NationalWatch

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.

**NOTE: The Fox News Politics Newsletter will take a break tomorrow for the New Year’s Day holiday. We will return Thursday, Jan. 2. From all of us at Fox News Politics, Happy New Year!**

Here’s what’s happening…

– Learning Curve: The new players in Congress

– How border security dominated US politics and 2024, and sealed an election

– 10 rising stars in Democratic, Republican parties expected to emerge in 2025

DC Mayor Finds ‘Common Ground’ with Trump 

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday that she and President-elect Trump “had a great meeting to discuss our shared priorities” for his upcoming term, despite their previously contentious relationship that hit a fever pitch in 2020 during the George Floyd riots. 

“President Trump and I both want Washington, DC to be the best, most beautiful city in the world and we want the capital city to reflect the strength of our nation,” Bowser said. 

The Democratic mayor said she and Trump “discussed areas for the collaboration between local and federal government, especially around our federal workforce, underutilized federal buildings, parks and green spaces, and infrastructure.”…Read more

President Elect Donald Trump, left, and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, right (Getty)

White House

RUBY MOUNTAINS: Biden moving to ban oil and gas leases for 20 years in Nevada region, just weeks before Trump inauguration…Read more

UNDER FIRE: Dems urge Biden to extend controversial immigrant program; Trump says he’ll cut it…Read more

World Stage

CHILL THROUGH EU: Ukraine receives US natural gas shipment for the first time amid fresh supply fears…Read more

An liquid natural gas (LNG) tanker is seen in Port Canaveral. (Malcom Denemark, Florida Today) ((Malcom Denemark/Florida Today))

Capitol Hill

VOTE OF CONFIDENCE: Trump gives Johnson ‘complete and total endorsement’ ahead of Speakership fight…Read more

DEBT DILEMMA: Bernie Sanders plans to spearhead legislation on key Trump proposal…Read more

Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump.  (Reuters)

Across America

VERDICT IS IN: North Dakota senator’s son to serve 28 years in prison for crash that killed deputy…Read more

ON ICE: ICE shuts down programs offering services to illegal immigrants, citing ‘immense’ costs…Read more

‘LAWFARE…MUST END’: Georgia AG urges state Supreme Court to reject DA Willis’ appeal in Trump case…Read more

Georgia AG Chris Carr urged the state Supreme Court to not consider an appeal from Fulton County DA Fani Willis in the election interference case against President-elect Trump. (Getty)

PENTAGON: The Pentagon chief loses bid to reject 9/11 plea deals…Read more

9/11 PLEA DEALS STAND: Military Appeals Court rules Defense Sec Austin cannot rescind 9/11 plea deals…Read more

‘COUNTERPRODUCTIVE’: Hochul’s polluters pay bill could result in regressive costs for working families: economists…Read more

Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

China was behind a “major” hack of the Treasury Department, the Biden administration said Monday, gaining access to unclassified documents and the workstations of government employees. 

After a year fraught with hacking across all government agencies, China experts say it’s time to get serious about thwarting adversarial espionage. 

“The latest intrusion should not come as a surprise. For too long, the CCP has paid no real price for its increasingly aggressive intrusions into our homeland and networks,” Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., chairman of the House China Select Committee, told Fox News Digital. 

“It is time for Congress and the incoming Trump administration to impose escalating costs to deter the CCP.” 

It’s not yet clear what exactly the hackers were seeking. The Treasury houses sensitive data about global financial systems, as well as estimates about China’s ailing economy. It also carries out sanctions on Chinese companies, as well as those aiding Russia in the war on Ukraine.

“Even though the Treasury says the Chinese only got unclassified documents, we’ve got to remember that a hack of the Treasury sends shudders not just across the U.S., but across the world. Countries rely on the dollar, can you rely on the stability of the American financial markets?” said China expert Gordon Chang. 

CHINA DIRECTS LARGEST MILITARY BUILD-UP SINCE 1930S NAZI GERMANY, EXPERT WARNS, CITING PENTAGON REPORT

“For too long, the CCP has paid no real price for its increasingly aggressive intrusions into our homeland and networks,” Rep. John Moolenaar told Fox News Digital (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Treasury was notified by a service provider of the breach on Dec. 8, and all systems affected were taken offline. China called the accusation that it was behind the act “baseless” and said it “consistently opposes all forms of hacking.”

Despite China’s denial, the Treasury insisted a Chinese state-sponsored actor was behind the attack. Chang suggested Xi may have intended to get caught to send a message to the world. 

“We can’t actually exclude the possibility that the Chinese wanted to be caught because they wanted to actually create uncertainty around the world. They wanted to show the world that the United States is not safe — their networks are not good, the Chinese control them at will.”

STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL ASK SCOTUS TO UPHOLD TIKTOK DIVEST-OR-BAN LAW AMID TRUMP REQUEST TO PAUSE BAN

Just weeks ago, President-elect Donald Trump seemed to be making an attempt to smooth over relations with China with an invitation to President Xi Jinping for his inauguration. But the recent hacking attempt suggests such efforts might be futile, according to Chang. 

“American presidents had tried preemptive concessions to China for decades. They’ve not resulted in benefits to us. And the reason is because the Chinese don’t reciprocate them,” he said.

Earlier this year, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo’s communications were intercepted by Chinese intelligence, just as she was making determinations about new export controls on semiconductors and other key technology. The same hacking group also targeted officials at the State Department and members of Congress.

Treasury was notified by a service provider of the breach on December 8, and all systems affected were taken offline (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

 China, led by President Xi Jinping, has denied involvement in the hack  (Florence Lo – Pool/Getty Images)

And the Treasury hack comes just as the Biden administration is grappling with one of China’s biggest attacks on American infrastructure in history, dubbed Salt Typhoon. 

A Chinese intelligence group infiltrated nine U.S. telecommunications giants and gained access to the private text messages and phone calls of Americans, including senior government officials and prominent political figures. 

The Salt Typhoon hackers also gained access to an exhaustive list of phone numbers the Justice Department had wiretapped to monitor people suspected of espionage, granting them insight into which Chinese spies the U.S. had caught onto and which they had missed.

The onslaught of cyberattacks has prompted frustration — and raised questions — about cybersecurity and why America’s adversaries are able to penetrate U.S. government systems with regularity.

“The American people should be angry at the Chinese for hacking us, but they should be outraged at our political leaders because our political leaders know what’s going on. They have the means to protect us, and they have decided not to do so,” said Chang. 

Last week, incoming national security adviser Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., suggested the U.S. needed to not only play defense but go on offense to the attacks. 

Representative Mike Waltz, a Republican from Florida, speaks during a news conference following an all-member House briefing on Afghanistan at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021.  (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“We have to stop trying to just play better and better defense,” he told Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo. “We need to start going on offense.”

“We need to start imposing consequences for those that are stealing our technology, spying on us, and now with a program called Volt Typhoon, is putting cyber time bombs on our critical infrastructure, like our water, our grid and our ports,” Waltz said.

“America can’t afford to just play defense on cyber anymore. We’ve got to go on the offensive and impose COSTS on those who are stealing our technology and attacking our infrastructure,” he added on X.

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Trump has proposed a 60% tariff on U.S. imports from China. Last month, the Biden administration issued its most stringent crackdown yet on China’s semiconductor industry with the intent of hindering its ability to develop AI for modern military uses.

California Republican leaders appeared to mock Gov. Gavin Newsom’s fiery response to a critical analysis of his handling of the Golden State’s homelessness crisis, saying that any increase in homelessness is not admirable.

State Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones criticized Newsom, calling the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s year-end Homelessness Assessment Report an indictment of his capabilities.

“Gavin Newsom literally lost track of the $27 billion he spent on the homeless crisis,” Jones said, citing the report as listing California first in homelessness, with an increase of 3% to 187,000.

CA VOTERS NARROWLY REJECT $18/HR MINIMUM WAGE

“Today’s HUD report makes it clear that instead of solving the problem, Newsom’s endless spending ‘solution’ has only made it worse,” said Jones, R-San Diego.

In a recent statement, Newsom’s office indicated the state “distributed $24 billion to local governments to address homelessness through numerous state programs.”

“All that money is accounted for,” the statement continued, appearing to reference the funds Jones had claimed were “lost.”

“The audit showed that previously not all state programs required locals to report how those dollars improved homelessness for the most recent years and lacked data to compare the effectiveness of one program versus another. That’s been fixed. 

“This administration has added strong accountability and reporting requirements for local governments that receive state funding. Any notion that we don’t know where the money went is preposterous, and that’s not what the audit reported,” the statement said.

The report also cited that Illinois, Wyoming, Hawaii and Colorado were the states where family homelessness doubled or worse.

BRIAN W. JONES: SUPER SANCTUARY IMMIGRATION POLICY THREATENS LIVES AND AIDS VIOLENT CRIMINALS

A statement from the Republican caucus of the California State Assembly keyed into Newsom’s recent thorough defense against an op-ed in the outlet CalMatters that made similar criticisms.

“In case you missed it, Governor Newsom’s office threw a tantrum over a column… that broke down his history of failure on homelessness,” the caucus, led by Assemblyman James Gallagher of Yuba City, collectively wrote.

The CalMatters op-ed claimed Newsom’s handling of the homelessness crisis will be a key point of attack for his prospective 2028 Democratic presidential primary challengers if he chooses to seek higher office then.

The column cited Newsom as saying “what’s happening on the streets has to be a top priority,” and reported he indicated a willingness to hold local officials accountable as well.

“People have to see and feel the progress and the change…” Newsom said, according to the column.

Gallagher’s caucus then cited Newsom’s response to the column, which consisted of a series of pointed posts.

