NationalWatch

The returning head of the House Republican campaign committee says President-elect Trump’s convincing 2024 White House victory gives the GOP plenty of home field advantage as the party aims to defend its razor-thin majority in the 2026 midterm elections.

“The battlefield is really laying out to our advantage. There are 14 Democrats who won seats also carried by Donald Trump. There are only three Republicans in seats that were carried by Kamala Harris. So that tells me we’re going to be on offense,” National Republican Congressional Committee chair Rep. Richard Hudson emphasized in a recent Fox News Digital interview.

Trump carried all seven crucial battleground states and, for the first time in three presidential elections, won the national popular vote as he defeated Vice President Harris last month.

VANCE TO LIKELY BE 2028 GOP PRESIDENTIAL FRONT-RUNNER, BUT RNC CHAIR ALSO LIKES PARTY’S ‘BENCH’

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP/Evan Vucci)

The Republicans also flipped control of the Senate from the Democrats, and even though they had a net loss of two seats in the 435-member House, they’ll hold a fragile 220-215 majority when the new Congress convenes next month.

Eight years ago, when Trump first won the White House and the GOP held onto their House majority, Democrats targeted roughly two-dozen Republicans in the 2018 midterms in districts Trump lost in the 2016 election.

The Democrats, in a blue-wave election, were successful in flipping the House majority. 

Fast-forward eight years, and it’s a different story, as this time Republicans will be defending seats on friendly turf in districts that the president-elect carried.

“There’s a whole lot more opportunity for us to go on offense,” Hudson, who’s represented a congressional district in central North Carolina for a dozen years, touted.

SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE CHAIR SPELLS OUT HIS 2026 MISSION

Hudson also made the case that House Republicans who will once again be targeted by the Democrats in the upcoming election cycle are “really battle tested. I mean, they’re folks who’ve been through the fire before. They’ve gone through several cycles now with millions of dollars spent against them.”

“They’ve been able to succeed because they work very hard in their districts. They’ve established very strong brands, as you know, people who know how to get things done and how to deliver for their community,” he emphasized. “The Republicans who are in tough seats are our best candidates.”

The three House Republicans who are in districts that Harris carried last month are Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Mike Lawler of New York.

Now-President-elect Donald Trump greets Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

But there will be a big difference in 2026: Trump, who helped drive low propensity voters to the polls this year, won’t be on the ballot in the 2026 midterms. 

“I certainly would rather have him on the ballot because he turns out voters that don’t come out for other candidates,” Hudson acknowledged.

But he argued, “If you look at the way this race is shaping up, we campaigned on a key set of issues of things that we promised we would deliver. If we deliver those things and have Donald Trump there with us campaigning with our candidates, I believe we can drive out a higher percentage of those voters than we have in midterms in the past.”

Hudson said Trump “was a great partner” with House Republicans this year and will be again in the upcoming election cycle.

“[Trump] cares deeply about having a House majority because he understands that a Democrat House majority means his agenda comes to a grinding halt. And so he’s been very engaged, was a very good partner for us this last election, and I anticipate that continuing.”

Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, is interviewed by Fox News Digital on Dec. 11, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)

Hudson, who is returning for a second straight cycle chairing the NRCC, said that at the top of his committee to-do list are candidate recruitment and fundraising.

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“I mean, first thing, we’ve got to go out and recruit candidates. You know, candidate quality matters. And then we’ve got to go raise the money. And so I’ll be on the road and be out there helping our incumbents. But I’m looking forward to it,” he emphasized.

Fox News’ Emma Woodhead contributed to this report

Editors note: Fox News Digital also interviewed Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington. That report will be posted on Friday.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., blocked a Senate bill Wednesday that would have authorized resources for state and local authorities to track drones that have mystified residents across New Jersey and the Northeast in recent weeks. 

Paul objected to the passage of the bill, citing his long-standing concerns over expanding governmental powers. 

“This body must not rush to grant sweeping surveillance powers without proper consideration and debate by the committees of jurisdiction,” he said.

‘DRONE’ SIGHTINGS IN THE NORTHEAST SPARK ‘UNFOUNDED’ PANIC, SAYS EXPERT

Sen. Rand Paul, ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, blocked a bill Wednesday that would have allowed local law enforcement agencies to track aerial drones. (AP)

Paul said the bill would “expand federal authority to intercept communications and disrupt drone activity – powers that raise serious concerns for Americans’ privacy, civil liberties, and Fourth Amendment protections against unwarranted search and seizure.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sought to speed a bipartisan bill through the Senate by seeking unanimous consent on the floor before it was blocked by Paul. 

“The people in New York and New Jersey have a lot of questions, and they’re not getting good enough answers,” said Schumer. “The utter confusion surrounding these drone sightings shows that the feds can’t respond all on their own.”

