NationalWatch

Squelching speculation of a third-party presidential run, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Sunday endorsed Nikki Haley for the GOP nomination, saying he feels she “is the strongest chance” for Republicans to win in November.

Hogan told CNN’s “State of the Union” he thinks “it’s pretty clear” that former President Donald Trump will win Monday’s Iowa caucuses,” but that Haley “has all of the momentum” to make her a strong nominee.

Hogan, one of his party’s fiercest Trump critics, had fueled speculation that he was preparing for his own third-party bid when he stepped down from the leadership of No Labels. A resignation letter dated Dec. 15 offered no criticism of the group, and Hogan declined to comment after the letter was obtained earlier this month by The Associated Press.

WATCH: HALEY SUPPORTERS PREDICT OUTCOME OF IOWA CAUCUSES, REVEAL WHO THEY REFUSE TO SUPPORT AS GOP NOMINEE

On Sunday, Hogan said he hadn’t meant to stoke rumors that he was planning his own run when he left the group, saying that he was focused on GOP efforts “to nominate the strongest possible Republican we can.”

“It kind of created a whole lot of speculation,” Hogan said. “I didn’t mean to do that. My position on No Labels has not changed.”

No Labels is seeking ballot access across the country as it lays the groundwork for a possible presidential ticket. The plans have spooked many Democrats and other Trump critics who fear it would siphon votes that would otherwise go to Democratic President Joe Biden and facilitate Trump’s return to the White House.

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, seen here speaking at an annual meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition on Nov. 18, 2022, has endorsed Nikki Haley for the 2024 GOP nomination. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have been locked in a tight battle for second place in Iowa, which holds its leadoff GOP caucus vote on Monday night. The final pre-caucus Des Moines Register/NBC News poll found Trump maintaining a formidable lead in the state, supported by nearly half of likely caucus-goers compared with 20% for Haley and 16% for DeSantis.

Hogan suggested a strong second-place finish for Haley would give her momentum heading into next week’s primary in New Hampshire, where he said “it’s possible she could win, which would put her in much better position when she moves into her home state of South Carolina.’’

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Some had previously hoped that Hogan would seek the GOP nomination this year himself. But in March, Hogan wrote in an op-ed that he wouldn’t run because he cares “more about ensuring a future for the Republican Party than securing my own future in the Republican Party.”

Some Republicans had hoped that Hogan, emerging as the new best hope of a small group of “Never Trump Republicans,” would also challenge Trump in 2020. But a year after Hogan’s reelection in 2018, he said that while he appreciated “all of the encouragement” he had received to run for president, he would not. Hogan told AP he had no interest in a “kamikaze mission.”

In the past two presidential elections, Hogan said he did not vote for Trump, the party nominee. Hogan said he wrote in the name of his father, former U.S. Rep. Larry Hogan Sr., in 2016 and the late President Ronald Reagan in 2020.

DES MOINES, Iowa – In a presidential race that’s been underway for more than a year, the voters finally get a say.

Braving frigid below zero temperatures that are punishing the Hawkeye State, Iowans head to more than 1,600 caucus sites on Monday night to cast ballots in the lead off contest of the 2024 Republican presidential nomination race.

“Tomorrow, Jan. 15, I need each and every one of you to get out. Everybody get out. Just get out and vote,” former President Donald Trump urged his supporters at a rally Sunday in Indianola, Iowa.

The former president is the commanding frontrunner in national surveys and the latest polls in Iowa as he runs a third straight time for the White House. 

WHAT THE FINAL POLL SHOWS BEFORE MONDAY’S IOWA GOP PRESIDENTIAL CAUCUSES

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, on Sunday, Jan. 14. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Trump made history last year as the first former or current president to be indicted for a crime, but his four indictments, including charges he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss, have only fueled his support among Republican voters.

HALEY KNOCKS MEDIA EXPECTATIONS BUT LOOKS TO ‘BIG SHOWING’ IN IOWA

He stood at 50% or higher in a slew of polls over the past month in Iowa and grabbed 48% support in the final Des Moines Register/Mediacom/NBC News poll of likely Republican caucusgoers, which was released Saturday night. Former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stood at 20% and 16% in the new survey as they battle for a distant second place.

Multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and first time candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who has relentlessly campaigned across Iowa in recent months, stood at 8% in the poll. 

The closely watched and highly anticipated survey, conducted by longtime pollster Ann Selzer, has a well-earned tradition of accuracy in past GOP presidential caucuses, and is considered the gold standard in Iowa polling by many.

DESANTIS BETS BIG ON IOWA – WILL IT PAY OFF?

DeSantis and Haley questioned whether Trump would meet lofty expectations.

DeSantis’ campaign manager James Uthmeier, in a Sunday appearance on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom,” argued that “expectations are high for Trump…he’s got to perform. If he gets less than half the vote, more people voting against him than for him. I think that’s, you know, setting up doom down the road.”

And Haley, in an interview on the same program, noted that people will be looking to see if Trump “is falling below 50%.”

Longtime Republican strategist David Kochel, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns and statewide contests in Iowa, told Fox News “there are two campaigns going on in Iowa right now.”

“One is Trump vs. his expectations and the other one is Haley vs. DeSantis to see who gets the right to take on Trump one-on-one,” noted Kochel, who remains neutral in the Republican presidential caucuses.

Trump and his campaign are taking aim at the high expectations he faces in Iowa.

“No one has ever won the Iowa caucus by more than 12%,” Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita told Fox News Digital on Saturday. “I think the public polls are a little rich.”

Trump, speaking with reporters on Sunday, said “there seems to be something about 50%.”

“I think they’re doing it so that they can set a high expectation. So if we end up with 49%, which would be about 25 points bigger than anyone else ever got. They can say he had a failure, it was a failure. You know fake news,” he argued.

Haley, who launched her presidential campaign nearly a year ago, told supporters at an event Sunday in Ames, Iowa, “I know you’re excited. I’m excited because it’s been 11 months, and it comes down to tomorrow.”

Former UN Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley holds up a commit to caucus card during a campaign event at Jethro’s BBQ in Ames, Iowa, on Sunday, Jan. 14. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Thanks in part to well-regarded debate performances, Haley enjoyed plenty of momentum in the late summer and autumn. In recent weeks, she caught up with DeSantis for second place in national surveys and the polls in Iowa.

Haley also surpassed DeSantis and surged to second place, thus narrowing the gap with Trump, in New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar, eight days after Iowa’s caucuses.

Speaking with Fox News Digital late last week following an energetic campaign event in Ankeny, Iowa, Haley touted that “our people are excited. The momentum is real on the ground.”

Haley, who has repeatedly in recent weeks tried to frame the GOP nomination race as a two-candidate battle between her and Trump, pointed toward the former president as she told Fox News on Sunday that “it’s you and me now.”

IT’S NOT AN ELECTION, SO HOW DO THE IOWA CAUCUSES WORK?

DeSantis stressed “we’ve done it the right way” while standing in front of a jam-packed room at the Iowa headquarters of a super PAC supporting his White House bid.

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis takes the microphone after being introduced at an event in West Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday, Jan. 13. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivai)

The Florida governor has spent much of his time and resources in Iowa and with his presidential campaign arguably on the line in Monday night’s caucuses, DeSantis was urging his supporters to brave the bitter cold to show up and vote.

“It’s going to be cold. It’s not going to be pleasant. But if you’re willing to go out there and you’re willing to fight for me, if you’re willing to bring people to the caucus, if you’re willing to brave the elements and be there for the couple of hours you have to be there, if you’re willing to do that, if you’re willing to fight for me on Monday night, then as president I’ll be fighting for you for the next eight years,” DeSantis emphasized.

TRUMP TAKES NO CHANCES AS THE IOWA CAUCUSES APPROACH

DeSantis, who was convincingly re-elected to a second term as Florida governor 14 months ago, was once the clear alternative to Trump in the Republican race. 

However, after a series of campaign setbacks over the summer and autumn, and after getting hammered by negative ads, DeSantis saw his support in the polls erode.

Now, he’s betting that his vaulted ground game in Iowa, which is heavily reliant on the aligned super PAC Never Back Down, will carry him across the finish line.

“We’ve got a great path going forward,” DeSantis emphasized on “Fox News Sunday.” “We’re going to do well on Monday. We’ve got an unbelievable organization.”

Some pundits question whether DeSantis will stay in the race if he finishes behind Haley on Monday night.

When asked if he is heading on to New Hampshire regardless of his finish in Iowa, DeSantis reiterated his response from a Fox Digital interview on Friday – “we’re going to be in New Hampshire.”

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Trump, who narrowly lost the 2016 Iowa caucuses to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, has dramatically stepped up his campaign operation in the state compared to eight years ago as he aims to quickly wrap up the 2024 nomination.

“We’ve built an operation in over 1,800 caucus locations with straight-up volunteers, neighborhood by neighborhood. They know the area, and they know who’s caucusing in their area, and they’ll be following up with them, making sure they vote,” LaCivita told Fox News.

“Our focus and our premium has been on people…and we think it’s going to bear fruit in a big way,” he predicted.