“Given the sheer population size of California, to talk about homelessness without any of the broader context or how this administration’s efforts compare to the prior is a disservice to Californians, plain and simple,” Newsom’s office’s account wrote on X.

ICE  DEPORTATIONS CATCH UP TO TRUMP-ERA IN FY 2024 AS BIDEN ADMIN COMES TO A CLOSE 

“As the Governor has said many times, the work is far from over and urgency and results at the local level are needed more than ever. It’s why new accountability tools have been put in place, for quicker results. It’s also a longer-term effort — through implementation of Prop 1, CARE Court, conservatorship reform, the just approved BH-Connect waiver all of which are aimed at addressing the systemic issues of homelessness but not yet fully online.”

Newsom’s office also posted that unsheltered homelessness grew four times faster during the waning years of Gov. Edmund “Jerry” Brown’s administration than under his.

“The number of unsheltered homeless increased by 13.83% during the Newsom Administration (2019-2023), compared to an increase of 51.79% in the five-year period prior to the administration (2015-2019),” the post read.

California’s 14% homelessness increase in 2023 also fell below the national increase of 21%, the governor’s office added in the statement released just before this year’s numbers.

In 2024, California saw a homelessness increase of 3%, according to a weekend statement released by Newsom’s office. The rate bests 40 other states, the release said. 

Assembly Republicans responded to Newsom’s original comments.

“Since the governor is committed to gaslighting on this issue, we’ll state the obvious: an increase of 20% is not progress,” their statement read.

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City of San Francisco workers remove a homeless encampment in the Bayview neighborhood in San Francisco, on Aug. 1. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Jones, the Senate minority leader, cited Friday that he co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to change California’s homelessness policies and focus on “compassionate enforcement” of encampment violations.

One of his proposals from this past term, which did not make it to Newsom’s desk, focused on existing state law deeming “lodging” in a public or private place without permission to be disorderly conduct.

The bill would have delayed any indictment on that count for 72 hours after first notice and imposed a “state-mandated local program” for homeless individuals in those situations.

In a separate statement, Newsom said no American should be without a place to call home:

“Homelessness continues to rise and increase at ever-higher numbers nationwide, but we are seeing signs of progress in California,” he said.

“We have turned the tide on a decades-long increase in homelessness – but we have more work to do. California‘s plan is ambitious and challenging but the data is proving that it is not impossible: our strategies are making a positive difference.”

Data also showed other large-population states like New York, Florida, Illinois and Texas also suffered a higher growth in unsheltered homelessness than California’s, which the governor’s office said was under one percent.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said he will push forward new legislation to cap credit card interest rates to 10%, which is something President-elect Donald Trump said he wanted to do temporarily on the campaign trail. 

“During the recent campaign Donald Trump proposed a 10% cap on credit card interest rates. Great idea. Let’s see if he supports the legislation that I will introduce to do just that,” Sanders wrote on X. 

DEM SENATOR REVEALS HOW SHE NARROWLY WON KEY STATE THAT TRUMP FLIPPED: ‘BE PRACTICAL TO FIND RESULTS’

Sen. Bernie Sanders, left, and President-elect Donald Trump. (Reuters)

While campaigning in New York before winning the election against Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump threw his support behind a “temporary cap on credit card interest rates.” 

“We’re going to cap it at around 10%. We can’t let them make 25 and 30%.”

REPUBLICANS HAMMER BIDEN FOR FEDERAL DEATH ROW REPRIEVES AHEAD OF LEAVING OFFICE

Trump framed the temporary policy as something to help Americans as they “catch up.” 

The amount of credit card debt held by Americans rose to $1.17 trillion in the third quarter of 2024, per MarketWatch. 

According to data from Lending Tree, the average credit card interest rate in December was 24.43%, MarketWatch also reported. 

Regarding whether the president-elect still intends to implement this policy after he debuted it in September, transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital in a statement, “The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail. He will deliver.”

Sanders’ office did not answer whether the cap in his legislation would be temporary, as Trump said, when asked for comment by Fox News Digital. 

TOP TRUMP AIDES JOIN GROUP PREPPING TO SHORE UP SUPPORT FOR MAGA AGENDA DURING SECOND TERM

Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks on the second day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago on Aug. 20, 2024. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

While Trump backed such a temporary cap, Republicans have often opposed policies that could be harmful to businesses and restrict the availability of credit cards. 

In fact, top Trump ally and incoming Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., was a top opponent of efforts during the Biden administration to crack down on late fees and further regulate the credit card industry. 

SENATE PASSES BILL TO STOP SHUTDOWN, SENDING IT TO PRESIDENT BIDEN’S DESK

Sen. Tim Scott was a top opponent of efforts during the Biden administration to crack down on late fees and further regulate the credit card industry. (Reuters)

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Earlier this year, Scott explained that the administration’s rule to cap credit card late fees would “decrease the availability of credit card products for those who need it most, raise rates for many borrowers who carry a balance but pay on time, and increase the likelihood of late payments across the board.”

Scott’s office declined to comment on a potential 10% interest rate cap. 

Ukraine has received its first shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the U.S., energy company officials confirmed this week— a positive development for Kyiv as it moves to ramp up its purchases of U.S. supplies and protect against broader supply concerns in the region.

Ukraine’s private energy company, DTEK, confirmed it has received some 100 million cubic meters of U.S. LNG in the shipment, which the U.S. shipped to an LNG regasification terminal in Greece. 

BIDEN’S DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCES NEW MULTIBILLION-DOLLAR AID PACKAGES FOR UKRAINE

An LNG tanker loaded with liquefied natural gas is moored at a floating terminal in Wilhelmshaven, Germany, in 2023. (Sina Schuldt/dpa via AP)

The news comes after Ukraine’s DTEK inked a supply deal with U.S.-based LNG supplier Venture Global in June.

The DTEK contract is the first significant LNG contract to be struck between Ukraine and the U.S. and will allow Ukraine to purchase an “unspecificed” amount of LNG from Venture Global through 2026. The companies also signed a separate 20-year agreement, in keeping with traditional longer-term LNG supply contracts.

The news comes just hours before Russian gas giant, Gazprom, is slated to halt all piped gas deliveries shipped through Ukrainian pipelines to other European countries, following the expiration of its five-year contract.

GERMANY ACCUSES ELON MUSK OF TRYING TO INTERFERE IN ITS NATIONAL ELECTIONS

Then-President Donald Trump speaks at the Cameron LNG Export Terminal in Hackberry, Louisiana, in 2019. ( Scott Clause/USA Today)

Ukraine itself does not purchase Russian gas supplies. However, the European Union (EU) remains heavily dependent on imported gas, including from Russia.

Even after the abrupt throttling of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, the EU depends on piped Russian gas for roughly 5% of its total gas imports— sparking fresh fears as to how the bloc might cope in the event of a supply emergency or colder-than-expected winter. 

A Belarusian worker on duty at a gas compressor station of the Yamal-Europe pipeline, southwest of the capital Minsk, Belarus. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits, File)

In the interim, Ukrainian officials said, they hope the additional U.S. supplies can help fill in the gap and help ease any near-term supply crises in the EU.

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“Cargoes like this are not only providing the region with a flexible and secure source of power, but are further eroding Russia’s influence over our energy system,” DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko said in a statement. 

The Biden administration is attempting to implement last-minute restrictions on oil and gas drilling in the west just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.

On Monday, the Department of the Interior announced plans to pursue a 20-year ban on oil and gas leases in 264,000 acres of Nevada’s Ruby Mountains.

The administration submitted an application to withdraw the acreage from any potential leasing, which initiated a two-year ban on new mineral leases in the area during the approval process. The proposal now heads into a 90-day public comment period, which will fall under the Trump administration. 

“The Ruby Mountains are an iconic landscape with exceptional recreation opportunities and valuable fish and wildlife habitat worth preserving for the future,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement. “Today’s action honors the voices of Tribal communities and conservation and sportsmen’s groups and marks another important step to protect a treasured landscape.”   

‘WRONG-HEADED’: ENERGY INDUSTRY LEADERS BLAST BIDEN ADMIN REPORT ON NATURAL GAS EXPORTS

President Biden speaks at the Department of Labor on Dec. 16, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch)

The Biden administration’s lease limitation does not put restrictions on mining in the region.

SCOTUS HEARS ARGUMENTS IN CASE THAT COULD RESHAPE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW

During Trump’s first administration, the Forest Service conducted a study to determine whether 54,000 acres could be leased for oil and gas drilling in the Ruby Mountains. 

The proposal was eventually rejected in 2019 after the public comment period saw “thousands of comments from the local area, the state of Nevada, and from across the nation” opposing the idea, according to William Dunkelberger, the forest supervisor who signed the decision.

Great Basin, Nevada, Elko County, Ruby Mountains, Lamoille Canyon. (Dukas/Universal Images Group)

Jenna Padilla, the geologist for the Humboldt-Toiyabe Ruby Mountains ranger district at the time, said that geological surveys “show there is low to no potential for oil” in the region, the LA Times reported in 2018.

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It is unclear whether the Trump administration will consider potential leases in the region, but such actions could face roadblocks following the Biden administration’s new proposal.

A New York democratic bill aimed at charging oil and gas companies for pollution could result in regressive costs for working families in the state, energy and economic experts tell Fox News Digital.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed the Climate Change Superfund Act, a bill that seeks to charge polluters up to $75 billion for pollution dating from 2000 to 2018. The money will reportedly be used to fund projects rebuilding infrastructure damaged by weather over the years.

While the bill seeks to fine large corporations, some economists say that such actions will result in higher prices for some New Yorkers.

