against President Donald Trump at a “No Kings” protest in his hometown of Washington, D.C., where he accused some in the MAGA faithful of being “confederates.”

“We are here to tell our lawmakers that what’s going on in our government is wrong. They must stop the abuses of this petulant president and his circle of sycophants … This president and his associates cannot tolerate dissent. To them, our free speech is frightening. They are arresting people and denying due process in courts,” Nye said in part.

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The former star of PBS’ “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” the engineer-by-trade who invented an aircraft implement while working for Boeing slammed Trump for trying to “silence television hosts.”

While Republicans are not the party typically associated with major Hollywood and celebrity endorsement, over his decade-plus in politics, Trump has garnered several very vocal stars in his camp.

“Charles In Charge” star Scott Baio has been most vocal as of late, saying in 2024 he believed the U.S. was always a “MAGA” nation.

OBAMA ENDORSES SPANBERGER, ATTACKS REPUBLICANS IN VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S RACE ADS

Jon Voight has routinely released stern X videos addressing the public and/or public officials on Trump’s bona fides:

“Who else has faced greater challenges and enemies since Lincoln,” he said.

Mel Gibson — who played a version of Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion in “The Patriot” – has been complimentary of Trump while remarking 2024 Democratic nominee Kamala Harris had “the IQ of a fence post.” Trump has since appointed him a “special ambassador.”

NATION’S ONLY TWO 2025 RACES FOR GOVERNOR ROCKED WITH THREE WEEKS UNTIL ELECTION DAY

Just on the other side of Skyline Drive from Jones’ rally site is the former district of then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert – the Republican whom Jones envisioned shooting in the head in texts revealed earlier this month.

Earle-Sears repeatedly interjected during the two gubernatorial candidates’ debate to urge Spanberger to call for Jones to drop out once and for all.

On Monday, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, headlined a fundraiser with Earle-Sears at the home of a Tysons Corner real estate developer.

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A Spanberger campaign official confirmed to Fox News Digital that the Democrat will appear in the coming days with former President Barack Obama at a rally as well.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on Nye’s attacks on Trump and his supporters.

President Donald Trump has no plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a senior White House official told Fox News on Tuesday.

“Secretary Rubio and Foreign Minister Lavrov had a productive call. Therefore, an additional in-person meeting between the Secretary and Foreign Minister is not necessary, and there are no plans for President Trump to meet with President Putin in the immediate future,” the official said.

This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.

FIRST ON FOX: A new conservative group working to untangle state laws concerning food and personal care ingredients by setting a national standard for ingredient transparency officially launched Tuesday, Fox News Digital learned. 

“It is a simple concept to understand — Americans want to know that the ingredients in the products they’re buying for their families are safe,” Americans for Ingredient Transparency leader and senior advisor Andy Koenig said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This should not be a difficult standard to meet.” 

“Unfortunately, states are now implementing their own patchwork of contradictory ingredient rules that have caused widespread confusion among consumers,” Koenig continued. “President Trump and his Administration are well-suited to make these determinations. Our goal is to cut through confusion and ensure everyone has access to clear information. Consumers want to know exactly what they are putting in and on their bodies. That is what we are working to achieve.” 

Americans for Ingredient Transparency is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit comprised of “concerned Americans, policy experts, farmers, and business leaders” who are advocating that the U.S. government establish a national standard for ingredients to apply “consistent, science- and risk-based principles to give Americans everywhere confidence in the safety of food, beverage and personal care products,” Fox Digital learned. 

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The group argued that states have made well-intended efforts to enact transparency laws as they relate to ingredients in food and household products, but that the moves have created confusion with an “ever-expanding patchwork of disjointed food, beverage, and personal care regulations.”

Americans for Ingredient Transparency specifically aims to work with Congress and the Trump administration to incorporate Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) reform, front-of-package labeling reform, and QR code reform into federal law.

GRAS reform would establish a “nationally uniform regulatory approach for new ingredients used in food and beverage products,” according to the coalition’s website. The front-of-package labeling reform would guide consumers to healthier choices, while the QR code reform would provide consumers with a scannable code on products to review product information, according to the group’s website. 

Julie Gunlock, a conservative policy advocate focused on nutrition and parenting, leads Americans for Ingredient Transparency with Koenig. She said in comment to Fox News Digital that the push for a national ingredient transparency standard is one rooted in protecting families and children. 

“As an American, but most importantly a mom, I know firsthand how important it is to trust the products we consume and bring into our homes,” Gunlock said. “Families deserve commonsense and science-backed transparency they can rely on. That’s why a national standard for food safety and labeling is of the utmost importance to ensure every parent can make safe, informed choices for their children – because protecting our families starts with the truth.”

WHOLE MILK MAKES A COMEBACK IN NEW MAHA CHILDREN’S HEALTH STRATEGY

Americans for Ingredient Transparency is backed by a handful of food and consumer groups, Fox Digital learned, including the Consumer Brands Association, American Beverage Association, Corn Refiners Association, and FMI- The Food Industry Association.

“Every American deserves to know what’s in their food, beverages, and personal care items – and that they’re safe no matter where they live,” an ad for the group released Tuesday states. “It’s time to fix the patchwork. It’s time to pass a national uniform standard.”

TRUMP-ALIGNED LEGAL GROUP PROBES BIDEN-ERA ORGAN TRANSPLANT PROGRAM OVER ETHICAL CONCERNS

The announcement comes as the Trump administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. continues its mission to “Make America Healthy Again.” Kennedy has already addressed potential GRAS reforms, calling on the FDA in March to “explore potential rulemaking to revise its Substances Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) Final Rule and related guidance to eliminate the self-affirmed GRAS pathway.”

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“For far too long, ingredient manufacturers and sponsors have exploited a loophole that has allowed new ingredients and chemicals, often with unknown safety data, to be introduced into the U.S. food supply without notification to the FDA or the public,” Kennedy said in March. “Eliminating this loophole will provide transparency to consumers, help get our nation’s food supply back on track by ensuring that ingredients being introduced into foods are safe, and ultimately Make America Healthy Again.”  

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., was one of nearly a dozen Senate Republicans allegedly probed by former Special Counsel Jack Smith, an investigation she wasn’t aware of until earlier this month.

She was one of several Senate Republicans that Smith allegedly surveilled as part of his investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots. But it was only revealed earlier this month by the FBI — thanks to an oversight request by Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa — that Smith allegedly requested phone records on her and others.

Blackburn told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that until the documents from Smith’s “Arctic Frost” investigation were revealed, she had no idea that her phone records were being surveilled.

JACK SMITH INVESTIGATORS NEED TO ‘PAY BIG’ FOR JAN. 6 PHONE RECORDS PROBE, WARNS SEN. GRAHAM

She believed the “common thread” behind the former special counsel’s probe, which was carried out in 2023, was because “the eight of us are all Republicans. We all support President Trump.”

Blackburn and Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Ron Johnson, R-Wis., Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., Bill Hagerty, R-Wyo., Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., were all reportedly part of Smith’s investigation.  

In response, Blackburn and many of the others that were allegedly surveilled by Smith want to see him disbarred.