A large Donald Trump 2024 sign outside the former president’s Iowa campaign headquarters in Urbandale covered by snow. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

Blizzard conditions blasted Iowa on Friday and Saturday, with lingering effects into Sunday.

Longtime Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann was confident that the frigid forecast wouldn’t keep Iowans home on caucus night.

“Out of everything – snow, ice and the cold temperatures – the cold temperatures worry me the least,” he told Fox News on Friday.

“If it was today. I would be worried. On Monday, we’re going to have two days of clearing off the roads,” Kaufmann noted. “Iowans can handle the cold. And they know exactly what to do to keep themselves safe.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

EXCLUSIVE: A Massachusetts wind project, which recently became the first utility-scale offshore wind project to deliver electricity to the grid, wouldn’t have been financially viable if the Biden administration hadn’t intervened, according to internal documents reviewed by Fox News Digital.

Federal officials with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) acknowledged in the unearthed communications shared with Fox News Digital that granting a waiver on development fees designed to safeguard taxpayers was “critical” for the 800-megawatt Vineyard Wind project. BOEM ultimately waived the financial assurance for decommissioning costs fee for the project in June 2021.

“The more we dig into the details of the Vineyard Wind project the more concerning it becomes. The Biden administration brags that this is the first utility-scale offshore wind project. But clearly, without BOEM contorting the approval process and waiving requirements meant to protect taxpayers, Vineyard is unlikely to ever have gotten off the ground,” Michael Chamberlain, the director of watchdog group Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT), which obtained the documents, told Fox News Digital.

“Both BOEM and the developer have admitted as much. This situation does not bode well,” Chamberlain continued. “If government has to bend the rules to make these projects feasible, it’s just a matter of time before the ‘clean energy transition’ is dead in the water. The only questions may be how many taxpayer resources are put at risk and how much of the American public’s trust is squandered before it happens.”

GIANT OFFSHORE WIND PROJECT AXED IN BLOW TO BIDEN’S GREEN GOALS

Wind turbine blades are stacked at the New Bedford Marine Terminal in Massachusetts on June 14, 2023. The blades are for the Vineyard Wind project. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

On June 15, 2021, BOEM Office of Renewable Energy Programs Chief James Bennett sent a letter to Vineyard Wind’s developer, informing the firm that the agency had approved a March 2021 request to waive the fee. Under the action, Vineyard Wind isn’t required to pay the development fee until 15 years after the project enters operations under its 20-year power purchase agreements.

Vineyard Wind first submitted the request in December 2017, but the Trump administration rejected it, forcing the developer to resubmit it in March 2021. Federal statute mandates that developers pay the fee prior to construction on their lease, a potentially hefty fee designed to guarantee federal property is returned to its original state after a lessee departs its lease.

DC GREENLIGHTS AGGRESSIVE ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANDATE DESPITE CRITICS SOUNDING ALARM ON HIGH CONSUMER COSTS

In addition, Meredith Lilley, an energy program specialist at BOEM’s Office of Renewable Energy Programs, acknowledged in an internal email also on June 15, 2021, that waiving the fee by August 2021 was vital to ensure Vineyard Wind could maintain financial viability. The move notably came one month before BOEM approved the project’s construction and operations plan.

“Issuing a decision to Vineyard Wind on this request is critical to enabling them to carry on with the Vineyard Wind 1 Project because it is a key determinant of the project’s value, which Vineyard Wind needs to know now in order to secure financing and achieve financial close in early August,” Lilley wrote in the email to other federal officials involved in internal deliberations.

President Biden points to a wind turbine size comparison chart during a meeting about the Federal-State Offshore Wind Implementation Partnership on June 23, 2022. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

And according to Bennett, BOEM waived the fee because the project included risk reduction factors, including insurance policies to cover damages, use of proven wind turbine technology, and the use of power purchase agreements “with guaranteed electricity sales prices that, coupled with the consistent supply of wind energy, ensure a predictable income over the life of the project.”

The letter also stated that the “regulatory departure” would reduce Vineyard Wind’s financial assurance burden, enabling the developer to invest freed-up capital in construction and enabling the project to enter operations sooner. In addition, it explained the fee was waived also because it “promotes the production and transmission of energy from a source other than oil and gas.”

TOP OFFICIALS WARNED BIDEN ADMIN ABOUT DANGERS WIND ENERGY PROJECTS POSE TO FISHING INDUSTRY, LETTER SHOWS

“In 2021, per its regulatory authority, BOEM approved Vineyard Wind 1’s request to defer providing the full amount of its decommissioning financial assurance until year 15 of actual operations under its 20-year Power Purchase Agreement for the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind energy project offshore Massachusetts,” a BOEM spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement.

“BOEM deferred this requirement for Vineyard Wind 1 with the condition that such financial assurance would be provided in full during a time when the project risk is low — that is, during the time when the offshore wind lessee has guaranteed financial support through an assured price for the electricity generated by the project,” the spokesperson added.

President Biden delivers remarks at the White House Tribal Nations Summit alongside Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. The pair have made approving and permitting offshore wind a priority as part of the administration’s climate agenda. (Pete Marovich/Getty Images)

The revelation comes days after Vineyard Wind’s developers, lawmakers and environmental groups celebrated the project beginning to send electricity to the grid. The milestone was achieved after one wind turbine entered operations at the offshore site which will eventually host 62 turbines.

After the turbine began producing electricity on Jan. 2, the Sierra Club said the project “will aid tremendously in reducing dangerous fossil fuel air pollution” and fellow eco group the Conservation Law Foundation added that “New England’s transition away from polluting fossil fuels and towards clean, renewable energy is underway in earnest.”

BIDEN ADMIN MAKES STUNNING ADMISSION ON CLIMATE AGENDA IN LEAKED INTERNAL MEMO

“They’ve made it very, very clear that they will approve these projects really regardless of anything,” Meghan Lapp, the fisheries liaison for Rhode Island-based fishing company Seafreeze, told Fox News Digital in an interview. 

“They don’t care about the impacts to fishing communities,” she added. “They don’t care about the impacts to coastal communities. They don’t care about the impacts to marine mammals. Even though there’s a lot of regulation on all of these other things and all of those other spheres, offshore wind gets a pass.”

Wind turbine blades for the Vineyard Wind project are stacked on racks on July 11, 2023, in New Bedford, Massachusetts. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Lapp’s company Seafreeze is spearheading a lawsuit against Vineyard Wind over the project’s impacts on the fishing industry, the environment and coastal communities. Lapp expressed concern that, if the case leads to a court order to remove the project’s turbines, there will be no funds for that removal operation given BOEM’s waiver.

“If we win, we want those turbines gone. We want them taken out,” she said. “The entire time, throughout the regulatory process for all of these wind farms, the federal government keeps saying, ‘Don’t worry, there are decommissioning funds.’ Well, now come to find out there are no decommissioning funds for Vineyard Wind. If we win the case, who’s going to take them out? And that’s a big, big problem.”

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Vineyard Wind — which is a joint venture between Danish energy developer Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and New England utility services company Avangrid — was first proposed years ago, but was fast-tracked once President Biden entered office. In May 2021, the Department of the Interior (DOI) formally approved the project, marking the first utility-scale offshore wind farm to receive federal approval.

Then, in July 2021, BOEM approved Vineyard Wind’s construction and operations plan and, four months later, DOI Secretary Deb Haaland joined then-Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and other officials for the commemorative groundbreaking of the project in Barnstable, Massachusetts. 

The Biden campaign raised more than $97 million in the fourth quarter of 2023, and has $117 million cash-on-hand— the “highest total of any Democratic candidate in history” at this point in a presidential election cycle.

The campaign announced Monday that President Biden’s re-election campaign is entering the 2024 presidential election year with “historic resources,” and touted the campaign’s grassroots efforts.

BIDEN MARKS THREE YEARS SINCE JAN. 6 BLASTING TRUMP, SAYING HE IS ‘TRYING TO STEAL HISTORY’

“This historic haul—proudly powered by strong and growing grassroots enthusiasm—sends a clear message: the Team Biden-Harris coalition knows the stakes of this election and is ready to win this November,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said. “Across our coalition, we are seeing early, sustained support that is helping us scale our growing operation across the country and take our message to the communities that will determine this election.”

She added: “Our democracy and hard-fought basic rights and freedoms are on the line in 2024, and these numbers prove that the American people know the stakes and are taking action early to help defeat the extreme MAGA Republican agenda again.”

President Joe Biden  (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

The campaign out-raised its Q3 numbers. In October, the campaign announced it raised approximately $71 million in the third quarter of 2023. 

The campaign said it has successfully grown its cash on hand for the last three quarters – starting at $77 million in Q2, to $91 million in Q3, and now $117 million at the end of Q4.

“While most of the Republicans have not yet announced their fundraising numbers, we fully expect to lap them…Several times.” Biden Senior Advisor for Communications TJ Ducklo said.

The Biden campaign, in December, had its strongest grassroots fundraising month, breaking its previous record from November. The campaign said nearly 1 million supporters have made more than 2.3 million contributions.

President Biden demonstrated his new “Dark Brandon” mug on Twitter.