“It’s heartwarming to see Governor Hochul finally acknowledge what energy advocates have long understood: the best way for humanity to thrive is through adaptation to a changing climate. By signing this bill, she’s effectively endorsed that philosophy—though in the most counterproductive way possible,” Jason Isaac, CEO and founder of The American Energy Institute, said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. 

BIDEN SETS ECONOMY-WIDE CLIMATE TARGET: REDUCING EMISSIONS 66% IN 2035 FROM 2005 LEVELS

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill to charge “polluters” for climate change. (John Lamparski)

“Instead of incentivizing innovation, this legislation piles billions in new costs onto energy producers, punishing the very industry that keeps the light and heat on for New Yorkers,” Isaac continued. “The real tragedy here isn’t just the higher energy costs for working families; it’s watching businesses and residents flee a state that refuses to adapt its own bloated policies to economic reality.”

“The result will be higher energy costs for households, families, and small businesses in one of the most expensive states to live in the country,” Trisha Curtis, economist at the American Energy Institute, said. “With no plan to address the broader economic consequences, this law will drive people, businesses, and state revenue out of New York and into other more competitive states.”

O.H. Skinner is the executive director of the Alliance for Consumers, a Phoenix-based nonprofit committed to ensuring consumer protection efforts, class action lawsuits, and attorney general enforcement actions are consistent with the rule of law. He is also a member of the Washington, D.C.-based Federalist Society. 

FIVE WAYS TRUMP COULD DISMANTLE BIDEN’S CLIMATE AGENDA

Skinner called the bill “the latest attempt by left-wing politicians in New York to drive reliable energy production out of existence and force everyone to abide by their preferred Progressive Lifestyle Choices.”

“This policy will do nothing except raise energy prices for hardworking Americans and decrease our standard of living, while progressive elites pat themselves on the back for punishing disfavored industries,” Skinner told Fox.

The sun rises on the skyline of Midtown Manhattan and the Empire State Building in New York City. (Gary Hershorn)

“Whether it’s charging citizens to drive into their own city, banning new gas appliances, or foisting a massive new tax bound to significantly raise the price of energy, hardly a day goes by that New York government doesn’t implement ESG policies that make their citizens’ lives quantifiably worse,” said Consumers’ Research Executive Director Will Hild.

Fox News contributor David Webb said that the bill is “going to cost New Yorkers.”

“If you’re an energy company, you’re already guilty. They’re just going to decide over the next decade how they’re going to charge you for your guilt,” Webb told “Fox & Friends First,” calling Hochul a “far left governor” that is “bound to this ideology.”

However, proponents praised the legislation for requiring companies to pay for fossil fuel pollution in the state.

“By signing the Climate Change Superfund Act, Gov. Hochul is addressing the financial burden placed on New Yorkers by the fossil fuel companies,” said Richard Schrader, Director of New York Government Affairs at Natural Resources Defense Council, a nonprofit environmental organization. “It’s a key example of what putting fiscal fairness and environmental justice front and center looks like.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul is up for re-election in 2026. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket)

In total, 38 firms reportedly deemed carbon polluters will be on the hook, such as American oil giants Exxon and Chevron, as well as the UK’s Shell and BP.

Vermont remains the only other state to adopt similar pieces of legislation.

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The bill comes just weeks after Hochul rolled out a plan to offer payments of up to $840 to New York residents who switch out their washing machines for a green alternative.

Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser said Monday that she and President-elect Trump “had a great meeting to discuss our shared priorities” for his upcoming term, despite their previously contentious relationship that hit a fever pitch in 2020 during the George Floyd riots. 

“President Trump and I both want Washington, DC to be the best, most beautiful city in the world and we want the capital city to reflect the strength of our nation,” Bowser said. 

The Democratic mayor said she and Trump “discussed areas for the collaboration between local and federal government, especially around our federal workforce, underutilized federal buildings, parks and green spaces, and infrastructure.” 

“I am optimistic that we will continue to find common ground with the President during his second term, and we look forward to supporting a successful inauguration on January 20,” she added. 

NYPD OPERATING IN ‘HEIGHTENED THREAT ENVIRONMENT’ IN ADVANCE OF NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION

D.C. Mayor Bowser appears to be warming up to working with President-elect Donald Trump ahead of his second term. (Getty Images)

The statement’s tone is a far cry from Bowser’s messaging related to Trump four years ago, when the mayor declared that a portion of the street leading up to the White House that protesters spray-painted to read “Defund the Police” would be officially recognized by the District of Columbia as “Black Lives Matter Plaza.” Bowser and Trump publicly sparred over the use of the federal law enforcement to quell the riots and protests that engulfed the nation’s capital, as well as other American cities. 

As for Bowser’s reference to the “federal workforce,” congressional staffers and even a member of Congress, have fallen victim to carjackings and other violent crimes over the past year.

Just weeks ago, a congressional staffer from Texas was targeted by a group of armed men who held up about a dozen other people during the morning commute in Washington, the Washington Post reported.

Trump made it a promise on the campaign trail this year that he would revitalize D.C. and other American cities that he says have deteriorated in recent years under progressive policies that have fueled violent crime and emboldened offenders.

“We will rebuild our cities, including our capital in Washington DC, which has become a very dangerous and badly managed place. We’re going to make them safe, clean and beautiful again. We will teach our children to love our country, to honor our history, and to always respect our great American flag,” Trump said at his sold-out rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City. 

D.C. saw the largest surge in violent crime between 2022 and 2023 compared to any other large city in the country, WUSA reported in June, citing Department of Justice data highlighted by the Major Cities Chiefs Association earlier this year.

People walk down 16th street after “Defund The Police” was painted on the street near the White House on June 8, 2020. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser has renamed that section “Black Lives Matter Plaza” after days of protests over George Floyd. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

 DC VIOLENT CRIME DIPS 35% IN 2024, REACHES 30-YEAR LOW: US ATTORNEY

D.C. police and public safety officials on Monday, however, touted how violent crime in the capital in 2024 is on a record downward trajectory. 

Since 2023, homicides in Washington have declined by 32%, violent crime has dropped by 35% and overall crime is down 15%, DC Police Chief Pamela Smith and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Lindsey Appiah announced. 

The 35% dip in year-over-year crime constitutes a new 30-year low for D.C., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Mathew Graves noted earlier this month.

Bowser speaks at a homecoming event for The University of the District of Columbia on the main campus in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 15, 2024.  (Robb Hill for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Smith on Monday championed better use of technology, crediting how “the mayor approved the increase of CCTV cameras across the city.” 

The chief also said a sweeping D.C. crime bill enacted earlier this year served as a “morale booster” for officers, who expressed how they feel like they “could police again” with returned or new tools to use on the streets. 

The bill also made it easier for judges to order pre-trial detention. 

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Appiah, meanwhile, admitted that holding suspects accused of violent crimes ahead of trial – as opposed to releasing them back onto the street to re-offend – has contributed to the about-face. 

“Those who commit violent crime, particularly with guns, sometimes need to be held pre-trial,” Appiah said, according to WRC-TV. 

Immigration and border security were two issues that dominated news coverage and political debate in 2024, likely helping to decide the presidential election, as both candidates sought to present themselves as the best to tackle a historic border crisis and the consequences of the crisis were felt across the country.

In January, the U.S. remained in the throes of a migrant crisis that had exploded in 2021 and continued to roil the country throughout 2022 and 2023. In December 2023, encounters at the southern border hit a new record with more than 250,000 encounters in a single month.

It was a month that saw top Cabinet officials head to Mexico to attempt to persuade Mexican officials to do more to stop the flood of migrants heading north. As the presidential race, as well as congressional races, got into full swing in the early months of 2024, it became clear that the issue was likely to dominate the news cycle. Then-candidate Donald Trump promised to launch a mass deportation operation if elected, while President Biden touted a sharp drop in encounters since the beginning of the year as he also signed an executive order limiting asylum entries in June.

HOW HARRIS WAS DOGGED BY BORDER CZAR LABEL, PAST IMMIGRATION VIEWS DURING FAILED CAMPAIGN

Donald Trump speaks at the U.S.-Mexico border on Aug. 22, 2024, south of Sierra Vista, Ariz. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

Border deal on the table?

A potential breakthrough emerged in February when Republicans and Democrats announced a border security bill in the Senate. The package gained the support of the Biden administration but quickly drew opposition from conservatives as well as some liberal Democrats.

The bill included increased funding for border agencies as well as an emergency authority to shut down entries at the southern border when encounters exceed a rolling seven-day average of 5,000 encounters. It would also expedite work permits for migrants and tighten asylum screening language.

Conservatives said the bill would codify high-border encounters, but the Biden administration and both the Biden and Harris campaigns would cite the bill as a bipartisan solution to the crisis that former President Donald Trump was rejecting for political purposes. 

MIGRANT CRIME WAVE DURING BIDEN-HARRIS ADMIN UNDER SCRUTINY AMID SERIES OF ASSAULTS, MURDERS: A TIMELINE

Migrant crime makes headlines

Tragically, 2024 saw a number of high-profile crimes allegedly committed by illegal immigrants, bringing the issue to the radar of even more voters.

In February, the death of Laken Riley, a Georgia college student, would bring the issue of migrant crime back to the headlines. Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan illegal immigrant who had been released into the U.S. in 2022, was charged with her murder.

In July, two illegal immigrants were arrested on capital murder charges in the death of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston. The men are accused of luring her under a bridge, tying her up and killing her before throwing her body into a river. 

While immigration activists would point to stats suggesting that immigrants commit fewer crimes than American citizens, those talking points appeared to do little to stem the outrage about the deaths of people at the hands of illegal immigrants who conservatives argued shouldn’t have been let into the country in the first place.