“This is about making certain we have one tier of justice, and that we stop this two tiers of justice,” Blackburn said. “And if they can do this to eight sitting U.S. senators, what could they possibly — I mean, think about how, what they must be doing to conservatives in this country.”

Last week, she and Graham, Tuberville, Sullivan and Kelly sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi demanding an investigation into Smith, and that he be referred to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Professional Responsibility.  

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The end goal of the investigation is to see Smith disbarred from both New York and Tennessee, two states where he holds a license to practice law. Blackburn argued that Smith’s alleged spying on her and others was a “First Amendment and Fourth Amendment violation.”

Her latest push against the former special counsel came on the heels of another letter sent to AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon demanding why the cellphone carriers allegedly allowed Smith and the FBI under the Biden administration to track their communications.

“You would have thought that, because of the Stored Records Act and the First Amendment, the Fourth Amendment and the Speech and Debate Clause, that at least Verizon, who’s my wireless carrier, would have informed me that there was a request on my records,” she said. 

JACK SMITH TRACKED PRIVATE COMMUNICATIONS, CALLS OF NEARLY A DOZEN GOP SENATORS DURING J6 PROBE, FBI SAYS

“But of course, there was nothing given to us, and it’s the reason that we sent the letter to Verizon and then followed it with a letter … to the DOJ on Jack Smith,” she continued.

Smith is one of a handful of former officials that have been targeted by the DOJ under the Trump administration. He is currently under investigation by the Office of Special Counsel for alleged Hatch Act violations, which bars government employees from participating in political activities.

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Then there are federal indictments against former FBI Director James Comey for allegedly making false statements and obstructing justice, and former National Security Advisor John Bolton for allegedly mishandling classified documents.

Blackburn was one of many Republicans that railed against so-called political witch hunts against President Donald Trump when he was out of office. When asked what the difference between the indictments against Trump and his allies compared to the latest crop of former officials, she said it was about accountability.

“These need to be investigated so that this kind of stuff stops,” Blackburn said. “And one of the differences, I think you see between Democrats and Republicans, is Democrats repeatedly circle the wagons, and they push things under the rug, and then they want two tiers of justice. And with Republicans, the focus is on accountability and transparency, and I think that is a major, major difference.”

Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., has the greatest number of missed votes of any lawmaker in the House of Representatives by a wide margin as she wages a tightening bid to become New Jersey’s next governor.

Sherrill has no entry in 145 of the House’s votes since the 119th Congress began on Jan. 3, accounting for 53% of the measures put to the chamber. 

The second-closest member, Donald Norcross, D-N.J., has missed 83 votes.

The record of absences stands out — even when stacked up against other candidates who have pursued statewide office in recent years.

When asked about that record, Sean Higgins, communications director for Sherrill’s campaign, said the congresswoman is working to represent the state wherever possible.

“Mikie Sherrill is out there every day fighting for New Jersey on critical issues, like the Gateway Tunnel Project, which Trump ‘terminated’ and said ‘is going to be dead,'” Higgins said, referring to the Trump administration’s recent freeze of billions of dollars allocated to infrastructure projects in urban centers across the country.

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Although Sherrill’s high number of missed votes isn’t unprecedented, it stands out as one of the only examples in recent years when a sitting member of the House has visibly dropped participation in the chamber amid the heightened scrutiny of a competitive bid for statewide office. 

To Matthew Green, director of graduate studies at the Catholic University of America, it speaks to a surprisingly tight race — in a state that has solidly voted blue in years past. 

“It certainly suggests that it’s a close enough race that Sherrill has to spend as much time as she can in New Jersey and that can lead to missing votes in Washington. It’s not uncommon to miss votes. But if you do that too much, your opponent can say, ‘Oh, you’re not doing the job you have now, why should the voters trust you with a new job?'” Green said. “But you only campaign once. I could see candidates saying, ‘I can miss a lot of votes, and that’s not going to hurt me when I’m running for office.'” 

According to polling by FOX News last week, Sherrill leads Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli narrowly by four points, 48%–44%, among registered voters. Her lead has shrunk over the past few months, having boasted a seven-point lead over her opponent just one month before in September.

Chris Russell, a strategist for the Ciattarelli campaign, noted that Sherrill’s absences have become more acute as the November election draws near. He pointed out that Sherrill missed 87% of votes in the last three months, having only participated in eight of the 63 votes in that window.

“She ran for re-election to Congress in 2024 knowing full well she had no intention of doing her job. And when she did show up, the two most consequential votes she cast were to raise taxes on working people and shut down the government,” Russell said. “That Sherrill missed nearly 90% of the votes she was supposed to cast over the last three months is shameful.”

Sherrill joined her Democrat colleagues in voting against a short-term spending package last month and Donald Trump’s signature tax and border security package in July. 

TOP GUBERNATORIAL RACE ROCKED BY ALLEGATIONS OF LEAKS AND DIRTY TRICKS AMID IMPROPER MILITARY RECORDS RELEASE

In the years since proxy voting was eliminated in 2023 that had been in place to accommodate the COVID-19 pandemic, only one member of the House running for a statewide election has missed a comparable number of votes to Sherrill.

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who ran for the Senate in 2024, participated in only 52% of the chamber’s votes. But unlike the New Jersey lawmaker, Schiff enjoyed a dominant lead over his opponent; he won his election by a commanding 17.8% margin.

On the other side of the coin, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who also ran for Senate that year, won her election by just 0.3% but managed to participate in 99% of the chamber’s deliberations. Aside from Schiff, the six other members pursuing a Senate bid that year had a voting participation record of 80% or higher. 

Notably, the only other member pursuing a governorship in 2025, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, R-Va., decided not to pursue reelection last year as she launched a bid to become the next governor of Virginia.

NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR’S RACE: DEMOCRAT SHERRILL LEADS REPUBLICAN CIATTERELLI BY SIX POINTS IN 2026 BELLWETHER

Green, the professor from Catholic University, said there’s no hard and fast rule in American politics when it comes to expectations about resigning office for a campaign. He pointed to candidates who made news for unexpectedly resigning seats to pursue a different post.

“We don’t have a norm in this country about people resigning an office to run for another office. In the 1996 presidential election, Robert Dole, who was running against [Bill] Clinton, said, ‘I’m going to leave the Senate while I’m running for president,’ and that got national attention. I wouldn’t have expected Sherrill to do the same thing. But of course that’s a risk.”  

Despite a gap that’s closed in recent months, Russell, the Ciattarelli strategist, emphasized that Sherrill still leads the race with just three weeks to go until Election Day on Nov. 4. 

“Jack Ciattarelli doesn’t have the backbone to stand up to his boss in the White House. No wonder Jack continues to trail, even in Fox News’ polling, where he can’t break through the mid-40s, and voters are rejecting him on healthcare, costs, taxes and utilities. Sad!”

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The early voting period for the governor’s race begins on Oct. 25 and runs through Nov. 2.

The United States has significantly increased its military presence across the Caribbean under U.S. Southern Command, deploying bombers, warships, and Marines as part of an expanded campaign targeting drug-trafficking and so-called “narco-terrorist” networks operating near Venezuela.