The campaign reported that 97% of its donations in Q4 were under $200, with the campaign seeing an average grassroots contribution of $41.88.

BIDEN EXPECTED TO RAISE MORE THAN $15 MILLION IN STAR-STUDDED FUNDRAISING BLITZ: SOURCES

Reflecting on its fundraising history, the campaign said its “Cup of Joe” contest to meet with Biden and Vice President Harris was the campaign’s “most successful contest to date, raising over $3 million.”

The campaign has also held 110 fundraisers since President Biden announced his re-election campaign—including 39 in the last quarter of 2023.

In December, Biden raised more than $15 million during a fundraising blitz. 

First, the president attended a fundraising event in Boston, Mass., which featured a concert by singer-songwriter James Taylor. Front-row tickets sold for $7,500 per seat. 

President-elect Joe Biden, his wife Jill Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff arrive at the steps of the U.S. Capitol for the start of the official inauguration ceremonies, in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. ((AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite))

Then, he traveled to Los Angeles for a Hollywood fundraiser hosted by Steven Spielberg, Shona Rhimes, CEO of Paramount Pictures Jim Gianopulos, actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner, and others. Top tickets for that event were said to be $930,000 each. 

But the campaign said the numbers tell a story—and reflect efforts across not just the Biden re-election campaign, but the Democratic National Committee and its joint-fundraising committees.

The campaign said one-third of its donors are new donors since the 2020 campaign.

“As Republicans burn through millions of dollars in their race to out-MAGA each other, grassroots supporters across the country are pitching in to reelect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and stop MAGA extremism in its tracks,” DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said. “This historic haul—powered by grassroots donors—makes it clear that voters understand the stakes of this election and they’re ready to stand up and fight for our democracy and freedoms.”

Harrison said the Biden campaign and the DNC are working “as one team with a single mission.”

That mission is “to build a winning campaign that has the resources to send Joe Biden and Kamala Harris back to the White House, and elect Democrats up and down the ballot.” 

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The campaign announced the numbers on the day of the Iowa Caucuses—the first-in-the-nation presidential primary contests. With Joe Biden running unopposed in the Democratic primary, all eyes are on Republicans.

Voters, for the first time, will choose between former President Trump, who is leading the GOP field by a massive margin; former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.

ADEL, IA – Supporters of Republican presidential candidate and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley offered their predictions on the outcome of Monday’s Iowa caucuses, but some also revealed which candidate they refuse to support should that individual eventually become the GOP nominee.

Fox News Digital traveled to Haley’s final rally ahead of Monday and spoke to a number of voters who expressed their admiration for her, as well as optimism that she would “close the gap” with frontrunner former President Donald Trump.

“The media will tell us that Trump is going to just blow everything away. I think he probably will win, but I think the margin between him and Nikki will be a lot closer,” one voter named Claudia told Fox. 

NIKKI HALEY’S CAMPAIGN SPENT THOUSANDS ON LUXURY HOTELS DESPITE CLAIM IT RUNS ‘A TIGHT SHIP’

Claudia, a supporter of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, speaks to Fox News Digital at a rally in Adel, Iowa, on Jan. 14. (Brandon Gillespie/Fox News)

“Nikki’s a consensus builder. She works on both sides of the aisle. She’s a thinker. I think it’s very important for our president to have international savvy and you can’t beat Nikki in her global knowledge of everything. She’s just solid,” she added.

Another voter named Steph told Fox that, although she wasn’t sure who would ultimately come out on top on caucus day, Haley was a “smart person,” who can “bridge the gap” between Democrats and Republicans.

“She takes nothing personally. She is fiscally responsible. She wants to get a hold of the border and take care of it. I can’t think of anything that she talks about that I don’t agree with her on,” she said. 

WATCH: NEW CONSERVATIVE TECH COMPANY INSPIRED BY SWING STATE ELECTION LOSSES AIMS TO FLIP SCRIPT ON DEMOCRATS

Steph added: “But most importantly, it’s time to repair our nation. We are in disarray, and she is the one person, I think, who will be able to bring us all back together in a very calm and collective way. She listens. She cares. There’s no drama. It’s wonderful. She’s a wonderful person and a great leader, and she is really and truly who we need now.”

Republican presidential candidate former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at a campaign event at Country Lane Lodge on Jan. 14 in Adel, Iowa. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Dennis and Stacy, a husband and wife, told Fox that they decided together a few weeks ago to support Haley, calling it a “hard decision” between her and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Stacy predicted people would be “surprised” at Haley’s performance on Monday, and that she could eventually be the nominee if she continued to perform well in subsequent states despite the belief Trump “has it in the bag.” Dennis simply said, “It’s hard to tell until the caucus is over.”

WATCH: VETERAN AIR FORCE COMMANDER JOINS RACE FOR CONGRESS, SAYS MOMENT ‘TOO IMPORTANT’ FOR CAREER POLITICIANS

“I really want somebody who can bring us back together. The president shouldn’t be somebody that hates half the nation. And right now, it feels like the two top runners in both parties are in that position,” caucus precinct chair Terry told Fox. 

“[Haley] still has the solid Republican platform. She believes in pro-life and all that, but she’s willing to listen and understand what other people say. And that’s something I think we need in America today,” he added.

Dennis and Stacy, supporters of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, speak with Fox News Digital at a rally in Adel, Iowa, on Jan. 14. (Brandon Gillespie/Fox News)

When asked if they would support Trump should he ultimately be the nominee, most at the rally refused.

“I don’t think I could do it. I would write in Nikki before I would vote for Trump,” Claudia said, while Steph flat out said the former president would not be her second choice.

“I am not going to think about that until I have to. I don’t have a second choice right now,” she said.

WAR VETERAN SETS MAJOR FUNDRAISING RECORD IN BID TO FLIP CRUCIAL SENATE SEAT FROM DEMOCRATS

Stacy and Dennis both said they wouldn’t support Trump if he became the nominee, and that his opponents were “better candidates,” but that they also didn’t want President Biden.

Terry, a supporter of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, speaks to Fox News Digital at a rally in Adel, Iowa, on Jan. 14. (Brandon Gillespie/Fox News)

Although he didn’t mention Trump by name, Terry was the only one who told Fox he would support whoever had the “R” by their name.

“I’m a fiscal conservative. I’m tired of the government spending our money and taking our money and going into debt. And that’s the number one reason that I voted Republican in the past. I’m still socially pretty moderate. So, I think the Republican Party still will give us that,” he added.

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Despite the subzero temperatures and blankets of snow covering the Iowa landscape, most expressed confidence that voters would brave the conditions to cast their votes, although some admitted concern for older Iowans having difficulty getting to their polling place safely.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub

Fulton County, Georgia district attorney Fani Willis, who brought charges against former President Donald Trump on election interference, claims allegations brought against her of having an “improper” romantic relationship with a prosecutor were made because they are Black.

Court documents filed earlier this month say Willis hired special prosecutor Nathan Wade, her alleged partner, to prosecute Trump and benefited financially from the relationship in the form of lavish vacations the two went on using funds his firm received for working the case.

For the first time since the allegations were made, Willis spoke on the matter at the Big Bethel AME Church in Atlanta on Sunday.

TOP TRUMP PROSECUTOR, GEORGIA DA ALLEGED TO BE IN ‘IMPROPER’ ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP: COURT FILING

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis speaks in the Fulton County Government Center during a news conference, Monday, Aug. 14, 2023, in Atlanta. Donald Trump and several allies have been indicted in Georgia over efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

“They only attacked one,” she said. “First thing they say, ‘Oh, she’s gonna play the race card now.’

“But no God, isn’t it them that’s playing the race card when they only question one,” Willis asked.

Willis had remained mum in public on the matter, though she still has neither confirmed nor denied the allegations brought against her and Wade, who was involved in bringing an indictment against Trump for election interference.

FORMER COP TARGETS TRUMP, GOP OPPONENTS OVER ‘DISGRACEFUL’ LAW ENFORCEMENT RHETORIC 3 YEARS AFTER JAN 6

Former President Trump has been ordered to appear in federal court in Washington D.C. for his arraignment on Thursday, Aug. 3, at 4:00 p.m.  (Emily Elconin for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Although she never mentioned Wade by name during the speech on Sunday, she referred to the man as “a great friend and a great lawyer.”

Trump’s co-defendant, Michael Roman, accused Willis and Wade of having an “improper” and “clandestine” affair at the same time appointments were being made for the 2020 election interference case.

Roman was a former official on Trump’s 2020 campaign and argued about the integrity of the case being compromised because of the affair, last week in court, asking for the charges against Roman to be dropped.

HOUSE JUDICIARY INVESTIGATING WHETHER FULTON COUNTY DA FANI WILLIS ‘COORDINATED’ WITH JAN 6 COMMITTEE

Fulton County, Georgia District Attorney Fani Willis and special prosecutor Nathan Wade. (Getty Images)

“The district attorney chose to appoint her romantic partner, who at all times relevant to this prosecution has been a married man,” court documents read.

Fulton County records show Wade has been paid nearly $654,000 in legal fees since January 2022, an amount authorized by the district attorney, or Willis in this case.