Wish upon a czar

When President Biden announced he would not seek re-election, Vice President Harris became the nominee. Immediately, attention was drawn to her record leading the administration’s tackling of “root causes” of migration, a task that led her to be dubbed “the border czar” by some in the media and Republicans.

Vice President Harris visits the U.S.-Mexico border with Border Patrol Tucson Sector Chief John Modlin, right, in Douglas, Ariz., on Sept. 27, 2024. (REBECCA NOBLE/AFP via Getty Images)

She therefore became a target for questions over the Biden administration’s handling of the border crisis, but she faced additional pressure over her past radical positions on immigration she held during her 2019 presidential campaign. Her support for gender transition surgery for detained migrants hit the headlines and was used as a weapon against her by Republicans.

She would also move away from past statements in which she called for the decriminalization of illegal border crossings and for the closing of immigration detention centers. She had also mulled ICE starting again “from scratch.”

A Harris campaign adviser told Fox during the campaign that her positions have been “shaped by three years of effective governance as part of the Biden-Harris administration.”

Parole out of place

The Biden administration’s use of humanitarian parole to bring in thousands of migrants via the CBP One app, both at the southern border and by approving their travel into the U.S. from four countries, blew up during election season amid reports about how Haitian migrants were affecting towns throughout the U.S.

Trump repeated claims about Haitian migrants eating cats and dogs in Ohio during the presidential debate, marking one of the more viral moments of the debate with Harris.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

While that claim was unsubstantiated, the impact of mass migration on towns in Ohio and elsewhere continued to be an issue until Election Day.

Trump holds his ground

With the Trump-Harris Election Day line-up set, polls consistently showed Trump with a yawning gap over Harris on suitability to handle the border crisis and illegal immigration, while voters also cited it as a top issue for them – often only second behind the economy.

Harris repeatedly hammered Trump on his failure to support the bipartisan border security bill, but the gap never really closed between the two as Trump continued to assign the border crisis to her leadership as “border czar.”

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Trump would ultimately win the November election, and as he accepted victory, he reiterated his promise to voters.

“We’re going to fix our borders. We’re going to fix everything about our country,” he said.

Several political figures on both sides of the aisle increased their profile in 2024 and are primed to become key voices in their respective parties in 2025 and beyond.

Democrats suffered a major blow in 2024, in a year that saw President Biden bow out of the political race and be replaced by VP Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who lost both the Electoral College and popular vote in November. Going forward, several Democrats are expected to fill that leadership void heading into the midterms.’

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro

Shapiro was widely considered to be the strongest vice presidential candidate to join the Harris ticket this summer, and Harris received criticism for her decision to select Walz instead. Shapiro, viewed as a moderate by some, has been governor of the state since January 2023 and will face a re-election test in 2026 before any potential 2028 run.

HERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY EVENTUALLY RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2028

Rising stars in both parties are expected to emerge in 2025. (Getty Images)

Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes make it a key state in presidential elections, making Shapiro’s position as governor of that state an appealing attribute for any presidential candidate.

“Probably the biggest winner on election night,” Mike Manzo of Triad Strategies told ABC 27 last month. “If 2026 turns out to be a bad midterm for the Republicans, (Shapiro’s) sitting on the top of the ticket for in Pennsylvania. You know, so if he runs away with that the following January, he’s in Iowa.”

House Rep. Pat Ryan 

Ryan, who represents New York’s 18th Congressional District, was considered one of the most vulnerable incumbents heading into the November election but defeated his Republican challenger by 14 points in a swing district.

Since the election, Ryan has been one of the most outspoken Democrats on the subject of what went wrong for his party in November.

“First and foremost, if you’re using the words ‘moderate’ or ‘progressive’ you’re missing the whole f***ing point,” Ryan wrote on X. “It’s not ideological. It’s about who fights for the people vs. who further empowers and enables the elites.”

“Most importantly, I told folks exactly who it was that was ripping them off, and I grounded it locally. It’s the billionaires and big corporations making record-breaking profits while the rest of us struggle.”

GOP REP-ELECT OUTLINES HOW DOGE, TRUMP AGENDA WILL GET COUNTRY ‘BACK ON TRACK’: ‘NO MORE BUSINESS AS USUAL’

Josh Shapiro (Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images)

Ryan wrote, “It’s not enough to throw these seemingly disparate policies at people. We must articulate a unifying principle, and clearly tell folks who’s at fault.  For me, it was Freedom. and Patriotism. And the fault lies with the same elites, in both parties, who’ve run this country for far too long.”

Senator-elect Angela Alsobrooks 

Alsobrooks, who previously served as the chief executive of Prince George’s County in the suburbs of the nation’s capital, defeated popular Republican Larry Hogan by 11 points in the Maryland Senate race, becoming the first Black candidate to win a Maryland Senate race.

Alsobrooks campaigned heavily on gun control and abortion and won the clear support of women, Black and Latino voters, urban voters and college graduates over Hogan, according to AP VoteCast, a sweeping survey of more than 3,700 voters in the state. Even though Alsobrooks underperformed Vice President Harris among suburban and moderate voters, majorities backed her over Hogan in the heavily blue state.

“At times we struggle together, and we work to build a better future for all of our children,” Alsobrooks said after her victory in November. “And to those Marylanders whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote, but I want you to know that I hear your voice, and I will be your senator, too.”

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore

Maryland’s governor, Wes Moore, is also believed to be a rising voice in the Democratic Party after being elected as the state’s first Black governor in 2022.

Moore, a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and a Rhodes scholar, served as a captain in the Army before spending time as an investment banker and has labeled himself a “social moderate and strong fiscal conservative.”

‘UNIFIED GOVERNMENT’: INCOMING HOUSE REPUBLICAN REVEALS AGENDA FOR NEW CONGRESS AFTER OUSTING DEM INCUMBENT

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Moore’s leadership was thrust into the national spotlight this year when a container ship slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the Baltimore harbor, causing a collapse that took the lives of six construction workers.

In a post on X after the disaster, Moore said, “We are Maryland tough. We are Baltimore strong. In the face of danger, we hold out. In the face of heartbreak, we come together, and we come back stronger. That is what we’ve always done. That’s what we will continue to do.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom

While Newsom is not a political newcomer, he is expected to be one of the top candidates to run for president on the Democrat side in 2028 after establishing himself as one of the top surrogates for Biden and Harris during the last presidential cycle. 

Newsom, who has served as California governor since 2019, is term limited once his current tenure ends in January 2027. 

Republicans will enter the new year with control of the White House and Congress as the party prepares for four years of Trump’s leadership, while other Republicans will rise to become leaders in the party as the attention shifts to determining which voices will shape the party in the years to come during and post-Trump’s term.

KASPARIAN OF ‘YOUNG TURKS’ EXPLODES AT POSSIBILITY OF HARRIS BECOMING CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: ‘I’M GONNA MOVE!’

JD Vance, R-Ohio (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Vice President-elect JD Vance

Vance, 40, will be the presumptive frontrunner for president in 2028 given his position as Trump’s vice president and is expected to be one of the more prominent voices in the Republican Party over the next few years.

“The vice president will be in the catbird seat. No question about it,” longtime Republican consultant Dave Carney told Fox News Digital last month. Carney, a veteran of numerous Republican presidential campaigns over the past four decades, said that Vance “is the guy to beat.”

David Kochel, another longtime GOP strategist with plenty of presidential campaign experience, told Fox News that Vance is the frontrunner due to “the size and the scope of last week’s victory and the implied passing of the torch from Donald Trump.”

House Rep. Byron Donalds

Donalds, who has represented Florida’s 19th Congressional District since 2019, was a top surrogate for Trump on the campaign trail in 2024 and many believed he was on the short list of vice presidential candidates.

The Florida congressman has been an outspoken voice on cable news promoting Trump’s agenda and has also been one of the most prominent voices pushing back against the media’s attacks on Trump, often appearing on liberal networks defending the president-elect in hostile environments.

Donalds served on the Financial Services Committee and the Committee on Government Oversight and Accountability in the 118th Congress and was a member of the Congressional Blockchain Caucus, Freedom Caucus, and Republican Study Committee.

Senator-elect Bernie Moreno

Cleveland area businessman Bernie Moreno ended Dem. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s 17-year tenure in the Senate in November in a state Trump carried by 11 points. 

Since being elected senator, Moreno has established himself as one of Trump’s most loyal allies and was the first freshman senator to publicly defend and support Trump’s Cabinet picks and is expected to be one of Trump’s top representatives in Congress. 

Moreno, a supporter of term limits, has pledged to only serve two six-year terms in the Senate.

Representative-elect Abraham Hamadeh

Hamadeh previously served as a prosecutor and Army intelligence officer before being elected to represent Arizona’s 8th Congressional District in November.

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Vivek Ramaswamy, chair and co-founder of Strive Asset Management, center, arrives to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Dec. 5, 2024. (Al Drago)

The 33-year old, born to Syrian immigrants, has been a vocal supporter of Trump and the “Make America Great Again Agenda” and he told Fox News Digital last month that he and fellow Republicans will “hit the ground running with something very historic in the first hundred days.”

Hamadeh is set to serve on both the Veterans Affairs Committee and Armed Services Committee in the 119th Congress. 

“I am honored to serve on the Veterans Affairs and Armed Services Committees—two assignments I intentionally sought because our veterans and military deserve leaders who will fight for them,” Hamadeh told Fox News Digital in a statement about his committee assignments. “Putting America first starts with defending our homeland and honoring our veterans and their families.”