In addition to seven strikes on boats believed to be carrying narcotics, the Trump administration has built up thousands of troops in the region. 

War Secretary Pete Hegseth this month announced the creation of a new counter-narcotics Joint Task Force operating near Southern Command, saying it was established “to crush the cartels, stop the poison, and keep America safe.” The task force will coordinate air, maritime, and special-operations missions across the region — marking the largest U.S. military effort in the Caribbean in decades.

U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers and Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II fighters recently conducted a bomber attack demonstration over the region — a show of force captured in Defense Department imagery. For four hours on Wednesday, B-52s from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana patrolled near Venezuela’s coast in a display of military might aimed at Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

TRUMP UNLEASHES US MILITARY POWER ON CARTELS. IS A WIDER WAR LOOMING?

At least seven U.S. Naval warships and one nuclear submarine are believed to be patrolling the region. 

The USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group is also operating in the Caribbean Sea. Ship spotters photographed the flagship USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) off the coast of Ponce, Puerto Rico, on Friday. The group includes USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28), USS San Antonio (LPD-17) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C. The 22nd MEU comprises Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (Reinforced), Combat Logistics Battalion 26 and Battalion Landing Team 3/6.

Three U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers — USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109), USS Gravely (DDG-107), and USS Stockdale (DDG-106) — are currently deployed in the Caribbean, joined by the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG-70) and the littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS-13), which has been operating near Cuba.

Open-source reporting indicates that a U.S. nuclear-powered attack submarine has been deployed near Venezuela, although the exact number of nuclear vessels and their precise locations have not been confirmed by the Pentagon.

WAR DEPARTMENT LAUNCHES NEW COUNTER-NARCOTICS TASK FORCE UNDER TRUMP DIRECTIVE TO CRUSH CARTELS

In Puerto Rico, the U.S. has deployed ten F-35 fighter jets and at least three MQ-9 Reaper drones, transforming the island into a key logistics and surveillance hub for operations in the region. Reuters imagery from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, shows the drones staged for use.

Recent photos also show that Naval Station Roosevelt Roads, a major U.S. facility closed in 2004, has been reactivated. Satellite images and on-site photos reveal aircraft and personnel operating from the base, including at least one AC-130J Ghostrider gunship equipped with Hellfire missiles parked at José Aponte de la Torre Airport, which serves the installation.

Special-operations aviation has increased as well. In early October, MH-6 “Little Bird” light-attack helicopters — typically used by U.S. Army Special Operations Forces — and MH-60M Black Hawks were spotted training off the coast of Trinidad and Tobago, according to images first published by The Washington Post.

The Pentagon has not detailed how long the buildup will last, but a New York Times report estimates about 10,000 U.S. troops are currently operating in the theater — the largest American presence in the region in decades.

U.S. defense officials have linked the deployments to ongoing counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism missions tied to recent strikes on vessels accused of trafficking drugs from Venezuela. The moves come as tensions escalate following Colombia’s claim that one of the U.S. strikes killed a fisherman, not a trafficker — an accusation the White House has denied.

SECRETARY OF WAR HEGSETH LANDS IN PUERTO RICO AS US RAMPS UP CARIBBEAN CARTEL FIGHT WITH NAVAL FORCES

Analysts say the combination of heavy bombers, stealth fighters, Marines, and Navy surface combatants underscores a shift from law-enforcement interdiction to a broader show of force aimed at deterring state-linked trafficking networks.

“This is a posture we haven’t seen in the Caribbean since the early 2000s,” said one defense analyst familiar with U.S. operations in the region. “It’s clearly meant to send a message — not just to traffickers, but to governments accused of enabling them.”

Experts generally agree the U.S. buildup does not suggest preparations for all-out war.

Mark Cancian, a senior defense adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Fox News Digital that such a campaign would require between 50,000 and 100,000 U.S. troops — far more than the roughly 10,000 currently in theater.

“What I think they’ve put in place is the capability to launch strikes at either the cartels or the Maduro regime,” Cancian said. “If I had to bet, it’s probably against the cartels — but I wouldn’t rule out something against the regime.”

That limited but flexible posture reflects what some experts describe as a modern form of coercive diplomacy.

“It sort of looks like we’re in the throes of a 21st-century version of gunboat diplomacy,” said Brandan Buck, a foreign policy analyst at the Cato Institute. “The Trump administration is doing what it can to force some sort of transition [of] power — out of Maduro’s hands and into someone else’s — without a classic invasion.”

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Ryan Berg, director of the Americas Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the current deployment gives Washington strike options without committing to a major ground war.

“The force posture currently in the southern Caribbean is consonant with the potential for precision strikes using Tomahawk missiles or other weapons, but without risking the lives of U.S. service personnel,” Berg said.

FIRST ON FOX: A pair of Senate Republicans plan to nominate President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in fast-tracking the production and distribution of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., plan to introduce a resolution that would formally nominate Trump for the prize for launching Operation Warp Speed at the onset of the pandemic in 2020.

The executive action saw a large-scale collaboration among multiple federal agencies and private companies to fast-track the research, development and distribution of vaccines during the pandemic, and was funded by billions from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. 

The lawmakers’ push comes after Trump expressed his desire to win the Peace Prize for his involvement in striking a deal between Israel and Hamas, and shortly after the prize committee passed over him. It’s also the most recent in a string of nomination pushes from congressional Republicans. 

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Both Cassidy and Barrasso, who were doctors before becoming legislators, lauded the massive mobilization effort and credited Operation Warp Speed for saving millions of lives during the pandemic.

“When Americans needed a vaccine in record time to stop a once-in-a-generation pandemic, President Trump delivered,” Cassidy said. “The Nobel Prize has been given for a lot less. He should receive the next one!”

Barrasso contended that Operation Warp Speed would “not have been possible without President Trump’s bold leadership.”

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“He bent an infamously slow bureaucracy to his will to bring a vaccine to market in under a year. Operation Warp Speed saved millions of lives in the United States and millions more lives around the world. President Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his life-saving achievement,” he said.

Other congressional Republicans have sought to nominate Trump for the award for varying achievements this year, including his involvement in striking a deal to see the end of the Israel-Hamas War. 

And Dr. Mehmet Oz, who Trump tapped as administrator for the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services, argued the president should win the prize for Operation Warp Speed, which he called a “a massive success for our country.” 

But their push to nominate Trump for his role in vaccine development comes after both lawmakers sparred with Human Health and Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., during a Senate hearing last month following turmoil at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and questions over his stance on vaccines.

‘PRESIDENT OF PEACE’: TRUMP TAPPED FOR NOBEL PRIZE AMID TALKS TO END RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

Cassidy pressed Kennedy during his appearance before the Senate Finance Committee in September, where the HHS Secretary agreed that Trump should win the prize for Operation Warp Speed.

“Absolutely, senator,” Kennedy said.

However, at the time, Cassidy questioned Kennedy’s actions against vaccines prior to his role as HHS Secretary — and while leading the agency — that appeared to counter his support for Operation Warp Speed.

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Kennedy countered that he began litigating against former President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandates and not against Trump’s push with Operation Warp Speed.