The filing also calls for the entire district attorney’s office, including Willis and Wade, to be disqualified from prosecuting the case.

Michael Roman was booked into the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Roman is charged with alleged violation of the Georgia RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act, conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer, two counts of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree, two counts of conspiracy to commit false statements and writings, conspiracy to commit filing false documents. (Fulton County Sheriff’s Office )

Willis said on Sunday that John Floyd and Anna Green Cross, both prosecutors assigned to the case, are both white and were not targeted.

“Isn’t it them playing the race card when they constantly think I need someone from some other jurisdiction in some other state to tell me how to do a job I’ve been doing almost 30 years,” Willis asked.

Trump was indicted by Willis in August and pleaded not guilty to charges related to allegedly attempting to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia, including violation of Georgia’s anti-racketeering law.

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Roman, alongside Trump, was hit with a racketeering charge as part of Willis’ case and was charged with seven felony counts last August.

The Georgia case is one of four pending against Trump; he also faces charges in New York City, Florida and Washington, D.C.

Brandon Gillespie of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.

With one day left to sway voters, Republican presidential candidates are holding their final events in the Hawkeye State. 

“I’ve probably been to more pizza ranches than I have to gyms in the last six months,” Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said during a December event in Atlantic, Iowa.

From former Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley’s pictures with the Iowa State Fair Butter Cow – to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ visit to the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, candidates have held events across Iowa for the last year. 

“I’m going to use every minute I can to be able to win votes,” DeSantis said at an event last week in Ankeny, IA.

TRUMP TELLS PROTESTER TO GO HOME TO ‘MOMMY’

Between all of the town halls and diner visits, some voters are still unsure of who they plan to support.

“I’ve kind of narrowed it down to Haley and DeSantis,” Retired U.S. Army Reserves Col. Mike Treinen said. 

Treinen served during the Vietnam War and says veterans’ issues are important to him.

“With Iran and Israel, those are heavy duty issues,” Treinen said. “There are a lot of people who would like to think that we’re already at war with Iran.”

Former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, right, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, appearing at a Republican presidential nomination debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

He is also concerned about national defense and the crisis at the southern border. He wants a candidate who can beat President Joe Biden.

“I will not vote for Biden under any circumstances,” Treinen said. “I think he just shows a complete failure of leadership, trying to always duck the issue, blame it on somebody else. A lot of poor ideas, the pullout from Afghanistan, the runaway inflation, the border.”

Brian Smith works at a hospital in Des Moines. When Fox first spoke with him four years ago, he was undecided between Joe Biden and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, with healthcare driving his decision.

‘YOU AND ME’: HALEY, TRUMP DUEL ON CAMPAIGN TRAIL AS IOWA CAUCUSES LOOM

“They all partially have really great answers. But I just don’t see the one,” Smith said four years ago.

Since 2020, he’s gotten married and works as a dietitian. He ultimately decided to caucus for President Biden and plans to support him again in the general election. But for the caucuses, he is considering participating with the Republicans.

“I have thought about looking at the landscape, who’s running, who’s on the Republican side? Is it worth my time, or is it worth putting my voice towards the Republican Party to see what we can do to change the direction we’ve been in,” Smith said.

Iowa allows caucus-goers to change their party affiliation on the day they attend. Smith says he wants to send a message with his caucus decision, and show is opposition to former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric.

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump participates in a Fox News Town Hall on January 10, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa. 

“I know that he has some great ideas. I understand that, but the chaos that he’s left, it just disappoints me horribly,” Smith said. “We need someone who really is concerned about the common good. And Donald Trump just does not seem to have that in mind.”

Cody Stoos wants to see President Trump elected once again.

“When I’m thinking about who and what matters to me is kind of ignoring that outside noise and instead just focusing on things that could affect me,” Stoos said.

He was once a Barack Obama supporter but changed his affiliation to Republican, to support President Trump.

“A lot of push away from previous ideologies that I maybe had being an Obama supporter, seeing some of the effects of that presidency verses some of the positive effects that I actually experienced with my family under the Trump presidency,” Stoos said.

RON DESANTIS PLACES HIS CHIPS ON IOWA’S CAUCUSES. WILL HIS 2024 BET PAY OFF ON MONDAY

Stoos likes the former president’s America First platform. He believes President Trump can ramp up domestic supply chains and address the border crisis.

“Putting our safety and security first and worrying about things that affect our day to day moneywise especially,” Stoos said when asked what the most important issues to him were.

Stoos’ wife is a school teacher and they have two kids. He believes President Trump’s policies are good for future generations.

“My role as a father is to take care of my family first and foremost,” Stoos said. “I see President Trump as doing the same thing for our country.”

Donald Trump arrives on stage during a campaign event at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, US, on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Rachel Geilenfeld is the Iowa State chair of the Women for Nikki campaign and plans to caucus for the former Ambassador to the U.N. on Monday. She says she’s prepared for the expected frigid temperatures.

“I grew up in Iowa. It’s fine. It’s just another Monday,” Geilenfeld said.

She believes Haley is the best option to address issues like the national debt.

“I think many people are familiar with Nikki’s background as a U.N. ambassador, former governor. But one thing I really like about her personally, is her background as an accountant,” Geilenfeld said. “I think she’s a problem solver, and I really think that we need somebody to lead our country who has both the experience and the will to address the issue of the national debt.” 

Geilenfeld also believes Haley is the most electable candidate and will be able to move the country forward.

“I think voters are so tired of the dysfunction and vitriol in politics. I think one thing that Nikki represents is turning a page,” Geilenfeld explained. “We need somebody who is going to rise above some of this pettiness and really sit down at a table with adults and solve some of these issues.”

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If Haley is not the nominee, Geilenfeld says she’s unsure who she will vote for in the general election. She does believe the former South Carolina governor has done enough to win over Iowa caucus-goers.

“In Iowa, there are still some undecided voters,” Geilenfeld said. “We’ll see if [the weather] impacts a candidate who maybe has a huge lead in this race. But I would say Nikki’s supporters are very dedicated.”

Former President Trump, while speaking Sunday at a rally in Indianola, Iowa, on the day before the Iowa caucuses, said one of his Republican presidential nomination opponents, Nikki Haley, is not ready for the job.

Trump told the crowd there is a lack of loyalty in politics, adding that, to a lesser extent, there has been a lack of loyalty from Haley.

He explained that he gave Haley her position of U.N. ambassador when she was governor of South Carolina because he wanted then-Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster to be governor of the state.

“Nikki did a good job. She was out there, but she’s not ready to be president,” Trump said. “I know very well … and honestly, she’s not tough enough.”

WHAT THE FINAL POLL BEFORE MONDAY’S IOWA GOP PRESIDENTIAL CAUCUSES SHOWS

Nikki Haley has been floated as a potential vice presidential running mate for former President Trump. (Getty Images)

The comments came hours after the former South Carolina governor issued a challenge to Trump during an interview with Fox News Digital ahead of Monday’s Iowa caucuses.

“It’s you and me now,” she said after the release of polls that showed her in second place against Trump and ahead of fellow GOP presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Trump maintains a commanding lead over the field, according to polling.

DESANTIS BETS BIG ON IOWA. WILL IT PAY OFF?

Former President Trump says one of his Republican opponents for president, Nikki Haley, is not ready for the job. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall/File)

On Sunday morning, Fox News asked Trump if he thinks he’ll receive more than 50% of the vote in the caucuses.

“I don’t know, I think we are doing very well,” Trump said.

The former president is the commanding front-runner in the latest polls in Iowa as well as in national surveys in the GOP presidential nomination race as he makes his third straight White House bid.

HALEY KNOCKS MEDIA EXPECTATIONS BUT LOOKS TO ‘BIG SHOWING’ IN IOWA

Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations and a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, speaks during a campaign event in Iowa City on Jan. 13, 2024. (Alex Scott/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

He grabbed 50% support, or higher, in a slew of polls over the past month in Iowa. And he stood at 48% support in the final Des Moines Register/Mediacom/NBC News poll of likely Republican caucus goers that was released Saturday night.

His closest rivals – Haley and DeSantis – stood at 20% and 16%, respectively, in the new survey.

HALEY KNOCKS MEDIA EXPECTATIONS BUT LOOKS TO ‘BIG SHOWING’ IN IOWA

The survey conducted by pollster Ann Selzer, which is closely watched and highly anticipated, has a well-earned tradition of accuracy in past GOP presidential caucuses and is considered by many as the gold standard for Iowa polling.

Paul Steinhauser and Andrew Murray of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.

Fox News will be using its new, innovative election survey approach again during the 2024 primary season, the Fox News Voter Analysis. 

Together with the Associated Press and NORC at the University of Chicago, Fox News is conducting a survey of approximately 2,500 likely Republican caucus-goers in Iowa to learn who they intend to support Monday night. 

Of course, that’s not all!  The survey also tells us why they are supporting that candidate.   

The survey questionnaire and results will be posted on foxnews.com after 8:00 PM/ET Monday, January 15. Earlier in the evening, after 5:00 PM/ET, you can see select FNVA survey results by following the Fox News Iowa GOP Caucuses blog.   