“Throughout my campaign, I made a promise to bring veterans’ issues to the forefront of our national priorities, and today, I am proud to fulfill that promise. This is a ‘promises made, promises kept’ moment as I lead the charge to honor our military leaders, support those who have served our nation, and ensure our veterans receive the care and respect they’ve earned. Serving those who served us is not just my duty—it’s a privilege.”

Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy

Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur believed to have a net worth of around $1 billion, burst onto the political scene in 2023 after throwing his hat into the 2024 presidential race before dropping out in January 2024 and quickly becoming a top surrogate for Trump’s campaign.

Ramaswamy was appointed to co-lead, along with Space X and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the Department of Government Efficiency, which will focus its efforts on trimming federal spending when the new administration takes over in January.

The 39-year-old native of southwest Ohio has been floated as a contender to replace outgoing Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Ramaswamy hasn’t ruled out that possibility and has said he is open to considering it. 

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

As Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire finishes up her tenure in the House of Representatives this week. After a dozen years of representing New Hampshire in Congress, she has a message for some of her older colleagues.

“Some of my colleagues in the House of Representatives who have been in Congress for decades, and they get very comfortable in districts that are deep, deep blue. They haven’t had a challenging election in a long time,” Kuster told Fox News Digital.

The 68-year-old Kuster, who won election and re-election six times in swing state New Hampshire’s competitive Second Congressional District, decided against running again for another term in 2024, partly because she felt it was time for a new generation of House Democrat leaders to take over and that she wanted to set an example.

“I did want to lead by example. I felt that 12 years was a good length of time to put my shoulder to the wheel and work hard for working families and veterans and farmers and save the planet and protect women’s rights. These were all important to me. But I think the generational change that is going on in the House Democratic Caucus is really important,” she emphasized.

TRUMP’S CONVINCING WIN SETS UP HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE FOR HOUSE REPUBLICANS IN 2026

Democrat Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire marches in an Independence Day parade on July 4, 2022, in Amherst, N.H. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

Kuster pointed to the generational shift among House Democrats with the overthrow of senior committee leaders in the weeks since November’s election, when the party lost control of the White House and Senate majority and narrowly failed to regain control of the House.

Pointing to some of her House Democrat colleagues in their 70s or 80s, Kuster said “they served their country well, but I don’t think there’s any shame in stepping down and saying there are other people that can do this job.”

HOUSE DEMOCRAT CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR GOES ONE-ON-ONE WITH FOX NEWS

But Kuster highlighted that she was not referring to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who takes over in January as the top Democrat on the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The former governor, who turns 78 next month, is considering running for re-election for a fourth six-year term in the Senate when she’s up in 2026.

“Let me just clarify. I’m not talking about Sen. Shaheen. I hope she will run for another term,” Kuster said. “I think she’s at the top of her game and doing an extraordinary job.”

Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

Kuster says another reason she decided against seeking re-election was due to her time-consuming efforts as chair of the New Democrat Coalition.

“It’s sort of the center left, pragmatic, get the job done, work across the aisle; I call it the can-do caucus,” she said.

Kuster noted that the New Democrat Coalition has “both a policy arm and a political arm, and so one of the reasons that I was stepping down is that I was doing a great deal of travel all across the country recruiting candidates to run for the House, and then raising resources and supporting their campaigns with strategy and consultants and communications, and just spending a lot of time on it, myself, welcoming them and helping them.”

THESE ARE THE DEMOCRATS WHO MAY RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2028

Kuster highlighted that while her party suffered major setbacks in the 2024 elections, “[A]mong the New Democrat candidates, we protected 20 out of 22 current members who were challenged in tough races. We call them the front line, and we will be welcoming 25 new members of the New Democrat coalition. It’s going to be up to 110 members.”

“We flipped nine seats from what we call red to blue, and most of those were won by [President-elect Donald] Trump, but our candidates outperformed the top of the ticket,” she said.

Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)

Kuster said “the message that we had was successful” and that the message focused on “lowering costs, about bringing people together to get the job done. We focused in on safety and security, not just immigration and the border, but crime in the community and non-violence in the schools.”

“We also talked about democracy, and we also talked about women’s reproductive health, but we really leaned in on costs and the economy and where the voters have the greatest concern. And so, it’s a message that I think will resonate,” she added.

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Kuster said she’s going to spend the next two years helping fellow Democrats as they reach for the House majority in 2026.

“My north star is for the Democrats to win back the House,” she said.

Kuster added that she wants to help “create the next generation of Democratic leaders” who advocate for a “center-left, pragmatic approach, working across the aisle getting the job done. I know from this cycle that that was very, very successful, and that’s where we won the seats.”

President-elect Donald Trump gave his “complete” and “total” endorsement of Mike Johnson ahead of next month’s expected fight to hold onto the House speakership. 

“The American people need IMMEDIATE relief from all of the destructive policies of the last Administration. Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday. “He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!”

Trump, championing the GOP as “the Party of COMMON SENSE,” also included a warning to Republicans.

“We ran a flawless campaign, having spent FAR LESS, with lots of money left over. They ran a very expensive ‘sinking ship,’ embracing DOJ & FBI WEAPONIZATION against their political opponent, ME. BUT IT DIDN’T WORK, IT WAS A DISASTER!!!” Trump wrote, adding: “LETS NOT BLOW THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY WHICH WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN.” 

JOHNSON ALLIES URGE TRUMP TO INTERVENE AS MESSY SPEAKER BATTLE THREATENS TO DELAY 2024 CERTIFICATION

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., talks to President-elect Donald Trump as they attend the 125th Army-Navy football game at Northwest Stadium on Dec. 14, 2024, in Landover, Maryland.  (Getty Images)

Deeming his win as the culmination of a “magnificent and historic Presidential Election of 2024,” Trump reiterated how he and Vice President-elect JD Vance picked up seven swing states, 317 electoral college votes and the popular vote by millions of voters. Trump also decried how it took several weeks after Election Day before the state of California certified its results. 

THE HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO FAILING TO ELECT A HOUSE SPEAKER QUICKLY

After last week’s government funding fight, Fox News projected that anywhere from four to 10 Republicans could oppose Johnson in the speaker’s race slated for Jan. 3.

Congress balked at a staggering, 1,500-page spending bill, then defeated a narrow, 116-page bill – which Trump endorsed. Things got worse when the House only mustered a scant 174 yeas for the Trump-supported bill, with 38 Republicans voting nay. Circumstances grew even more dire when the House actually voted to avert a holiday government shutdown – but passed the bill with more Democrats (196) than Republicans (170). Thirty-four Republicans voted nay.

Republican Party divisions reared their head over the past week on another issue – immigration, as Trump’s DOGE co-leaders Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk advocated for H1-B visas to hire foreign specialized workers. 

Trump listens as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., holds a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on April 12, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Though Trump saw a decisive victory in November, Republicans hold the majority in the House by only five seats. 

Trump’s post Monday also repeated allegations that Vice President Kamala Harris’ failed presidential campaign shelled out millions of dollars for celebrity endorsements. 

“Republicans are being praised for having run a ‘legendary’ campaign! Democrats are being excoriated for their effort, having wasted 2.5 Billion Dollars, much of it unaccounted for, with some being used to illegally buy endorsements,” he wrote. 

“($11,000,000 to Beyoncé, who never even sang a song, $2,000,000 to Oprah for doing next to nothing, and even $500,000 to Reverend AL, a professional con man and instigator, who agreed to ‘interview’ their ‘star spangled’ candidates, Kamala and Joe),” Trump added. 

Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, took to Instagram in November to deny reports that her daughter accepted upward of $10 million to endorse Harris at a Texas rally. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., shakes hands with Trump onstage at a House Republicans Conference meeting on Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“The lie is that Beyonce was paid 10 million dollars to speak at a rally in Houston for Vice President Kamala Harris. When In Fact: Beyonce did not receive a penny for speaking at a Presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harrris’s Rally in Houston,” Tina Knowles wrote at the time. 

Campaign finance records confirm that the Harris campaign paid Oprah Winfrey’s production company, Harpo Productions, $1 million. 

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Harris sat down for a friendly interview on Oct. 20 with MSNBC host Al Sharpton, an open supporter of Harris and the Democratic Party. Following Harris’ defeat by Trump, FEC filings revealed the Harris campaign gave two $250,000 donations to Sharpton’s nonprofit organization in September and October. MSNBC later said it was “unaware” that Harris’ presidential campaign paid $500,000 to Sharpton’s National Action Network. 

Fox News’ Chad Pergram and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report. 

German government officials accused Tesla founder Elon Musk on Monday of attempting to interfere in the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections on behalf of the country’s far-right political party, citing recent social media posts and a weekend op-ed doubling down on his endorsement.

Musk has attempted to bill the German Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party as the party best positioned to usher in a fiscally responsible economy in Germany—praising the party’s approach to regulations and taxes, while also strenuously defending against allegations of radicalism and neo-Nazi ties.  

His comments have sparked the ire of top German government officials, who noted Monday that the timing comes just weeks ahead of Germany’s snap parliamentary elections—and are, in their view, clearly intended to influence a German audience, regardless of whether Musk’s messaging accomplishes that goal. 

RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT SAYS IT IS WILLING TO IMPROVE TIES—BUT ONUS IS ON TRUMP TO MAKE FIRST MOVE

(Co-leader of German far-right party AfD Alice Weidel attends an AfD election campaign in front of the cathedral in Magdeburg, Germany, Monday, Dec. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi))

“It is indeed the case that Elon Musk is trying to influence the federal election,” German government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann told reporters at a press briefing Monday. 

Hoffmann said that Musk is free to express his opinion, adding: “After all, freedom of opinion also covers the greatest nonsense.”

Musk has come under sharp criticism for his apparent endorsement for the Alternative for Germany political party just weeks before it holds snap parliamentary elections in February.