“First of all, the reason that Operation Warp Speed was genius is it did something nobody ever [had] done — I don’t think any president but President Trump could do it — it got the vaccine to market that was perfectly matched to the virus at that time,” Kennedy said. 

Former President Joe Biden completed a round of radiation treatment for his aggressive form of prostate cancer on Monday.

Biden had been undergoing treatment at Penn Medicine Radiation Oncology in Philadelphia for several weeks. The former president’s daughter, Ashley Biden, hailed the milestone in a post on social media.

“Rung the bell! Thank you to the incredible doctors, nurses, and staff at Penn Medicine. We are so grateful!” she wrote on Instagram.

“He rang the bell today,” Biden spokeswoman Kelly Scully confirmed, according to CBS News.

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE WRITES SHE COULDN’T ‘STOMACH’ BEING A DEMOCRAT ANYMORE AFTER PARTY’S TREATMENT OF BIDEN

“Dad has been so damn brave throughout his treatment. Grateful,” Ashley wrote in a follow-up post.

FLASHBACK: KARINE JEAN-PIERRE DECLARED THERE IS ‘NO COVER-UP’ OF BIDEN’S HEALTH AFTER HE DROPPED OUT OF RACE

It is common practice for cancer treatment centers to have patients ring a bell when they complete a round of radiation treatment. It serves as both a mark of progress for the patient and a form of encouragement for other patients undergoing treatment in the facility.

It is unclear whether Biden will need to undergo further rounds of radiation therapy.

Biden announced his diagnosis with prostate cancer in May, saying it had already metastasized and spread to his bones. The announcement redoubled concerns that the White House was not being forthright about Biden’s health during his time in office.

KAMALA HARRIS HINTS AT POSSIBLE 2028 RUN, SAYS SOME CALL HER ‘MOST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE EVER’

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Biden also underwent surgery Sept. 4 to remove cancerous skin cells through a procedure known as Mohs surgery.

During his presidency, Biden had a cancerous skin lesion removed from his chest, the White House previously said. Former White House physician Kevin O’Connor noted in February 2023 that a biopsy of skin tissue taken during a health assessment revealed cancerous cells, all of which were successfully removed.

Fox News’ Bonny Chu contributed to this report.

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will consider a case that could allow people who regularly smoke marijuana to legally own guns.

The Trump administration has asked the high court to look at a case involving a Texas man who was charged with a felony because he allegedly had a gun in his home and acknowledged being a regular marijuana user.

The Justice Department appealed after a lower court struck down a law that bars people who use any illegal drugs from having guns.

SUPREME COURT TAKES SECOND AMENDMENT CASE CHALLENGING HAWAII GUN LAW

Arguments are likely to happen in 2026.

Lawyers for Ali Danial Hemani, the Texas man, got the felony charges tossed after a federal appeals court ruled that the ban is unconstitutional under the Supreme Court’s expanded view of gun rights.

The appeals court found that the law can still be used against people accused of being high and armed at the same time, though.

Hemani’s gun and cocaine were found by the FBI during a search of his home as they looked into his travel and communications, which were allegedly linked to Iran. Authorities also found 60 grams of marijuana, a Glock 9 mm pistol, in additions to the 4.7 grams of cocaine, which led prosecutors to charge him with violating the law now at the center of the case.

The gun charge was the only one filed.

AMERICA’S LARGEST GUN LOBBY SPEAKS OUT AS TRUMP ADMIN MULLS POSSIBLE TRANS FIREARMS BAN

Hemani’s lawyers argued that the other allegations were irrelevant and were mentioned only to make him seem more dangerous.

The law could impact millions of people who are at risk of violations, Hemani’s lawyers said, citing that 20% of Americans have tried marijuana. Despite many states legalizing pot, the drug still remains illegal under federal law.

The Justice Department argued that the law is valid when used against regular drug users because they pose a serious public safety risk.

In 2022, the high court found that the Second Amendment generally gives people the right to carry guns in public for self-defense and that any firearm restrictions must have a strong grounding in the nation’s history.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report..

A man was captured on video calling for federal immigration agents to be shot while he spoke at a “No Kings” rally in Chicago in a message that quickly went viral on social media, resulting in calls for him to be fired and investigated. 

“You gotta grab a gun, we gotta turn around the guns on this fascist system,” the “No Kings” protester said in a video originally posted by GrayStak Media CEO Christopher Sweat. 

“These ICE agents gotta get shot and wiped out. The same machinery that’s on full display right there has to get wiped out.”

The video quickly went viral on social media, with many commenting that the man works for the City Colleges of Chicago system.

WATCH: ‘NO KINGS’ PROTESTERS AT MASSIVE NYC RALLY REVEAL MOTIVATION FOR TAKING TO THE STREETS: ‘DISGUSTING’

“Sickening,” Illinois Republican Rep. Mary Miller posted on X.

“A staff member at Wilbur Wright College is calling for ICE agents to get ‘shot’ and ‘wiped out.’ This is a criminal threat that should be investigated. Cc: @TheJusticeDept.”

“The most violent group in America. Congrats democrats,” conservative chef and commentator Andrew Gruel posted on X. 

‘NO KINGS’ AGITATOR VOWED TO ‘FIGHT ICE’ WITH FIREBOMBS AT BLUE CITY’S PROTEST: REPORT

“The silver lining is that No Kings flushed out many violent leftists who couldn’t help but expose themselves publicly,” Turning Point USA’s Andrew Kolvet posted on X. “Their egos and morbid glee got the better of them. These dark souls will now enjoy a well deserved visit from law enforcement for inciting political violence.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the City Colleges of Chicago system for comment multiple times but did not receive a response.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a DOJ spokesperson said, “The Department is actively tracking these targeted assaults against our law enforcement and will hold offenders accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

“Any official encouraging reckless behavior should think twice before inciting further violence and putting federal agents in harm’s way.”

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ICE agents have faced a 10-fold increase in violence against them over the past few months.

Last week, a 23-year-old illegal immigrant accused of offering $10,000 on TikTok to kill ICE agents was arrested Tuesday in Texas, where he was allegedly carrying a loaded handgun, Fox News Digital exclusively reported.

FIRST ON FOX – A former longtime Navy SEAL and fifth-generation Kentucky farmer who is backed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday declared his candidacy in the state’s 4th Congressional District, as he challenges Republican Rep. Thomas Massie in next year’s GOP primary.

“I’ve dedicated my life to serving my country, and I’m ready to answer the call again,” Ed Gallrein said in a statement shared first with Fox News Digital. 

And pointing to Massie, a frequent GOP critic of the president during his second term in the White House, Gallrein emphasized, “This district is Trump Country. The President doesn’t need obstacles in Congress – he needs backup. I’ll defeat Thomas Massie, stand shoulder to shoulder with President Trump, and deliver the America First results Kentuckians voted for.”

The campaign launch comes four days after Trump took to social media to praise Gallrein, urge him to run, and blast Massie.

MAVERICK HOUSE REPUBLICAN CASHES IN ON TRUMP’S ATTACKS

Trump argued that Massie was a “Third Rate Congressman,” a “Weak and Pathetic RINO,” and a “totally ineffective LOSER who has failed us so badly.”