TRUMP TAKES NO CHANCES AS IOWA’S REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CAUCUSES APPROACH

Campaign signs supporting former US President Donald Trump on a table prior to remarks by Donald Trump Jr., executive vice president of development and acquisitions for Trump Organization Inc., not pictured, at the Machine Shed in Urbandale, Iowa, US, on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. (Al Drago)

For example, the gut reaction questions that show what caucus-goers look for in a candidate. How much do they prioritize the nominee having good policy ideas, empathy, or stamina? Or does it all come down to defeating President Joe Biden? 

How many want to see a complete change in how the country is run? And are those folks mostly backing former President Donald Trump or other candidates? 

IOWA’S RECORD-BREAKING COLD WILL AFFECT VOTER TURNOUT: JIM GERAGHTY

We’ll look at first-time caucus-goers and see who was able to motivate Iowans to go out in the freezing cold and give up hours of their Monday evening. That will help us get a sense of the campaigns’ ground games.

GRUNDY CENTER, IOWA – JANUARY 11: Campaign paraphernalia sits on a table as Republican presidential candidate businessman Vivek Ramaswamy holds a campaign stop at Chad’s Pizza and Restaurant on January 11, 2024, in Grundy Center, Iowa. (Joe Raedle)

Did Bob Vander Plaats’ endorsement persuade evangelical Christians to support Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis? 

What about the top issue facing the country? Is it the economy? Immigration? Abortion? Foreign policy? And which foreign policy approach do voters prefer – one where the U.S. plays an ever-greater role overseas (as promoted by former South Carolina Gov. and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley) or one where the U.S. pulls back (as pushed by businessman Vivek Ramaswamy).  

AMES, IOWA – JANUARY 11: Republican presidential candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at a campaign event at Jethro’s BBQ on January 11, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. Iowa Republicans will be the first to select their party’s nomination for the 2024 presidential race when they go to caucus on January 15, 2024. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) (Scott Olson)

Also, whether Republicans will unite and support their nominee, whoever it is, or is there a chance the party will be split come November.

Our Fox News Voter Analysis survey will tell us that. And much more.  

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Here’s a detailed description of the FNVA 2024 methodology.

The remaining Republican presidential candidates have been fixated on Iowa for weeks ahead of the state’s crucial caucuses, as they seek to gain support from the voters who will be first to name a preferred nominee in the 2024 race.

But what exactly are the caucuses, and how do they work?

Every election cycle, tens of thousands of Iowans gather at caucus sites – known as precincts – across the state. In what will be the first contest in the wild race for the Republican presidential nomination, this year the highly anticipated event will take place on Monday, Jan. 15.

But unlike a primary – which is a traditional “one person, one vote” election – there is no casting of ballots in a caucus.

TRUMP TAKES NO CHANCES AS IOWA’S REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CAUCUSES APPROACH

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks to Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum at a town hall meeting hosted by Fox News in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 8, 2024. (Christian Monterrosa/Getty Images)

In Iowa, the action will take place at 1,657 precincts across the state – which will be held in school gymnasiums, church basements, union halls, community centers, libraries or any other place where people can gather. 

FIREBRAND HOUSE REPUBLICAN SEEING ‘MASSIVE SURGE’ FOR DESANTIS IN IOWA: ‘CLOSER THAN PEOPLE THINK’

Only registered Republicans are allowed to take part in the GOP caucuses, and 17-year-olds can caucus if they are of voting age by November’s general election.

On the other side of the aisle, the Democratic National Committee recently removed Iowa as the first state in the party’s early presidential nomination process.

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Here’s how all the action plays out:

• Iowa Republicans will gather Monday at caucus sites
• They kick off at 7 p.m. CT
• Representatives from each of the presidential campaigns will make a short pitch for their candidate and then attendees cast secret ballots. That’s it! It’s much simpler than what the Democrats do.
• The results are then sent back to the Iowa GOP HQ in Des Moines
• It’s a closed contest, meaning the GOP caucuses are only open to registered Republicans in Iowa. However, Iowans can register or change their party affiliation on caucus day

DES MOINES, IA – Donald Trump is confident he’ll do “very well” in Monday night’s Iowa caucuses, which lead off the 2024 Republican presidential nominating calendar.

But the former president isn’t ready to make a prediction on if he’ll top 50%.

As he left his hotel in Des Moines on Sunday, Trump was asked by Fox News’ James Levinson about whether he would receive more than 50 % of the vote in the caucuses.

“I don’t know, I think we are doing very well,” Trump answered. The former president is the commanding front-runner in the latest polls in Iowa as well as in national surveys in the GOP presidential nomination race as he makes his third straight White House run.

WHAT THE FINAL POLL BEFORE MONDAY’S IOWA GOP PRESIDENTIAL CAUCUSES SHOWS

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Trump grabbed 50% support, or higher, in a slew of polls over the past month in Iowa. And he stood at 48% support in the final Des Moines Register/Mediacom/NBC News poll of likely Republican caucusgoers was released Saturday night. His closest rivals – former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – stood at 20% and 16% in the new survey.

The closely watched and highly anticipated survey, conducted by longtime pollster Ann Selzer, has a well-earned tradition of accuracy in past GOP presidential caucuses, and is considered by many as the gold standard in Iowa polling.

DESANTIS BETS BIG ON IOWA – WILL IT PAY OFF ?

DeSantis campaign manager James Uthmeier, in a Sunday appearance on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom,” argued that “expectations are high for Trump…he’s got to perform. If he gets less than half the vote, more people voting against him than for him. I think that’s, you know, setting up doom down the road.”

And Haley, in an interview on the same program, noted that people will be looking to see if Trump “is falling below 50%.”

Longtime Republican strategist David Kochel, a veteran of numerous GOP presidential campaigns and statewide contests in Iowa, told Fox News “there are two campaigns going on in Iowa right now.”

“One is Trump vs. his expectations and the other one is Haley vs. DeSantis to see who gets the right to take on Trump one-on-one,” noted Kochel, who remains neutral in the Republican presidential caucuses.

Trump made history last year as the first former or current president to be indicted for a crime, but his four indictments, including charges he tried to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss, have only fueled his support among Republican voters.

HALEY KNOCKS MEDIA EXPECTATIONS BUT LOOKS TO ‘BIG SHOWING’ IN IOWA

But Trump and his campaign have been attempting to downplay the high expectations he faces in Iowa.

“No one has ever won the Iowa caucus by more than 12%,” Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita told Fox News Digital on Saturday. “I think the public polls are a little rich.”

Trump, speaking with reporters on Sunday, took aim at media attention over Iowa expectations.

“There seems to be something about 50% now. It doesn’t matter,” Trump argued. “I think they’re doing it so that they can set a high expectation. So if we end up with 49%, which would be about 25 points bigger than anyone else ever got. They can say he had a failure, it was a failure. You know fake news.”

While he takes aim at expectations, Trump is also urging his supporters to show up at the caucuses.

“Tomorrow, Jan. 15, I need each and every one of you to get out. Everybody get out. Just get out and vote,” Trump urged his supporters at a rally Sunday in Indianola, Iowa.

BLIZZARD DERAILS IOWA CAMAPIGN EVENTS, WILL BELOW ZERO TEMPS DEPRESS CAUCUS TURNOUT?

At an Iowa rally earlier this month, Trump touted to supporters that “we’re leading by 30 to 40 points.”

However, he added that “the poll numbers are scary because we’re leading by so much.”

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Terrace View Event Center in Sioux Center, Iowa, Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

 “We’re not taking any chances,” Trump emphasized as he took aim at potential complacency among his supporters. “The biggest risk is, you say you know what? He’s winning by so much, darling. Let’s stay home and watch television. Let’s watch this great victory. And if enough people do that, it’s not going to be pretty. But we’re not going to let that happen.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

The Trump campaign in Iowa shifted into a higher gear weeks ago, and the former president picked up the pace of stops in the state. High profile surrogates have also parachuted into Iowa to campaign on the former president’s behalf. Additionally, the campaign trained nearly 2,000 caucus captains in precincts across the state. 

“Their sole job is to run each individual caucus that takes place and making sure that the list of the targeted voters supporting President Trump show up,” LaCivita highlighted.

The Donald Trump 2024 campaign Iowa headquarters, in Urbandale, Iowa on Jan. 14, 2024  (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

“We’ve built an operation in over 1,800 caucus locations with straight up volunteers, neighborhood by neighborhood. They know the area and they know who’s caucusing in their area and they’ll be following up with them, making sure they vote,” he said. “Our focus and our premium has been on people.. and we think it’s going to bear fruit in a big way.”

The Trump campaign’s ground game operation in Iowa is leagues ahead of his 2016 effort, when he narrowly lost the caucuses to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. 

“Ted Cruz won in 2016 because his ground game was fantastic,” Iowa GOP chair Jeff Kaufmann, who remains neutral in the Republican nomination race, told Fox News.

Pointing to the 2024 Trump campaign, Kaufmann said “their ground game has increased immensely.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

It is now mid-January. And there is no deal on potential legislation to secure the border.