Musk has railed against German Chancellor Olaf Scholz this fall as a “fool.” 

Musk also praised the AfD last week on his social media platform, X, writing: “Only the AfD can save Germany.”

Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrives on Capitol Hill.  (Anna Moneymaker/Getty)

Musk doubled down on his endorsement in an op-ed published in the German center-right newspaper, Welt am Sonntag.

“The portrayal of the AfD as right-wing extremist is clearly false, considering that Alice Weidel, the party’s leader, has a same-sex partner from Sri Lanka! Does that sound like Hitler to you? Please!” Musk said of AfD co-chair Alice Weidel.

He added that in his view, the AfD “can lead the country into a future where economic prosperity, cultural integrity and technological innovation are not just wishes, but reality.”

Those remarks have sparked criticism from current and former U.S. lawmakers, and from leaders in Berlin, who noted the party’s reputation as a neo-Nazi group. 

Hoffman, the German government spokesperson, said Monday that Musk’s endorsement of the AfD was “a recommendation to vote for a party that is being monitored [by domestic intelligence] on suspicion of being right-wing extremist,” and “which has already been recognized as partly right-wing extremist.” 

German health minister Karl Lauterbach, also a member of the Social Democratic party (SPD), criticized Musk’s intervention as “undignified and highly problematic.”

TRUMP URGED TO STEP IN TO UNITE GOP AS LAWMAKERS FEAR SPEAKER SHOWDOWN COULD DELAY ELECTION CERTIFICATION

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with House Republicans at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Washington, D.C. (Allison Robbert/AFP/via Getty Images)

All mainstream German political parties have ruled out working with the AfD, and its youth wing was designated as a “confirmed extremist” group by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency earlier this year. 

The AfD, for its part, has rejected that characterization.

The pushback from U.S. and German officials has done little to deter Musk, who used his op-ed to argue that the German economy is crippled by regulatory overreach and bureaucracy, describing the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as “the last spark of hope for this country.”

“The traditional parties have failed in Germany,” Musk wrote in the op-ed of Germany’s SPD and other mainstream parties. “Their policies have led to economic stagnation, social unrest, and the erosion of national identity.”

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The decision to run Musks’s op-ed in a center-right newspaper was heavily criticized and prompted Welt am Sonntag’s opinion editor, Eva Marie Kogel, to announce her resignation. 

Every two years, the period between the November election and when the new Congress begins is often the busiest swath of time for covering Congress.

Reporters are trying to figure out who won their elections and who lost. The existing Congress is back, attempting to prevent a government shutdown and often plowing through a landscape of other major legislation. There are often leadership elections. For instance, Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., defeated Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex., and Rick Scott, R-Fla., to succeed outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as the top GOP leader in the Senate. Thune begins as Majority Leader Friday afternoon. We still don’t know how much of a struggle House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., faces returning to the Speaker’s suite. It took former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., 15 rounds before he claimed the Speaker’s gavel in 2023.

Time management is a problem for me with so much going on. The new Congress starts at noon on January 3. So I spend the time between the election and the beginning of the new Congress learning, studying and memorizing the faces and biographies of as many incoming lawmakers as possible.

It’s time-consuming. It’s a challenge distinguishing some rookies from one another. Even getting the names and pronunciations right.

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It’s quite a learning curve.

This process intensifies during the holidays. It’s the final ramp-up to the launch of things on January 3.

Some people are easier to learn than others. Sens. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., were household names in the House before joining the Senate. In fact, they’ve already become senators. Other new senators are high-profile because they ran in competitive races. Think Sens.-elect Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., and Dave McCormick, R-Penn. Sen.-elect Jim Justice, R-W.V., didn’t face a challenging race to join the Senate. But Justice cut a national profile before winning – as did his constant canine companion Babydog.

But the real adventure is learning all of the new House Members.

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 04: Democratic Senate candidate U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) speaks during a Get Out The Vote meet and greet at IATSE Local 80 on March 04, 2024, in Burbank, California. Rep. Schiff continues to campaign ahead of the March 5th Super Tuesday primary.  (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The House is an enormous place. 435 people. Some new faces stand out in the House. But many are obscure. And it’s especially hard to learn some of them if they didn’t encounter a competitive race or were relative unknowns.

The House begins with 62 new Members plus non-voting delegates on Friday. My mission is to learn them all. 

My daily workout routine is a good opportunity for this. After all, the pace of Congress is kind of like a treadmill. But for my purposes, learning the freshman class is more like an elliptical. I go through the list of faces and names over and over again – as my legs churn each morning. I rotate through the entire House roster at least twice. I then carry the list to the stationary bike and study more there.

Some names are more prominent than others. For instance, Rep.-elect Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, was known before the election. He defeated Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, in a close race this fall. In addition, his surname is steeped in American political history – but mostly with the Democratic Party. His uncle is former Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska. His grandfather, the late Rep. Nick Begich, D-Alaska, was killed in a 1972 plane crash with late House Majority Leader Hale Boggs, D-La. Boggs is the father of late ABC and NPR journalist Cokie Roberts.

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I try to meet as many Members of the incoming freshman class as possible. But as I wrote earlier, bandwidth is limited. The freshmen all descend on the Capitol complex during this zany period after the election for orientation. There just aren’t enough minutes in the day.

But I was grabbing a drink with a good friend at The Monocle, a legendary Capitol Hill watering hole, a few weeks ago. I saw former Sen. Begich walk in – but couldn’t get his attention to say hello. A few moments later, the Congressman-elect walked by. I grabbed him by the arm, introduced myself and gave him a business card. 

Trust me: it is easier to memorize the freshman class if you meet members in person. And I was proud of myself for being able to pick out Rep.-elect Begich in a crowd – based on my studies.

Sen. Joe Manchin (I-WV) walks with staffers on the east front of the U.S. Capitol on June 5, 2024 in Washington, DC. Both chambers of Congress have a short week as members will be traveling to France for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion in Normandy. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images) (Kent Nishimura)

I spent a little time chatting with Reps.-elect Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., and Dave Taylor, R-Ohio. So I’m confident in knowing those members.

Then there are people who left Congress – and are back. Such is the case with former Reps. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., and Cleo Fields, D-La. Stutzman served in Congress just a few years ago and is returning. Fields served in the House nearly three decades ago in the 1990s when he was in his thirties.

I mentioned delegates a bit earlier.

Del.-elect Kimberlyn King-Hinds, R-Northern Mariana Islands, comes to Washington as a freshman in a few days. She succeeds retiring Del. Kilili Sablan, D-Northern Mariana Islands. I have not met King-Hinds yet. But multiple photos passed around show her wearing a tropical floral headpiece. I don’t know if that’s what King-Hinds wears all the time. But such apparel would make it easier to recognize King-Hinds.

For instance, the signature cowboy hat worn by Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., makes her stand out. 

GERMANY ACCUSES ELON MUSK OF TRYING TO INTERFERE IN ITS NATIONAL ELECTIONS

Then there are the pronunciations. Not every name is as easy as Rep.-elect Tim Moore, R-N.C., or Rep.-elect Gabe Evans, R-Colo. Try Rep.-elect Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va. It’s pronounced soo-bruh-MAHN—yum. The surname of Rep.-elect Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., is pronounced HAMM-uh-day. And the aforementioned Julie Fedorchak says her last name fedd-ORR-check. 

I conscripted Fox News Radio reporter Ryan Schmelz to quiz me on the backgrounds of some of the freshman – as well as match photos with names. I had no problem guessing correctly when Schmelz showed me the photo of Rep.-elect Sarah Elfreth, D-Md. She succeeds retiring Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md. 

But I stumbled when Schmelz pointed to a picture of Rep.-elect Maxine Dexter, D-Ore. I immediately knew the Congresswoman elect was named “Maxine.” I was positive she was a Democrat and hailed from Oregon. I even knew who she was succeeding: retiring Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore. But I didn’t get the last name. I wanted to say “Deeter.” But I knew that wasn’t right.

Democratic Mule and Republican Elephant statues in front of Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C. (Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

So, Schmelz stumped me there.

But that’s the learning process. And even though I didn’t know Dexter then, you can bet I won’t forget her now.

And look forward to meeting her. I have known her predecessor for years. 

But frankly, you don’t really learn the Members by studying a book. You learn them by seeing them in the hall. Chatting with them in the Speaker’s Lobby. Interacting with them in interviews. Seeing how they do in hearings. You watch how they handle themselves on the floor.

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And the best way to learn them?

Observing how they vote and perform as a Member of Congress.

A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a jury’s verdict finding Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing the writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s—delivering a blow to the president-elect, and leaving him on the hook for the $5 million payout ordered by the jury.

A three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit said Monday in an unsigned opinion that Trump had failed to demonstrate “that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings” and “has not carried his burden to show that any claimed error or combination of claimed errors affected his substantial rights as required to warrant a new trial.”

A federal jury ordered former President Donald Trump to pay E. Jean Carroll more than $83 million in damages after he denied allegations he had raped her in the 1990s. (Getty Images)

The decision comes after a New York jury last year found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll, a former Elle magazine advice columnist, in the dressing room of a Bergdorf Goodman store in the mid-1990s—and for subsequently defaming her when she came forward with her story during his first term in office.

In a separate case, Trump was also ordered by a jury to pay Carroll more than $80 million in damages for the defamatory statements made in his first term in the White House, though the president-elect’s appeal of that decision is still pending.

The decision was praised by Carroll’s attorney, Roberta Kaplan.

“Both E. Jean Carroll and I are gratified by today’s decision,” Kaplan said in a statement. “We thank the Second Circuit for its careful consideration of the parties’ arguments.” 