And the president applauded Gallrein, calling him a “Brave Combat Veteran” and a “very successful Businessman” who, if elected to Congress, would “fight tirelessly to Keep our now very Secure Border, SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment.”

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Trump’s social media post included a photo of himself and Gallrein holding red MAGA hats in the Oval Office.

Gallrein served three decades in uniform, rising to the rank of Captain. According to his campaign bio, he served multiple times on SEAL Team SIX, deploying to Panama, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and earned four Bronze Stars and two Presidential Unit Citations.

His campaign release also highlighted that “Gallrein’s roots run deep in Kentucky.” He was born and raised in the state. And his family, which has farmed for over a century, built Kentucky’s largest dairy farm and Gallrein Grain Farms, one of the state’s largest grain operations.

Massie took aim at Gallrein following Trump’s social media endorsement, calling him a “failed candidate and establishment hack,” as he pointed to Gallrein’s unsuccessful run last year for the state Senate.

MASSIE FIRES BACK AFTER JOHNSON CALLS HIS EPSTEIN RECORDS PUSH ‘MEANINGLESS’

“After having been rejected by every elected official in the 4th District, Trump’s consultants clearly pushed the panic button with their choice of failed candidate and establishment hack Ed Gallrein,” Massie said in a statement to Politico. “Ed’s been begging them to pick him for over three months now.”

Trump started targeting Massie for ouster earlier this year over the seven-term lawmaker’s opposition to the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which passed the GOP-controlled Congress early in the summer nearly entirely along party lines. The sweeping GOP megalaw is the president’s major legislative achievement since returning to the White House.

Massie is also leading the push, along with Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California, in forcing a House floor vote to urge the release of the Justice Department’s files on the late convicted sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, a move the White House and House GOP leaders have aimed to counter. Massie is on the verge of reaching the needed 218 signatures to force the vote.

Two top Trump political advisers — 2024 co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita and pollster Tony Fabrizio — in June launched a super PAC that aims to defeat Massie. Nearly $2 million has been spent already to run TV ads targeting Massie.

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But Massie has used the attacks from Trump and his allies to boost fundraising, hauling in more than $750,000 the past three months, which was the best fundraising quarter of his congressional career.

Massie’s district, in the northeastern part of the state, includes Louisville’s eastern suburbs and Cincinnati’s Kentucky suburbs.

A Texas election review has identified thousands of illegal immigrants on the state’s voter rolls, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson said Monday.

Nelson said a crosscheck of state voter records found that more than 2,700 possible illegal immigrants were registered on the voter rolls, leading to an eligibility review across the 254 counties.

The data came from a full comparison of Texas’s 18 million registered voters against federal citizenship records in the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ SAVE database, according to the Secretary of State’s office.

“Only eligible United States citizens may participate in our elections,” Nelson said. “The Trump Administration’s decision to give states free and direct access to this data set for the first time has been a game changer, and we appreciate the partnership with the federal government to verify the citizenship of those on our voter rolls and maintain accurate voter lists.”

TRUMP ADMIN BLOCKS CITIZENSHIP FOR ILLEGAL MIGRANT VOTERS

The investigation showed after running the SAVE crosscheck, that state officials could identify 2,724 potential noncitizens whose voter files have been sent to local counties to be further investigated.

This process falls under Chapter 16 of the Texas Election Code, which requires counties to verify each voter’s eligibility and remove confirmed noncitizens from the rolls.

Nelson said the review is part of an effort to maintain an accurate voter list and to safeguard election integrity ahead of the 2026 election cycle.

“Everyone’s right to vote is sacred and must be protected,” Nelson said. “We encourage counties to conduct rigorous investigations to determine if any voter is ineligible – just as they do with any other data set we provide.”

Each flagged voter will receive a notice from their county registrar giving them 30 days to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. If a voter does not respond, their registration will be canceled, though it can be reinstated immediately once proof of citizenship is provided. 

Nelson’s statement said confirmed noncitizens who voted in previous Texas elections will be referred to the Attorney General’s Office for further review and potential prosecution. 

The announcement comes amid growing national scrutiny of voter rolls as several states – including Georgia, Arizona, and Florida – have conducted similar audits of voter eligibility.

Republican Governor Greg Abbott said that since Senate Bill 1 was signed into law, Texas has removed more than one million ineligible or outdated registrations from the state’s voter rolls, calling the effort essential to safeguard Texans’ right to vote.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS POTENTIALLY COUNTED IN US CENSUS TAKE CENTER STAGE IN REDISTRICTING BATTLE

“These reforms have led to the removal of over one million ineligible people from our voter rolls in the last three years, including noncitizens, deceased voters, and people who moved to another state,” Abbott said. “The Secretary of State and county voter registrars have an ongoing legal requirement to review the voter rolls, remove ineligible voters, and refer any potential illegal voting to the Attorney General’s Office and local authorities for investigation and prosecution. Illegal voting in Texas will never be tolerated. We will continue to actively safeguard Texans’ sacred right to vote while also aggressively protecting our elections from illegal voting.”

Abbott has called the initiative proof that Texas is “leading the nation in election integrity.”

A breakdown of the information was released by the Secretary of State’s office showing Harris County with the largest number of potential noncitizens at 362, followed by Dallas County (277), Bexar County (201), and El Paso County (165).
Smaller counties, including Andrews, Llano, and Cooke, reported fewer than ten flagged registrations.

In total, all 254 Texas counties were included in the SAVE database review. Counties began sending verification notices this week as part of the 30-day review process. 

In June, Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced that she had referred to the Office of Attorney General to investigate the names of 33 potential noncitizens who voted in the November 2024 General Election. 

The statement released by Nelson said the referral came within weeks of Texas gaining access to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service’s SAVE Database.  

“Gaining access to this database has been a game-changer. Not only have we been able to identify individuals who should not have voted in the last election, we have also been able to confirm naturalization of dozens more,” Secretary Nelson said. 

The crosscheck was made possible after the Trump Administration granted states direct and free access to the federal SAVE database for the first time.

The tool allows election officials to confirm voter citizenship against immigration and naturalization records.

The statement also said Texas was among the first states to join a pilot program with DHS, USCIS, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to improve the database’s functionality. 

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“We are in the early stages of this pilot program, but we already see promising results. This may be the most current and accurate data set there is when it comes to citizenship verification,” Secretary Nelson said.  

County registrars are expected to complete their investigations by early December, with official removals and potential referrals to follow.

The Secretary of State’s office said the review will continue with periodic checks against federal databases to ensure accuracy. 

“The SAVE database has proven to be a critically important data set and one of many that we will continue to use in Texas to ensure that only qualified voters cast a ballot in our elections,” Nelson said.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was among Democrats and Trump administration critics who took to social media this weekend to slam a satirical AI video President Donald Trump posted showing him dropping brown sludge on “No Kings” protesters. 

“He’s definitely not mad that 7 million Americans came out to protest him yesterday,” Clinton posted to X Sunday, accompanied by a screenshot of HuffPost’s report on Trump’s video mocking the protests against him. 