That also means there is no agreement on an international aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.

That is not an indictment. 

It’s just that realists on Capitol Hill knew this was going to take a while – even though negotiators began hammering away at a possible border accord in early December and worked through the holidays.

CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS STRIKED DEAL TO PUNT GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DEADLINES

The top GOP negotiator in the talks, Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., suggested on “Fox News Sunday” last weekend that his aim was to have bill text ready sometime this week.

But that never materialized. Lankford says nothing changed for the worse.

“I think we just didn’t make progress as fast as I’d hoped we would,” said Lankford. “I was thinking, ‘I think we’re close.’ But in all of our meetings [Sunday] night and [Monday] we’re not going to be able to get there.”

A source close to the talks told Fox that negotiators didn’t lose momentum or hit an unexpected pothole.

“There are a thousand small things to work out,” said the source, noting the complexity of the talks.

But there is concern about speed. Fox is told that senators are aware of the need to ship aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Soon. Moreover, there is concern that any struggle with funding the government later this month could undercut everything the sides are trying to do with the border.

“That takes precedent,” said a source about government funding. “That’s a hard deadline.”

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., said Lankford “actually surprised me with some of the progress he has made” on the border deal. Marshall observed that lawmakers have “a once in a lifetime opportunity to secure the border. And if we have that opportunity, if we have a good deal on the table, if we’re getting 80 or 90% of what we want,” than GOPers should take the deal.

UK TO INCREASE UKRAINE AID TO $3.2B, ITS LARGEST ANNUAL FUNDING SINCE RUSSIA’S INVASION

Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., said “the amount of progress that the negotiators have made is substantial and encouraging.”

But when Capitol Hill devolved into the Hunter Biden circus Wednesday, few paid close attention to the border talks. Lankford briefed fellow GOP senators and some House members on his negotiations. And the week ended without the production of bill text as the sides wrangled over parole for those illegally entering the U.S.

The lack of bill text may actually help the negotiations. If something is printed to paper on Capitol Hill, the details inevitably spill out. That’s when some lawmakers and interest groups may try to undercut the proposal. So negotiators elected to keep their cards close to the vest. But the lack of specificity make it a challenge to judge progress.

“It’s hard to evaluate because there’s no text,” said Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. “There’s nothing written down.”

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., echoed his colleague.

“It’s not in writing so I can’t be comfortable – and no one can – until they read it,” said Rubio.

The same thing bothered Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo. 

“This has been a very secretive process,” said Schmitt. “I am skeptical that we might be giving up way too much here.”

ZELENSKYY SAYS UKRAINE CAN BEAT PUTIN’S TROOPS BUT NEEDS WESTERN HIGH-TECH HELP

But here’s where things stand.

Negotiators worked feverishly since December. They talked repeatedly over the holidays. And now we’re moving into the third week of January without an accord. In the meantime, the war in Israel rages. Ukraine says it’s unable to match Russia’s firepower. China is keeping an eye on Taiwan. Money for Taiwan could become increasingly urgent if China reacts adversely to the election of Lai Ching-te as president of Taiwan. Don’t forget that Republicans insisted on making assistance to Ukraine contingent on a border security pact. So the international aid package languishes while negotiators forge ahead.

This is the type of timeline which yours truly suggested in December. Some thought that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., would try to jam members with a floor vote on a border package just before Christmas. That never happened – mostly because the negotiations are real and the sides were making progress. A show vote to score political points would have been counterproductive.

And this is why the true, realistic timeline to finish this legislation was probably February or beyond for the Senate alone. If they are able to finish it at all.

We haven’t even talked about the House. 

Many House Republicans don’t want to touch a still shapeless, hazy measure which is wafting around the Senate. For years, congressional Republicans argued that they needed to reassert their Article I powers vested in the Constitution and legislation – not cede authority to the administration. But since Congress has struggled to craft a legislative solution on border security and immigration, some GOPers are now punting to the White House.

Republicans don’t think President Biden can accomplish much. But now they argue he’s the one to address the border crisis.

WAPO SLAPS BIDEN WH WITH ‘THREE PINOCCHIOS,’ KNOCKS ‘SPIN’ THAT HOUSE GOP VOTED TO CUT BORDER PATROL AGENTS

“Joe Biden doesn’t want to fix it. He could do it with his own executive order,” said Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Tex.

But that doesn’t comport with what was the longtime mantra by congressional GOPers, who insisted that the Clinton/Obama/Biden administrations were out of control and needed to be reined in on a host of subjects.

“How did President Trump secure the southern border?” asked Nehls. “He did it through 21 executive orders and 25 presidential memorandums.”

This is why a legislative fix to border security remains so elusive. And it may continue to be so for at least a few more weeks. Nothing of this magnitude on immigration and border security – which has been a radioactive subject for decades – could possibly come together this quickly. And even if there is an agreement, it will likely take a few more weeks to hash out and debate because of a divided Congress and lawmakers who are leery of touching immigration.

But here’s the rub.

Aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan is contingent upon a border deal. It’s unclear if lawmakers might unhook the aid package from border security if things grow iffy in any of those locales. Ukraine is where things are the most urgent. And there’s a political risk for some Republicans if things go south in Ukraine. There’s also political peril if Republicans ever decouple international assistance from border security. Hardliners demanding border security first will howl.

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So this will take a while. Still.

If it ever gets done at all.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis predicted that he would “do well” when Iowa Republicans participate in the state’s caucuses on Monday.

DeSantis joined “Fox News Sunday” with host Shannon Bream, arguing that he and his campaign have put in more work than any other candidate. Recent polls show DeSantis trailing in third behind former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former President Trump.

“Do you need to finish second here in Iowa?” Bream asked.

“We’re gonna do well,” DeSantis responded. “I appreciate being the underdog… I do better in those situations, and I think I have a record of doing well as the underdog. We’re gonna do well, and we look forward to doing the next contest.”

BLIZZARD DERAILS IOWA CAMAPIGN EVENTS, WILL BELOW ZERO TEMPS DEPRESS CAUCUS TURNOUT?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis predicted that he would “do well” when Iowa Republicans gather for their caucuses on Monday. (Reuters/Sophie Park/File Photo)

“We’ve been working hard. We’ve been doing a great job, and I think Monday is going to be the pivot point where, now that people start to actually vote, I think it’s gonna help change the landscape,” he added. “There has not been a candidate that has worked harder… Iowans notice that. You’re not entitled to just be nominated. You don’t just swoop in and get coronated. You’ve gotta earn it, and we’ve earned it.”

Iowa voters will have to brave bitter cold weather to participate in Monday’s caucuses, however, with forecasts saying much of the state will see temperatures well below zero.

TRUMP TAKES NO CHANCES AS THE IOWA CAUCUSES APPROACH

Iowa voters will have to brave bitter cold weather to participate in Monday’s caucuses, with forecasts saying much of the state will see temperatures well below zero. (Nikos Frazier/Quad City Times via AP)

Trump maintained his dominant lead in the Republican field in the most recent polling, which shows him beating his nearest competitor, Haley, by nearly 30 points.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Support for DeSantis has appeared to slip in recent weeks as Haley has crept up to replace him in second place, according to multiple polls. Nevertheless, DeSantis and his campaign invested immense resources in Iowa, and DeSantis himself traveled to every county in the state.

The 2024 election cycle is in full swing, with presidential hopefuls working tirelessly to gain the American public’s vote. Since former President Donald Trump announced a second-term run for president in November 2022, he has been speaking at events and rallies across the country to win the public’s vote, first against fellow candidates vying for the Republican nomination. 

During the speeches Trump has given so far in this election cycle, he has spoken about many concerns weighing on American’s minds going into 2024, such as the economy, immigration policies and abortion laws.

Several GOP presidential hopefuls like Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Chris Christie, the latter of whom just dropped out of the race, have spoken about the former president during their own campaigns, expressing their disfavor.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

Trump has faced a lot of legal trouble during this campaign run with the four criminal indictments he faces. This includes a classified records case and the Jan. 6 election interference case.  

Toward the beginning of 2024, much of Trump’s campaigning has been focused on states like Iowa and New Hampshire, where the first caucuses and primary in the nation occur, respectively.

All eyes will be on Iowa on Monday as the state’s caucuses kick off the Republican presidential nominating calendar.

The caucuses, unlike most primary elections, are run by the state parties. There is no set list of authorized candidates for the Iowa Republican caucuses, so caucusgoers may write in any person they prefer. Most, however, will choose between the current GOP candidates: former President Donald Trump, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and entrepreneur Ryan Binkley.

Both the Republican and Democratic parties will hold their caucuses Monday night, but only Republicans will vote for a 2024 presidential nominee. Registered Republicans will cast their vote for who they want to be president, while registered Democrats will meet to conduct party business and will not hold a presidential preference vote.

Former President Donald Trump, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are vying for the Republican presidential primary nomination. (Getty Images)

HALEY KNOCKS MEDIA OVER EXPECTATIONS BUT PREDICTS ‘BIG SHOWING’ IN IOWA CAUCUSES

So, how do the caucuses work?