The Trump transition team were quick to respond to the decision Monday, which they vowed to appeal. They also took aim at what they described as the “political weaponization” of the courts.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 09: Writer E. Jean Carroll leaves a Manhattan court house after a jury found former President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990’s on May 09, 2023 in New York City. The jury awarded her $5 million in damages for her battery and defamation claims. Carroll has testified that she was raped by former President Trump, giving details about the alleged attack in the mid-1990s. Trump had stated that the attack never happened and has denied meeting her. He did not taken the stand during the trial.  (Spencer Platt/Getty Images))

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“The American People have re-elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate, and they demand an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and a swift dismissal of all of the Witch Hunts, including the Democrat-funded Carroll Hoax, which will continue to be appealed,” Trump transition spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung told Fox News in a statement Monday.

“We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again,” Cheung added.

This is a breaking news story. Check back soon for updates.

EXCLUSIVE: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ended two programs that provide social services to illegal immigrants who are released into the U.S. interior, telling lawmakers that one brings “immense cost with little improvement” and that another is out of line with ICE’s mission.

The agency responded to Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., and 15 members of Congress, who wrote to ICE in May asking for more information about the “Alternatives to Detention” program, which monitors illegal immigrants not in ICE detention. The agency defended the program and said it was “an efficient and effective” program for monitoring a segment of illegal immigrants on ICE’s non-detained docket.

ICE only has around 40,000 beds available to it at one time, while it has a non-detained docket of nearly 7.7 million people – a number that has soared during the Biden administration. Of those, just over 181,000 are enrolled in Alternatives to Detention monitoring program, where migrants are monitored either by an app check-in or a GPS monitor.

ICE DEPORTATIONS CATCH UP TO TRUMP-ERA NUMBERS IN FY 2024 AS BIDEN ADMIN COMES TO A CLOSE

This photo shows migrants at the southern border encountered in Arizona. (U.S. Border Patrol)

But in recent years, the agency has also created separate programs to offer various services and assistance to those not in detention. In the letter, the agency says that some of those programs are ending. One is the Wraparound Stabilization Service (WSS), which ICE says began in February 2020 and involves working with NGOs to offer “services that provide psychosocial and behavioral health support for vulnerable participants and their families who would benefit from additional stabilization services.”

ICE says the program stopped referrals in July, and that the program was ineffective in what it sought to do, having only a 2% higher compliance rate from those who took part in services compared to those who did not.

TRUMP’S TRANSITION TEAM EYES EXPANSION OF ANKLE MONITORS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS NOT IN CUSTODY

“ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations [ERO] notes the challenge with the WSS was its immense cost with little improvement,” it says. “As a result, ERO determined WSS was not cost effective enough to continue paying for these services when they did not benefit ICE or help the agency further its mission.”

ICE had previously cited difficulties with the program including a cumbersome identification and referral process, a substantial increase in participants and a lack of resources.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

Migrants wait in line to enter the shelter set up by the authorities for migrants as migrants wait for an appointment through the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) one application in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on May 23, 2023. (Christian Torres Chavez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The agency also says it had decided in June not to continue a vendor contract for the Young Adult Case Management (YACMP) program. That program offered 18-and 19-year-old migrants legal services, screenings, referrals to social service programs and human trafficking screenings. It started in 2023 and was present in 16 cities.

“In addition to fiscal limitations, a review of the program revealed that YACMP does not align with ERO’s mission or priorities. In short, ERO took steps to realign or stop using programs to address the budget challenges facing the agency,” the agency’s letter says.

The letter also provided information about the operation of the ATD tracking by app or GPS, known as the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP). ICE said that 98.6% of those with court tracking appeared at their court hearings overall, while 90.4% appeared for final hearings.  As of September, 13.2% of participants were being tracked by a GPS ankle or wrist device, and the average length on the program was 511.9 days.

Lawmakers had also asked about those who were charged or convicted of crimes while enrolled in ATD. The agency said that in FY 2024, there were 3,913 charges and 688 convictions for those in the program, including 10 sex offense convictions, 364 traffic offense convictions, two homicide convictions, four kidnapping convictions and 65 assault convictions.

The incoming Trump administration is eyeing a substantial increase in deportations, with President-elect Trump having promised a “historic” mass deportation operation. Fox Digital also reported this month that it wants to reduce numbers not in detention, while also increasing the use of ankle monitors on those who cannot be detained. 

Conservatives responded to the information provided to lawmakers by calling on the new administration to scrap even more programs providing services for illegal immigrants.

“ICE is a law enforcement agency not a charity. The billions of dollars DHS has wasted to bring millions of illegal aliens into the country and provide them excessive amenities should be redirected to getting every illegal alien safely back to their home country,” Lora Ries, director of The Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, told Fox News Digital.

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Ries called the services a “boondoggle” and said “there are several other similar initiatives that must meet the same fate under President Trump.” 

“Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars in conflict with an agency mission, we should see a massive increase in resources for detaining and deporting illegal aliens. If you don’t support the agency’s mission, you shouldn’t get a dime,” she said.

Welcome to the Fox News Politics newsletter, with the latest updates on the Trump transition, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.

Here’s what’s happening…

–2028 Watch: Here are the Democrats who may eventually jump into the next White House race

-U.S. appeals court upholds Trump verdict in E. Jean Carroll defamation case

-Biden admin suppressed intel officials’ views that supported COVID-19 lab leak theory

‘Complete and total endorsement’

President-elect Donald Trump gave his “complete” and “total” endorsement of Mike Johnson ahead of next month’s expected fight to hold onto the House speakership. 

“The American people need IMMEDIATE relief from all of the destructive policies of the last Administration. Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday. “He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!”

Trump, championing the GOP as “the Party of COMMON SENSE,” also included a warning to Republicans…Read more

PALM BEACH, FLORIDA – APRIL 12: Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump listens as Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a press conference at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on April 12, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida. They spoke about  “election integrity,” which has been one of the former president’s top issues.  (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Remembering President Carter

(Original Caption) 3/24/1979-Elk City, Okla.: Closeup of President Jimmy Carter, addressing a town meeting. American flag in background. (Getty Images)

PICTURES OF A LIFE: Jimmy Carter: His life in pictures…Read more

AIR TRAVEL FOR ALL: How former President Jimmy Carter transformed the airline industry…Read more

TOP 10: Jimmy Carter nears the top of America’s ‘Most Admired Man’ list, according to Gallup…Read more

HUMANITARIAN WORK: Former President Jimmy Carter remembered and praised as a humanitarian around the world…Read more

Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize. Oslo City Hall, Dec. 10, 2002. (The Carter Center)

‘NIGHTMARE’: Jimmy Carter attacked by ‘killer rabbit’ highlighted presidency struggles…Read more

‘A SERVANT’S HEART’: Carter’s death spurs outpouring of tributes from state leaders of both parties: ‘A servant’s heart’…Read more

White House

‘THANK YOU HILLARY!’: Trump hails Florida Dem’s decision to ditch party, join GOP…Read more

PRICEY PROTECTION: Biden’s Defense Department announces new multi-billion-dollar aid packages for Ukraine…Read more

TOPSHOT – (L-R) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shakes hands with US President Joe Biden during an event with world leaders launching a Joint Declaration of Support for Ukrainian Recovery and Reconstruction on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2024. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) (Andrew Cabalero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images))

World Stage

ACHTUNG, ELON: Germany accuses Elon Musk of interfering in election…Read more

Capitol Hill

‘NOTHING WAS GAINED’: Trump accuses former Speaker Kevin McCarthy of ‘one of the dumbest political decisions made in years’…Read more

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a legislation signing rally with local farmers on February 19, 2020 in Bakersfield, California. ( David McNew/Getty Images)

HOUSE BATTLE: Trump’s convincing 2024 victory sets House GOP up for homefield advantage in 2026 midterm elections…Read more

UNCONVINCED: Rep. Victoria Spartz demands ‘assurances’ Speaker Johnson ‘won’t sell us out to the swamp’…Read more

Across America

PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED: Kentucky to consider bill that would hold parents accountable for children’s gun crimes…Read more

‘OZEMPIC SANTA’: Elon Musk admits to taking controversial weight loss drug previously opposed by RFK Jr...Read more

Elon Musk, left, and RFK Jr, right (AP)

BORDER HORROR: Smugglers abandon two migrant girls at southern border with note to authorities…Read more

DEI: These six states banned or limited DEI at colleges and universities in 2024…Read more

**NOTE: We are publishing tomorrow, New Year’s Eve, but will not publish on New Year’s Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.**

Get the latest updates on the Trump presidential transition, incoming Congress, exclusive interviews and more on FoxNews.com.

After announcing his citizen law enforcement group, the “Guardian Angels,” would be returning to patrol the New York subway, Curtis Sliwa is pushing back against New York Mayor Eric Adams and slamming the city’s migrant sanctuary policies, saying: “We’re in a crime crisis.” 

Sliwa announced the Guardian Angels would be resuming safety patrols on New York subway trains after a woman was burned to death on the New York City subway during Christmas week. The New York Post reported Sliwa saying the group would resume its patrols of the subway, walking up and down the inside of the trains “day and night.”

The Guardian Angels founder called the brutal subway murder the “deadly consequences of NYC remaining a sanctuary city.”  

“We have 56,000 migrants identified as criminals by ICE roaming our streets, and vulnerable homeless folks left sleeping on our subways because shelters are filled and dangerous,” he said on X. “But Adams and City Hall pretend the city is safe and under control! While everyday New Yorkers see disturbing crime right before our eyes every single day!”