Millions of protesters took to the streets of cities nationwide Saturday as part of a massive “No Kings” protest denouncing Trump and his administration. The protesters argued Trump has conducted himself like a monarch as opposed to a president, taking issue with his administration’s actions on policies such as immigration and efforts to deport millions of illegal immigrants residing in the nation.

Trump lampooned the protests in an AI-generated video Saturday showing him flying a military jet while wearing a crown before dumping brown sludge or sewage directly onto protesters, including liberal influencer Harry Sisson. The video played “Top Gun” theme song “Danger Zone” as the AI-generated Trump was seen dumping the sludge onto protesters. 

WATCH: ‘NO KINGS’ PROTESTERS AT MASSIVE NYC RALLY REVEAL MOTIVATION FOR TAKING TO THE STREETS: ‘DISGUSTING’

The video set off condemnation, mockery and confusion among liberal critics. 

“That plane wouldn’t have made it off the ground with your fat–s in the pilot’s seat,” Sisson posted to X in response to the video. Followed by: “Can a reporter please ask Trump why he posted an AI video of himself dropping poop on me from a fighter jet? That would be great thanks.”

Kenny Loggins, the singer behind the song “Danger Zone,” also posted a response demanding his music be removed from the video as it was not authorized. 

JOHN CUSACK TELLS TRUMP TO ‘GO TO HELL’ AT CHICAGO ‘NO KINGS’ PROTEST

“I can’t imagine why anybody would want their music used or associated with something created with the sole purpose of dividing us,” Loggins said, according to a statement shared on his X account. “Too many people are trying to tear us apart, and we need to find new ways to come together. We’re all Americans, and we’re all patriotic. There is no ‘us and them’ – that’s not who we are, nor is it what we should be. It’s all of us. We’re in this together, and it is my hope that we can embrace music as a way of celebrating and uniting each and every one of us.” 

“BREAKING: DISGUSTING! Donald Trump posts AI video of himself flying a fighter jet and DUMPING POOP ON THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!” X account Occupy Democrats posted in a lengthy message Monday. “In the ultimate pronouncement that “subtlety is dead,” Donald Trump responded to the 7 million Americans who marched against him yesterday by posting an AI video of himself wearing a crown, flying a fighter jet and literally sh*tting on America.”

“The person who posted this has access to the nuclear codes,” gun control activist David Hogg posted in response. 

“‘I’m gonna take a big dookie on the protestors! I’m gonna be king!’ Sure you are lil buddy, you’re 12,” Center for New Liberalism co-founder Jeremiah Johnson posted to X. 

“Trump posted an AI video of himself wearing a crown and dumping shit from a ‘King Trump’ jet on No Kings protesters. This is where we are as a country,” liberal X account Patriot Takes posted. 

JIMMY KIMMEL LIKENS ANTI-TRUMP ‘NO KINGS’ PROTESTS TO AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Trump brushed off the protests Sunday as not representative of the general population, while slamming any characterization he leads as a “king.”

“I’m not a king. I work my a– off to make our country great. That’s all it is. I’m not a king at all,” he told members of the media Sunday.

When asked about liberals’ responses to the video, the White House directed Fox Digital to a photo of a woman crying during Trump’s 2017 inauguration that is frequently used in memes. 

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson also defended Trump’s video in comments to the media on Monday arguing the video was an effective satire. 

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“The president uses social media to make the point,” Johnson said when asked about the video during a press conference. “You can argue he’s probably the most effective person who’s ever used social media for that he is. He is using satire to make a point.” 

Agitators at a “No Kings” demonstration in Chicago were filmed bashing a piñata resembling President Donald Trump Saturday.

The protesters were gathered outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Broadview, Illinois. A man carrying the Trump piñata was repeatedly offering a stick to other protesters so they could hit it.

The protesters were initially standoffish before a child took him up on the offer and began stabbing and hitting the Trump figurine, causing onlookers to cheer.

Popular conservative accounts on X were quick to highlight the incident on social media. “Libs of TikTok” shared the video and said, “Democrats are having kids ‘stab’ a figure of Trump.”

RYAN ROUTH TRIAL CONTINUES AFTER AGENT TESTIFIES SUSPECT AIMED RIFLE AT HIM ON TRUMP’S GOLF COURSE

“They want us all dead,” the post continued. “They’re teaching their kids to kiII us.”

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, also condemned the incident.

TONY HAWK, TAIWAN AND A FLASHLIGHT: TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT SUSPECT’S BIZARRE DEFENSE

“This isn’t funny,” he wrote. “This is how assassination culture takes root.”

“Democrats: please condemn this!” he added.

The protest came just days after Secret Service agents discovered a hunting stand with a direct line of sight to Trump’s landing area at the Palm Beach International Airport in Florida last week.

PROSECUTORS TO WRAP TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT CASE AS DEFENSE READIES WITNESSES

While authorities have not connected the stand to a specific threat, White House officials say Trump resorted to an expedited boarding with heightened security when leaving Florida this weekend.

Trump has survived two assassination attempts since announcing his candidacy for president in 2024, one in Bulter, Pennsylvania, in July 2024 and another in Palm Beach, Florida, in September of the same year.

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The former shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was killed by security at the scene. The former, Ryan Wesley Routh, was convicted on assassination-related charges in September.

EXCLUSIVE: Trump administration agencies are working to expose the Biden administration’s “prolific and dangerous weaponization of government,” Fox News Digital has learned.

The Interagency Weaponization Working Group (IWWG) is made up of officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Justice Department, the FBI, the CIA and more.

Officials told Fox News Digital that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard initiated the Interagency Weaponization Working Group, which has been meeting biweekly since April to “share information, coordinate, and execute.”

DOJ TASK FORCE FINDS NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF ANTI-CHRISTIAN GOVERNMENT BIAS UNDER BIDEN 

“The American people made a clear choice when they elected President Trump — to stop the Biden administration’s prolific and dangerous weaponization of government agencies against the American people and the Constitution,” Gabbard told Fox News Digital. “I stood up this working group to start the important work of interagency coordination under President Trump’s leadership to deliver accountability.”

She added: “True accountability is the first step toward lasting change.”

Officials told Fox News Digital the group was created to streamline information sharing across the government in support of the Trump executive order.

“Joe Biden’s Department of Justice targeted President Trump and anyone close to him, prosecuted pro-life advocates, treated parents at school board meetings as domestic terrorists, and destroyed public trust in federal law enforcement,” Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News Digital.

GABBARD FIRES ‘DEEP STATE’ HEADS OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE COUNCIL TO ROOT OUT ‘POLITICIZATION OF INTEL’

“Under President Trump, we are working every day alongside our partners to end weaponization and restore one tier of justice for all,” Bondi said.

Meanwhile, FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital that, “for years, Biden’s DOJ turned federal law enforcement into a political weapon.” 

FLASHBACK: HOUSE WEAPONIZATION PANEL RELEASES 17,000-PAGE REPORT EXPOSING ‘TWO-TIERED SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT’

“Going after President Trump, pro-life Americans, and parents at school boards while letting real criminals run wild,” Patel told Fox News Digital. “Under Preisdent Trump, we’ve ripped that agenda out by the roots.” 