The Iowa caucuses have been the first-in-the-nation balloting since the 1970s. Unlike on Election Day, the caucuses take place at night, and voters must typically attend in person to vote. 

Starting at about 7 p.m. local time (CST), registered Republican voters will arrive and sign in at their respective precincts in 99 counties statewide, where they will hear brief speeches by representatives of each candidate. 

The caucusgoers will then cast their ballots for who they want to be president, and the ballots will be counted immediately and in view of the caucusgoers and campaign representatives.

Campaign signs supporting former US President Donald Trump on a table prior to remarks by Donald Trump Jr., executive vice president of development and acquisitions for Trump Organization Inc., not pictured, at the Machine Shed in Urbandale, Iowa, US, on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. (Al Drago)

FIREBRAND HOUSE REPUBLICAN SEES ‘MASSIVE SURGE’ FOR DESANTIS IN IOWA: ‘CLOSER THAN PEOPLE THINK’

The results from each precinct will then be entered into an online system by each precinct chair, where they will be tallied by Republican Party of Iowa staffers and reported via the party’s official website.

“It will be a very perfected operation, very slick,” Steve Scheffler, an Iowa caucuses precinct chair, told Fox News’ Martha MacCallum on Wednesday. “It’s pretty straightforward.”

“It’s pretty simple, it’s a grassroots effort,” added Randy Weisheit, another chair. “They’ll be able to check in, they’ll get a slip of paper, they’ll be able to easily vote their preference for a presidential candidate. There’s county business that also goes on that we essentially look at, electing representatives to our county party as well as delegates to our county party. That’s it.”

Campaign signs for Republican presidential candidates, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron Desantis line the road in front of Drake University on January 10, 2024, in Des Moines, Iowa.  (Chip Somodevilla)

The goal is for the GOP to avoid the same reporting issues faced by the Iowa Democratic Party during the 2020 Democratic caucuses, when it didn’t certify the winner – then-Mayor Pete Buttigieg – until weeks later.

The debacle led to several changes by the Iowa Democratic Party, including demoting the state to Super Tuesday status instead of first in the nation. As a result, Iowa Democrats will mail-in their pick for the presidential nominee and have until March 5 – Super Tuesday – to do so.

On Monday, Iowa Republican voters will choose their presidential nominee, and the results of that vote will determine how many of the state’s 40 convention delegates each candidate will receive. Candidates win national convention delegates in direct proportion to the percentage of the vote they receive. 

Campaign paraphernalia sits on a table as Republican presidential candidate businessman Vivek Ramaswamy holds a campaign stop at Chad’s Pizza and Restaurant on January 11, 2024, in Grundy Center, Iowa. (Joe Raedle)

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While the Iowa caucuses will give the winning candidate an early lead in the delegate race, it does not necessarily predict who will become the party’s nominee. Iowa makes up only 1.6% of the total number of Republican delegates nationwide, but because it is the first to vote in the country, the results can have a significant effect on a campaign and have the potential to further winnow the Republican primary field.

The New Hampshire primary will be held just eight days after the caucuses.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

FIRST ON FOX: Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley’s campaign spent thousands on luxury hotels last year despite her team’s claim it runs “a tight ship” and stays in “affordable” lodging.

According to Haley’s third-quarter disbursements filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), her campaign spent over $11,000 on high-end, four- and five-star hotels. 

That included stays at The Breakers, a luxurious hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, and the Wave Resort in Long Branch, New Jersey.

Other hotel expenditures listed in the report include stays at a high-end Fairmont Hotel in Texas, an Omni Hotel, a J.W. Marriott and multiple stays at the upscale Hotel Fort Des Moines in Iowa. 

WATCH: VETERAN AIR FORCE COMMANDER JOINS RACE FOR CONGRESS, SAYS MOMENT ‘TOO IMPORTANT’ FOR CAREER POLITICIANS

Nikki Haley’s third-quarter filings with the FEC show her campaign spent more than $11,000 on luxury hotels, including a stay at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Fla. (Getty Images)

The numerous hotel bills contrast with the frugality touted by Haley’s campaign and her comments during the most recent primary debate between her and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, when she blasted him for what she described as blowing through millions of dollars on his campaign.

“He spent more on private planes than commercial. I flew commercial. I stayed in Residence Inns. We went and saved our money,” Haley said. “We made sure we spent it right because you have to understand it’s not your money. It’s other people’s money. And you have to know how to handle it.” 

Haley’s campaign made similar claims in multiple fundraising emails sent last July, including one that said it was “being smart with every dollar.”

FORMER COP TARGETS TRUMP, GOP OPPONENTS OVER ‘DISGRACEFUL’ LAW ENFORCEMENT RHETORIC 3 YEARS AFTER JAN. 6

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate, speaks at a campaign event at Jethro’s BBQ Jan. 11, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

“We run a tight ship at Team Haley. Supporters like you contribute your hard-earned money to elect Nikki, and we make sure to spend that money wisely,” the email said. 

“Nikki’s an accountant, not a lawyer. When Nikki and the team travel to New Hampshire and Iowa, they’re flying on a lot of Spirit and JetBlue flights. When they stay in hotels, they’re not staying in luxury suites, they’re staying at a lot of Residence Inns,” it added.

Another email stated that the campaign’s road team wasn’t “out there renting private planes like some campaigns. You’re flying a lot of Spirit and JetBlue.” 

WAR VETERAN SETS MAJOR FUNDRAISING RECORD IN BID TO FLIP CRUCIAL SENATE SEAT FROM DEMOCRATS

“We’re getting you out to New Hampshire, Iowa, and wherever else you need to go with the most affordable option we can find. And when you all land, you’re driving the rest of the staff around in a rental car. You’re not staying in luxury suites. You’re staying at affordable hotels,” it said.

An ornate fountain on the grounds of the Breakers Hotel, Palm Beach’s most exclusive hotel. (Nik wheeler/Corbis via Getty Images)

“Our team is lean and mean. We track every penny coming in and out of our campaign because that was the expectation set on day one.”

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In addition to the high-end hotels, Haley’s FEC report also included stays at lower-rated hotels, such as Residence Inn and Hampton Inn, but those stays were not included in the total amount spent on those classified as luxury.

“As an accountant, Nikki Haley understands the importance of sticking to a budget,” Haley’s campaign told Fox News Digital. “That’s what our campaign did, making smart decisions about staff size, TV spending and travel. The proof is in the pudding: This is now a two-person race with Nikki rising, Trump dropping and DeSantis fading fast after lighting $150 million on fire.”

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Standing in front of a jam-packed room at the Iowa headquarters of a super PAC supporting his White House bid, Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis stressed “we’ve done it the right way.”

The Florida governor has spent much of his time and resources in Iowa, the state whose caucuses kick off the GOP presidential nominating calendar.

And with his presidential campaign arguably on the line in Monday night’s caucuses, DeSantis was urging his supporters to brave the frigid below zero temperatures that are punishing the Hawkeye State to show up and vote.

“It’s going to be cold. It’s not going to be pleasant. But if you’re willing to go out there and you’re willing to fight for me, if you’re willing to bring people to the caucus, if you’re willing to brave the elements and be there for the couple of hours you have to be there, if you’re willing to do that, if you’re willing to fight for me on Monday night, then as president I’ll be fighting for you for the next eight years,” DeSantis emphasized.

WHAT THE FINAL POLL BEFORE MONDAY’S IOWA GOP PRESIDENTIAL CAUCUSES SHOWS

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, right, takes the microphone after being introduced at an event in West Des Moines, Iowa, Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024. Also on stage with him are Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, left, and DeSantis wife, Casey DeSantis. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivai)

DeSantis, who was convincingly re-elected to a second term as Florida governor 14 months ago, was once the clear alternative to former President Donald Trump in the Republican White House race. For months, he was solidly in second place behind Trump, who’s the far-and-away front-runner in the latest Iowa polls and in national surveys.

However, after a series of campaign setbacks over the summer and autumn, and after getting hammered by negative ads, DeSantis saw his support in the polls erode.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration, grabbed momentum during the autumn and has caught up with DeSantis for second place in polls in Iowa and in national surveys. 

HALEY KNOCKS MEDIA EXPECTATIONS BUT LOOKS TO ‘BIG SHOWING’ IN IOWA

Haley also surpassed DeSantis and surged to second place and narrowed the gap with Trump in New Hampshire, the state that holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar, eight days after Iowa’s caucuses.

Former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, stands for photos with supporters and other Iowa voters at a campaign event in Ankeny, Iowa on Jan. 11, 2024. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

While he no longer predicts victory in Iowa, DeSantis has repeatedly said over the past week that he’ll “do well” in the caucuses. And the Florida governor is betting that his vaulted ground game in Iowa – which is heavily reliant on the aligned super PAC Never Back Down – will carry him across the finish line.

“We have massive numbers of people. I think we have more commits than anyone’s ever had in an Iowa caucus. We have all the counties organized. People that have been involved in this process say it’s the best yet,” he touted during a Fox News town hall in Des Moines on Tuesday.

BLIZZARD DERAILS IOWA CAMAPIGN EVENTS, WILL BELOW ZERO TEMPS DEPRESS CAUCUS TURNOUT?