CRITICS SPECULATE WHY BYSTANDERS FAILED TO SAVE WOMAN BURNING ON NYC SUBWAY: ‘DANIEL PENNY FACTOR’ | FOX NEWS VIDEO

Guardian Angels founder Curtis Silwa, who was the New York City Republican mayoral nominee that lost to Eric Adams in 2021, believes the mayor is helping migrant families over the people who voted him into office.  (REUTERS/Mike Segar)

Recognizable by their distinctive red berets and jackets, Sliwa founded the Guardian Angels in 1979, and the group became a regular presence on the subway during many of the city’s most crime and homicide-ridden years. 

Currently, murders on the New York City subway are up by 60%, according to the New York Post. The outlet reported in September that eight people had been killed on subway trains in New York City, up from five during the same period in 2023.

After last week’s brutal killing, Sliwa announced the Guardian Angels would be making a return to the New York subway and beefing up its presence on trains throughout the city. He said group members would be conducting wellness checks on homeless individuals and alerting police and subway authorities when there are problems.

“We’re going to have to increase our numbers, increase the training and increase our presence as we did back in 1979,” said Sliwa. “We went from 13 to 1,000 back then within a period of a year. Because the need was there. The need is here now once again. We’re going to step up. We’re going to make sure we have a visual presence just like we had in the ’70s, 80’s and ’90s.”

SUSPECT ACCUSED OF BURNING WOMAN TO DEATH ON NYC SUBWAY IS PREVIOUSLY DEPORTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT

Members of the Guardian Angels participate in a safety patrol at a subway stop for preventing crime June 11, 2021 in New York, New York. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Despite this, Adams’ office slammed the Guardian Angels’ announcement.

Kayla Mamelak Altus, a representative for Adams, told Fox News Digital that the mayor has “surged 1,000 police officers per day into the subways, has brought down overall crime, and transit crime, delivering real action — not theatrics.”

“Mayor Adams is committed to improving the lives of New Yorkers, which is why he frequently rides the subway to speak directly with everyday riders about how we can make it safer,” said Altus. 

“But he knows there’s still more work to be done,” Altus added. “Unlike others who only seek attention with meaningless stunts, Mayor Adams remains focused on real solutions.”

MAYOR ADAMS CALLS FOR THE ‘INVOLUNTARY REMOVAL’ OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ‘A DANGER TO OTHERS’ ON THE STREETS

New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at City Hall following a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming “border czar” Tom Homan, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, in New York.  (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)

In response, Sliwa urged Adams to station more police officers in the subway and challenged the mayor to join him in doing regular daily patrols on the subway to see how bad the problems have gotten since the surge in migrants in the city. 

“Head into the subway and patrol yourself,” Sliwa said, speaking directly to Adams. “I’ll match him. I go four hours a day, even with my busy schedule. The mayor has a busy schedule. He can run one patrol with his police. I’ll run a patrol with the Guardian Angels. That’s two more patrols we will have that we didn’t have before.” 

“We’re in a crime crisis, and the mayor should be happy to accept anybody’s help at this time,” he told Fox News Digital. “So, if we’re willing to patrol on the subways where it’s desperately needed in the cars as they’re moving, why would the mayor or anyone say it’s theatrics?”

“The mayor and the governor have not met their primary responsibility, which is to provide public safety to the people in the subway,” he went on. “So, if you’re unwilling to do the job or maybe you can’t and won’t admit it, they should be welcoming all the help they can get from an organization that is renowned for 46 years of service to New Yorkers, asking nothing in return.” 

DR. PHIL WITNESSES TENSE HOMELESS ALTERCATION WHILE TOURING SUBWAY WITH MAYOR ADAMS

Two people have been wounded after a knife-wielding maniac went on a stabbing rampage in New York City’s Grand Central Station on Christmas Eve.  (FOX 5 NYC)

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He said that most of the attacks are being carried out by “emotionally disturbed people” who live in the subways. 

“These attacks can occur anytime, anywhere, any place, to anybody, in any part of this city, and especially the subway,” he explained. “Shame on us for letting that happen. We need to rescue these people and get them mental health care. Shame on the fact that the mayor spent billions of our tax dollars housing migrants, but not our own citizens who live in the subways. The subway trains have become moving hotels.

“If the mayor was doing a good job… nobody would be asking for the Guardian Angels to patrol the subways,” he added. “The people want police, and if they don’t have police, they’re more than happy to accept the service of the volunteer Guardian Angels.”

Following the death of former President Jimmy Carter, President Biden on Monday signed an executive order closing all executive departments and agencies of the federal government on Jan. 9.

The closures, which Biden described as a “mark of respect” for the 39th president, will be in effect on the day of the late former president’s funeral.

Carter will lie in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., before being buried at the Washington National Cathedral, according to statements from the White House and Carter Center.

Biden signed a proclamation on Sunday, declaring Jan. 9 as a National Day of Mourning and ordering all American flags to fly at half-staff for the next 30 days.

JIMMY CARTER, 39TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DEAD AT 100

President Jimmy Carter addressing a town meeting.

“I call on the American people to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr.,” Biden wrote in a statement. “I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance.”

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter speaks to the congregation at Maranatha Baptist Church before teaching Sunday school in his hometown of Plains, Georgia on April 28, 2019.  (Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Carter, whose family owned a peanut farm in Plains, Georgia, attended the United States Naval Academy and served in both the Atlantic and Pacific fleets. 

He was later elected state senator, Georgia’s 76th governor and president of the United States — playing key roles in the creation of the modern Department of Education and the Department of Energy, conservation efforts, and nuclear nonproliferation.

JIMMY, ROSALYNN CARTER’S HABITAT FOR HUMANITY LEGACY WILL CONTINUE, ORGANIZATION SAYS

Jimmy Carter, Democratic presidential candidate, and his wife, Rosalynn, share a moment aboard his campaign plane

“As President, he understood that Government must be as good as its people — and his faith in the people was boundless, just as his belief in America was limitless and his hope for our common future was perennial,” according to a statement from the White House. “Guided by an unwavering belief in the power of human goodness and the God‑given dignity of every human being, he worked tirelessly around the globe to broker peace; eradicate disease; house the homeless; and protect human rights, freedom, and democracy.”

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Carter’s late wife, Rosalynn, stood by his side for more than 77 years.

Billionaire entrepreneur and top adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk, touted that he has reaped the benefits of a controversial class of weight-loss drugs, after fellow top Trump adviser, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said the trendy new class of drugs is bad for Americans’ health. 

“Ozempic Santa” Musk posted to X, formerly Twitter, on Christmas Day, alongside an image of himself in front of a well-decorated Christmas tree dressed as Santa Claus — but without his signature big belly. “Like Cocaine Bear, but Santa and Ozempic!”

In a follow-up post, Musk clarified that he is taking the brand-name version called Mounjaro, but said the clunky name didn’t “have the same ring to it.”

‘MRS. DOUBTFIRE’ STAR DOWN 120 POUNDS AFTER WEIGHT-LOSS DRUG MAKES HIM FEEL ‘LIKE A NORMAL PERSON’

Musk has been tapped by Trump — along with former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy — to head the soon-to-be Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) aimed at cutting down on wasteful government spending and red tape. Meanwhile, Kennedy is Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and, if confirmed, Trump has given Kennedy permission to “go wild on health” as long as he doesn’t interfere with Trump’s domestic energy goals.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks with Donald Trump during a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa.  (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)

Musk’s social media post over the holidays turned heads, considering Kennedy has expressed opposition to semaglutide. Originally developed as a diabetes medication, semaglutide has been used more widely in recent years for its appetite-suppressing effects.

“There’s a huge push to sell this to the American people,” Kennedy said of the semaglutide medication Ozempic when asked about his thoughts on the medication in October by Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld. “They make this drug in Denmark, and in Denmark they do not recommend it for diabetes, or for obesity. They recommend dietary and behavioral changes.” 

“They’re counting on selling it to Americans because we are so stupid and so addicted to drugs,” Kennedy added. He also concluded that the U.S. could solve the obesity crisis in America “overnight” if they just had access to, and ate, better quality food.

WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS COULD SHAKE UP FOOD INDUSTRY

Kennedy has run on a platform to “Make America Healthy Again,” but Ozempic, he says, will not help in those efforts. Musk, however, has said that “nothing would do more to improve public health” than making Ozempic more widely available.

During President Joe Biden’s final days in office, his administration proposed expanding Medicare and Medicaid coverage for semaglutides to make them more widely available for those who want to reap the weight-losing benefits of the drug.   

President-elect Trump shared a McDonald’s meal with Elon Musk, Donald Trump Jr., House Speaker Mike Johnson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Donald Trump Jr./X)

Besides Musk, Kennedy could also potentially clash with Trump’s pick to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Mehmet Oz, who has also expressed support for drugs like Ozempic. 

“I think the amount of good done by these medications by helping people lose weight and improve their cardiovascular system — and it might have long-term benefits in a lot of other areas as well, where obesity causes inflammation — is massive,” Oz said last year in a video posted to his Instagram account.

CHEAP OZEMPIC KNOCK-OFFS HAVE RISEN IN POPULARITY – BUT ARE THEY SAFE?

Kennedy, who very well could become Oz’s boss if they are both approved by the Senate, appeared to scale back his criticism of the new weight-loss drug amid his efforts to court support for his nomination from members of Congress.

Former Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gives remarks at the Renaissance Phoenix Downtown Hotel on Aug. 23, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona, ahead of his decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race and throw his support behind Trump. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

“The first line of response should be lifestyle. It should be eating well, making sure that you don’t get obese,” Kennedy said during a quick interview with CNBC on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, before adding that anti-obesity drugs like Ozempic “have a place” in the American medical community.  

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Representatives for Musk, Kennedy and the Trump transition team did not provide a comment to Fox News Digital for this story.