Patel added: “We’re restoring equal justice under the law, one standard, one mission: Protect the American people.” 

Officials involved pointed Fox News Digital to President Trump’s executive order, which says interagency coordination is needed to “ensure accountability for the previous administration’s weaponization of the federal government against the American people.” 

GABBARD ESTABLISHES NEW INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TASK FORCE TO RESTORE TRANSPARENCY

The executive order had directed Gabbard, in consultation with the heads of other appropriate departments and agencies within the intelligence community, to “take all appropriate action to review the activities of the intelligence community over the last four years and identify any instances” of the weaponization of government.

Officials told Fox News Digital that the interagency group is “working to undo the Biden administration’s whole-of-government approach to abuse the powers of government against the American people.”

“The weaponization of government against Americans did not happen in one agency, one time,” an official explained. “It happened repeatedly over the duration of the Biden administration.”

FLASHBACK: FBI INTERVIEWED PRIEST, CHURCH CHOIR DIRECTOR AHEAD OF ANTI-CATHOLIC MEMO, HOUSE GOP FINDS

“That’s why, in order to depoliticize and deweaponize the government, it is important to understand what agencies carried out, what roles, and why,” the official continued. “The IWWG is essential for coordinating across agencies.” 

But officials said the media has attempted to “negatively spin lawful oversight and accountability” by claiming it is a way for the Trump administration to weaponize the government against its political opponents.

FLASHBACK: BIDEN CAMPAIGN, BLINKEN ORCHESTRATED INTEL LETTER TO DISCREDIT HUNTER BIDEN LAPTOP STORY, EX-CIA OFFICIAL SAYS

“The irony is, accusing the Interagency Weaponization Working Group of targeting the president’s political opponents is classic projection and could not be further from the truth,” an official said.

The official said that there is “no targeting of any individual person for retribution.”

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“IWWG is simply looking at available facts and evidence that may point to actions, reports, agencies, individuals, and more who illegally weaponized the government in order to carry out political attacks,” the official said.

“The only people who fear accountability are the ones who never expected to face it,” the official continued. “Oversight is not the problem—abuse of power is.” 

President Donald Trump announced on Monday that construction has begun on a new, privately funded White House Ballroom – a long-envisioned addition designed to host state visits and large gatherings – as part of a modernization of the East Wing.

“I am pleased to announce that ground has been broken on the White House grounds to build the new, big, beautiful White House Ballroom,” Trump said on Truth Social. “Completely separate from the White House itself, the East Wing is being fully modernized as part of this process, and will be more beautiful than ever when it is complete!

“For more than 150 years, every President has dreamt about having a Ballroom at the White House to accommodate people for grand parties, State Visits, etc. I am honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!” he continued. “The White House Ballroom is being privately funded by many generous Patriots, Great American Companies, and, yours truly. This Ballroom will be happily used for Generations to come!”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a briefing in July that the construction of the estimated $200 million new ballroom would begin in September and be “completed long before the end of President Trump’s term.”

TRUMP GAVE THE OVAL OFFICE A GILDED MAKEOVER – AND COVERED THE COST HIMSELF

Her announcement came after a similar gesture earlier this year, when Trump personally financed the installation of two 88-foot American flags flanking the White House, each reportedly costing about $50,000.

“The White House is currently unable to host major functions honoring world leaders in other countries without having to install a large and unsightly tent approximately 100 yards away from the main building’s entrance,” Leavitt said at the time, adding the new ballroom will be “a much needed and exquisite addition.”

FETTERMAN DEFENDS TRUMP’S ‘TASTEFUL’ $200M WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM MAKEOVER AMID DEM CRITICISM

She also said the United States Secret Service will provide the necessary security enhancements and modifications during the construction.

The project is intended to provide a dedicated space for hosting official events, state dinners and large ceremonial gatherings.

TRUMP APPEARS ON WHITE HOUSE ROOF AMID TALKS OF HISTORIC RENOVATIONS

The new 90,000-square-foot addition will accommodate approximately 650 seated guests and will stay true to the classical design of the White House.

The White House does not have a formal ballroom, and the new ballroom will take the place of the current East Wing of the White House.

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Trump chose McCrery Architects to design the project, with Clark Construction overseeing the build and AECOM providing engineering support.

Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.

Two teenagers, Lawrence Cotton Powell, 19, and Anthony Taylor, 18, who are linked to the beating of former DOGE staffer Edward Coristine in Washington, D.C., are now facing federal charges for a series of assaults and attempted carjacking.

The teens are charged with two counts of first-degree robbery and assault with intent to commit robbery, each of which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and attempted carjacking, which holds a penalty of up to five years.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeannine Pirro announced the charges in a press conference on Monday.

Pirro said the charges highlight “the need for accountability of offenders in the district.”

‘RADICAL’ DC OFFICIALS TREATED OFFICERS ‘LIKE CRAP,’ POLICE LEADER SAYS – 7 ATTACKS THAT LED TO TRUMP TAKEOVER

“What’s significant about this case is the history of Lawrence Cotton Powell,” she said.

Pirro said that despite being a repeat offender and already having a criminal history involving assault, Powell had been let off by D.C. judges shortly before he beat and robbed Coristine. She said that despite the U.S. Attorney’s office requesting jail time for Powell, his sentence was suspended by a local judge on July 25, just days before he attacked Coristine.

“After a felony of attempted robbery conviction, after a violation of probation, after a second crime, after a second conviction, after no compliance with CSOSA [Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency], the judges say, ‘Do better,’ and they let him go. And guess what? Within ten days, he’s at it again,” said Pirro.

According to Pirro, Powell and Taylor, with a gang of several others, assaulted and robbed another individual just minutes before attacking Coristine. Pirro said that upon seeing the gang of approximately ten suspects approaching, Coristine pushed a female friend into her car in an attempt to keep her safe.

TEENS WHO ASSAULTED FORMER DOGE STAFFER GET NO JAIL TIME WITH PROBATION-ONLY SENTENCES

“He was then attacked by multiple suspects who then punched him repeatedly, causing significant injuries to him. They got him on the ground, and as they were doing so, they demanded the car from the woman who was inside the car and had already locked the car. They were banging on the car, they were pulling on the car door, trying to get the car open, and were telling the woman in the car to hand over the keys,” said Pirro.

Pirro urged the D.C. City Council to “reconsider” its laws that “allow these young people to go out and victimize, revictimize and keep revictimizing and putting the safety of the citizens who live, work and visit here at risk.” 

“I ask them to stand up finally and send a clear message, because the people of this district deserve no less than safety,” said Pirro. 

Coristine was assaulted at approximately 3 a.m. by a group of teenagers in D.C.’s Logan Circle neighborhood.

A photo of a bloodied Coristine went viral, sparking outrage over the city’s handling of crime and drawing President Donald Trump’s attention. The president slammed D.C., saying crime in the city was “totally out of control.”

BIDEN JUDGE FREES TEENS TIED TO EX-DOGE STAFFER’S ASSAULT AS TRUMP CRACKS DOWN ON CRIME

“Local ‘youths’ and gang members, some only 14, 15, and 16-years-old, are randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent citizens, at the same time knowing that they will be almost immediately released. They are not afraid of Law Enforcement because they know nothing ever happens to them, but it’s going to happen now!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Days later, Trump directed federal law enforcement to increase its presence throughout D.C. He also deployed members of the National Guard to patrol the city and assumed federal control of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.