Never Back Down highlights that they’ve knocked on 900,000 doors in Iowa and that they’ve lined up more than 1,700 precinct captains across the state for the caucuses.

“We have a whole team paid staff, canvassers, volunteers, across the state,” Never Back Down’s Jess Szymanski told Fox News. “They’ve been here for months…we’ve been building this since July.”

But Trump, who narrowly lost the 2016 caucus to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, has dramatically stepped up his campaign operation in the state compared to eight years ago.

“We’ve built an operation in over 1,800 caucus locations with straight-up volunteers, neighborhood by neighborhood. They know the area, and they know who’s caucusing in their area, and they’ll be following up with them, making sure they vote,” Trump campaign senior adviser Chris LaCivita told Fox News.

TRUMP TAKES NO CHANCES AS THE IOWA CAUCUSES APPROACH

“Our focus and our premium has been on people…and we think it’s going to bear fruit in a big way,” he predicted.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally at Terrace View Event Center in Sioux Center, Iowa, Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Haley is relying on the political wing of the powerful grassroots network from the influential conservative group Americans for Prosperity for much of her ground game efforts in Iowa.

Speaking with supporters on Friday, Haley acknowledged “I know that on January 15th, it is going to be negative 19. I know it’s asking a lot of you to go out and caucus, but I also know we have a country to save. And I will be out there in the cold. And I know Iowans take this in a very serious way.”

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In a boost of adrenalin for Haley and blow to DeSantis, she edged him 20% to 16% for a distant second place behind Trump in the final Des Moines Register/Mediacom/NBC News poll of likely Republican caucus goers, which was released Saturday night.

The highly anticipated and closely watched survey, conducted by longtime pollster Ann Selzer, has a well-earned tradition of accuracy in past GOP presidential caucuses, and is considered by many as the gold standard in Iowa polling. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate, takes a selfie with a supporter at a campaign stop in Ankeny, Iowa on Jan. 12, 2024 (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

The poll was the second straight to suggest DeSantis had slipped to third place. But DeSantis continues to sound confident, telling Fox News on Friday that his supporters are “motivated, they’re passionate, and they’re going to show up.”

“What about the broader electorate? I just don’t know. But I’m confident our people are going to come out strong,” he predicted.

Fox News’ Clare O’Connor, Deirdre Heavey, and James Levinson contributed to this report

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.

EXCLUSIVE: The House investigation into “what really happened” on January 6, 2021, is entering a “new phase,” Fox News Digital has learned, with Rep. Barry Loudermilk leading the charge and vowing to bring “the truth” to the American people.

Loudermilk, R-Ga., the chairman of the House Administration Committee’s Oversight Subcommittee, told Fox News Digital that his investigation, which began under former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, is expanding with the support of House Speaker Mike Johnson.

“We’re entering a new phase,” he said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital. “The speaker has committee whatever resources we need to move forward, and has basically tripled the size of our staff.”

REP. LOUDERMILK BLASTS JANUARY 6 COMMITTEE FOR TARGETING HIM: ‘THERE IS A WAR ON THE TRUTH IN THIS COUNTRY’

Republican members of the Committee on House administration (from left to right) Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis., Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., and Rep. Mike Carey, R-Ohio (Committee on House Administration)

“We are investigating what really happened on January 6 and how were these people — whoever they were — how were they able to get into the Capitol? What was the security failure?” Loudermilk said, adding that the panel is also investigating “the actions of the Select Committee [on January 6] and how they conducted their investigation.”

“Because the American people have a right to know what happened,” Loudermilk said. “My main goal is to get the truth out there and give the American people the ability to make their own determination on this with facts — not with preconceived ideas or pre-determined narratives — but just the facts of what happened.”

Loudermilk told Fox News Digital that last Congress’ House Select Committee on January 6, led by Democrats, “went above and beyond the evidence to try to prove something that they wanted to be truth.”

Loudermilk said that panel “cherry-picked” evidence and “excluded evidence that did not support their narrative, which was that Trump and the Republicans are the ones who planned and carried out and assisted in the attacks on the Capitol.”

“But there isn’t evidence to support that so-called truth,” he said.

A scene from the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in 2021. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

“Look, I’m not here to vindicate anyone,” he said. “But we want the truth to prevail.”

While the attacks on the Capitol took place three years ago, Jan. 6 has become a major talking point and issue for the 2024 presidential election cycle.

Former President Trump has been charged out of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Jan. 6 and the 2020 election. Trump is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of and attempt to obstruct an official proceeding, and conspiracy against rights.

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges.

And while the 2024 GOP frontrunner has never been charged with inciting insurrection, several states across the nation have attempted to use the 14th amendment to remove him from state ballots.

Meanwhile, President Biden’s first re-election campaign speech last week was focused on Jan. 6, and accused Trump of being a threat to democracy due to the Capitol riot, again claiming he incited the violence.

BIDEN MARKS THREE YEARS SINCE JAN. 6 BLASTING TRUMP, SAYING HE IS ‘TRYING TO STEAL HISTORY’

“It is imperative at this point because we do have a major election,” he said. “I am not trying to influence the election but it is important that the people are really informed.”

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 12: U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.). (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Loudermilk pointed to a Biden campaign commercial, using footage from Jan. 6.

“He’s using images of the gallows that was erected — that’s something we’ve been investigating. It was erected at 6 in the morning — how in the world did it stay up all day long? Right with Capitol Police there?” He asked. “That is something that at first sight, somebody should have been taking down.”

Loudermilk said that “regardless of who did the attack, how did these people get in?”

Loudermilk said he is investigating the “security failure.”

“We do know there was plenty of intelligence that there was going to be an attack on the Capitol. So Secret Service knew of it. The FBI knew of it. Department of Defense had intelligence. Homeland Security had intelligence. That intelligence was sent to the Capitol Police Intelligence Division—but it never got passed on any further. The chief did not know about it,” he explained.

“Now whether it was intentional suppression or if it was incompetence, there was a huge cover-up over that,” he continued. “We are looking at that, but from what we can tell, there were groups that were planning this attack on the Capitol.”

Loudermilk also said they have intelligence that there were federal agents embedded in the crowd, which he noted, is “not unusual for large gatherings.”

WASHINGTON DC – JUNE 16 The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, including (from l to r) Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Liz Cheney (R-Wy) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill), held its third hearing on June 16, 2022 in Washington, DC. The committee, headed by Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.).  (Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

“But our issue is, if a plainclothes law enforcement officer engaged in nefarious activities, which we have already proven there was one Metropolitan police officer who was plainclothes on duty and encouraged people to go to the Capitol — so that type of activity is very concerning to us,” he said.

But Loudermilk noted that federal officers “are not allowed on Capitol Hill unless they are invited by Capitol Police or the Capitol Police Board.”

“Were any of those federal officers here before the chief of police asked for mutual assistance?” He asked.

The House Jan. 6 committee released images from surveillance video of a U.S. Capitol tour conducted by Republican Rep. Barry Loudermilk, Jan. 5, 2021. (Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol)

Meanwhile, Loudermilk said the term “optics” comes up “way too often in a lot of the communications.”

“People had a concern of the ‘optics’ from the Civil Defense unit to Capitol Police wearing riot gear — someone didn’t like that. I suspect it came from [then-Speaker Nancy] Pelosi’s office,” he said. “We’re tracking that down. But they were told to leave their riot gear in buses — it doesn’t do any good. You don’t have time to tell people storming the Capitol, ‘hey, wait until we go get our defensive gear on.’”

“So the term ‘optics’ also comes up when it comes to the deployment of the National Guard,” he continued. “We have uncovered evidence that Trump was aware of the attack on the Capitol and did order the National Guard to be ready to deploy, so we’ll be coming out with that as well.”

A Texas man who reportedly fired a gun at police had just hours earlier surrendered to charges that he participated in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

As for the portion of the investigation focused on the now-closed House Select Committee on Jan. 6, Loudermilk said he was even “falsely accused” by the committee “of giving reconnaissance tours of the Capitol.” He called those claims “asinine,” but said that experience gave him “insight of how that committee was operating and I was able to see how they manipulated device, cherry-picked evidence, and even edited evidence in my case.”

FLASHBACK: JAN. 6 COMMITTEE SCRUTINIZES CAPITOL TOUR LED BY REPUBLICAN REP. LOUDERMILK DAY BEFORE RIOT

Loudermilk said that the first phase of the investigation was “laying the groundwork.”

“The select committee was supposed to preserve all of these documents, all of the videos of depositions — what I expected, is when they handed all of the information over, was that we would have their entire database—that’s not what we got,” he explained. “We got boxes of about 2 million printed pages of documents just placed into boxes without any cataloging or categorization. We had about two terabytes of digital data.”

Separately, Loudermilk said members of that committee “took out liability insurance, meaning that they can’t be held liable for anyone that may have been defamed in their accusations or false reporting.”

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“It’s just interesting to me that they took out the liability insurance after the fact, if their reporting is so accurate, why would you be concerned about it?” Loudermilk asked. “

“The American people have the right to know the truth of what happened on January 6 and we have taken this from a very non-biased approach.”