EXCLUSIVE: With over 500,000 illegal aliens deported since President Donald Trump took office in January, the administration is on track to significantly exceed the record number of illegals deported out of the United States.

Since Trump’s return to the Oval Office on Jan. 20, the administration has deported over 515,000 illegal aliens, according to a high-ranking official at the Department of Homeland Security.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital the administration is “on pace to shatter historic records” by deporting 600,000 illegals by the end of Trump’s first year back in office. She said that in total, more than two million illegal aliens have left the U.S., including 1.6 million who voluntarily self-deported, as well as the over 515,000 deportations. Another 485,000 illegal aliens have been arrested by DHS since Trump took office.

McLaughlin said that “this is just the beginning” and that Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem “have jumpstarted an agency that was vilified and barred from doing its job for the last four years.”

DEM JUDGE IN HOT SEAT AFTER DHS EXPOSES ‘WHOLE NEW LEVEL’ OF ACTIVISM, SHELTERING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT

“Illegal aliens are hearing our message to leave now or face the consequence. Migrants are now even turning back before they reach our borders,” said McLaughlin, pointing to what she said has been a 99.99 percent drop in migration through Panama’s Darien Gap, which is a key migration route to the U.S.

“In the face of a historic number of injunctions from activist judges, ICE, CBP, and the U.S. Coast Guard have made historic progress to carry out President Trump’s promise of arresting and deporting illegal aliens who have invaded our country.”

Just this weekend, DHS said that it continued its sweep of the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal aliens across the country amidst the ongoing government shutdown. Over the weekend, DHS said it arrested illegals convicted of rape of a child, assault, hit-and-run, kidnapping and other crimes.

One of those arrested was Erick Xavier Romero, a Dominican national, who the agency said was convicted of rape of a child in Boston. Another illegal, Guatemalan national, German Osvaldo Cortez-Chajon, was arrested this weekend after being convicted of traveling to meet a child for an unlawful sex act in Dale County, Alabama. A third illegal, Mexican national Graciano Lopez-Flores, was arrested following a conviction of indecent liberties with a child in Orange County, North Carolina.

DHS FLIPS SCRIPT ON MEDIA NARRATIVE WITH NEW DETAILS ABOUT ILLEGAL TEEN ARRESTED BY ICE: ‘SAFETY THREAT’

Also in North Carolina, ICE arrested Shahed Hassan, an illegal from Bangladesh, who was convicted of simple assault, possession of drug paraphernalia, illegally carrying a concealed gun, driving while impaired, probation violation, felony larceny and domestic violence protection order violation in Wake County.

Just to the north, ICE arrested Van Pham from Laos, who was convicted of five counts of abduction and burglary in Fairfax County, Virginia.

In Massachusetts, ICE arrested Patricia Pimental-Cordero, from the Dominican Republic, who was convicted of two counts of hit-and-run in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

Another illegal, Ramona Mercado-Vasquez from the Caribbean island of Dominica, was arrested by ICE in Bergen County, New Jersey, following a conviction for kidnapping and robbery.

In Wisconsin, ICE arrested Mexican national Karlett Zagal-Salazar, who was convicted of drug trafficking.

ICE REVEALS ‘DISTURBING DETAILS’ AFTER AGENCY RESCUED 3-YEAR-OLD ABDUCTED TO MEXICO

Commenting on the arrests, McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that “nothing—not even a government shutdown—will slow us down from making America safe again.”

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She slammed the Democratic Party, saying, “While Democrats in Congress continue to keep the government shutdown, our ICE law enforcement officers aren’t slowing down in arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.”

While President Donald Trump and his administration brushed off the “No Kings” nationwide protests rebuking the president over the weekend, Democrats lauded the protesters for standing up for democracy. 

The protest marked at least the second time “No Kings” rallies have been organized across the country in major cities, including Washington, New York City and Los Angeles, since Trump took office for the second time, and organizers claim the protests are in opposition to his authoritarian policies. 

Meanwhile, Trump pushed back on the description of “king,” as he and other Republicans poked fun at the millions participating in the rallies. 

PROTESTERS NATIONWIDE HOLD ‘NO KINGS’ RALLIES AMID GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

“I’m not a king,” Trump told reporters Sunday on Air Force One. “I work my ass off to make our country great. That’s all it is. I’m not a king at all.”

Trump also characterized the protests as inconsequential, and said that those who participated didn’t accurately reflect the people who make up the U.S. 

“The demonstrations were very small, very ineffective and the people were whacked out,” Trump said Sunday. “When you look at those people, those are not representative of the people of our country.”

Despite Trump’s rejection of being labeled a king, the official White House social media accounts previously posted an image in February of Trump wearing a crown with a caption claiming “long live the king.” Trump also reposted an AI-generated video that Vice President JD Vance originally shared, depicting Trump placing a crown on his head and drawing a sword. 

Additionally, Trump shared another AI-generated video of him donning a crown in a fighter jet over New York City, unloading what appeared to be feces on the protesters. 

WATCH: ‘NO KINGS’ PROTESTERS AT MASSIVE NYC RALLY REVEAL MOTIVATION FOR TAKING TO THE STREETS: ‘DISGUSTING’

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., said that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. needed a distraction from the government shutdown that started Oct. 1, although Johnson did admit that the protests turned out to be a “violent-free, free speech exercise.” 

“They needed a stunt,” Johnson said in an interview with ABC Sunday. “They needed a show. Chuck Schumer has — needs cover right now. He’s closed the government down because he needs political cover, and this was a part of it.”

However, Democrats said the protests were an opportunity to stand up for democracy. For example, Schumer said that there are “no dictators” in the U.S., and that “we won’t allow Trump to keep eroding our democracy.” 

“Dictators evolve when good people of all different beliefs and backgrounds stay silent,” Schumer said in a social media post on Saturday. “This No Kings Day says we will not stay silent.”

Additionally, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi shared a video clip of her dismantling a plastic crown, appearing to harken back to when she ripped Trump’s State of the Union address in 2020. 

“We’re gonna tear up the crown!” Pelosi said in the brief clip, which she shared on social media with the caption: “No crown. #NoKings!” 

NATIONWIDE UNREST LOOMS AS ‘NO KINGS’ DEMONSTRATORS BEGIN TO GATHER IN MAJOR US CITIES

Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., also weighed in, claiming “we said ‘hell no’ to kings, and reminded the nation and the world what patriotism looks like.” 

“From our nation’s capitol to cities across California, millions stood shoulder to shoulder to say that our democracy is worth fighting for, that our voices will not be silent, and that we will not sit back and let a wannabe king take our freedoms,” Schiff said Saturday to accompany several photos of himself at the protest in Washington. “Proud to stand with you.” 

Additionally, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said the protests were reflective of the democratic process in the U.S. 

“This is what democracy looks like!” Murray said in a Saturday social media post. “We use our voices and our votes. NO KINGS IN AMERICA!”