NJ DRONE SIGHTINGS COULD BE A ‘CLASSIFIED EXERCISE’: FORMER CIA OFFICER

Photos taken in the Bay Shore section of Toms River of what appear to be large drones hovering in the area at high altitudes in New Jersey on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024. The drones seemed to be well above the 400 feet height FAA regulations allow. (Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press)

In addition to giving local authorities the ability to track drones, the proposed legislation would expand some federal agencies’ authority to start a pilot program to allow states and local authorities to disrupt, disable or seize a drone without prior consent of the operator.

The drone sightings across the Northeast have worried some local and state officials, but the Biden administration has said the drones don’t appear to be a sign of foreign interference or a public safety threat.

However, they have not determined who is responsible for them. 

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President-elect Trump last week called for the administration to release information on the drones or shoot them down. Paul, who has often called for limiting governmental powers, said he objected to the bill because it wasn’t clear that urgent action was needed. 

“We’re being told that this legislation is urgent, that it is needed to address an imminent drone threat,” he said. “Yet the government itself admits no such threat exists.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he plans to double the number of state jobs that will no longer require a college degree — joining states like Minnesota, Virginia and Pennsylvania, which have already dropped degree requirements for most public jobs. 

Newsom unveiled his Master Plan for Career Education framework on Monday, which included eliminating the college degree requirement for 30,000 jobs in the state.

The Democratic governor plans to double the number by removing the requirement for an additional 30,000 in the coming years in an overall effort to “help Californians translate their skills and knowledge into real progress toward a degree or career.”

“Every Californian deserves the opportunity to build real-life skills and pursue a fulfilling career — including those that don’t require college degrees,” Newsom said in a statement. “California is working to ensure that every person has what they need to get a well-paying, long-lasting job so we can build an economy for the future that supports all families.”

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP LAUNCHES SIX-FIGURE AD BUY AGAINST NEWSOM’S ‘CLIMATE LEADERSHIP’

California Governor Gavin Newsomis eliminating a college degree requirement for 30,000 state government jobs. (Mario Tama)

The framework also includes plans to establish “Career Passports” for citizens that will create a digital record of their skills and abilities for job applications. 

Veterans will also see new benefits, with the plan allowing them to gain college credit for their military experience.

EPA GRANTS CALIFORNIA PERMISSION TO BAN GAS CAR SALES BY 2035

Reducing the emphasis on needing a college degree to secure a career has been endorsed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump. Musk recently stated that he believes “the value of a college education is somewhat overweighted.”

“Too many people spend four years, accumulate a ton of debt and often don’t have useful skills that they can apply afterwards. I have a lot of respect for people who work with their hands, and we need electricians and plumbers and carpenters and that’s a lot more important than having incremental political science majors,” Musk said while on the campaign trail for Trump. “I think we should not have this idea that in order to be successful you need a four-year college degree.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro previously removed the college degree requirement for more than 90% of state government jobs. (Gilbert Carrasquillo)

Newsom’s framework was released just months after a report found that the majority of students at for-profit colleges never graduate, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. The report found that only 36% of students graduate in four years at California State University, while 62% graduate within six years. 

The elimination of college degree requirements for state jobs has received bipartisan support in recent years. 

Maryland, under Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, became the first state in the nation to eliminate degree requirements for most state jobs in 2022, setting the stage for more than a dozen other states to follow in his footsteps with similar orders.

President-elect Donald Trump and Elon Musk watch the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship rocket on Nov. 19, 2024 in Brownsville, Texas. (Brandon Bell)

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued an executive order in 2023 to establish that 92% of state government jobs would no longer require a college degree, a move that received praise from Republican state lawmakers who said the decision was “a step in the right direction.”

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Additionally, the 2024 GOP platform framework, released during the presidential campaign cycle, stated that “Republicans will support the creation of additional, drastically more affordable alternatives to a traditional four-year college degree.”

Nearly one year after mysterious drones hovered near a top-secret military base in Virginia for 17 days, Sen. Tim Kaine says he is “very frustrated” with “so many unanswered questions” that remain. 

The Virginia Democrat said his state delegation will get a classified briefing on the situation Thursday. 

For more than two weeks in December 2023, the mystery drones flew into restricted airspace over the installation, home to key national security sites and the F-22 Raptor stealth fighters. 

The Pentagon has said little about the incidents other than to confirm they occurred after a Wall Street Journal report in October. If officials know where the drones came from or what they were doing, they haven’t shared it with Congress. 

RENEWAL OF COUNTER-DRONE AUTHORITY, CHINA CRACKDOWNS IN LAST-MINUTE GOVERNMENT FUNDING EXTENSION

“We’re kind of at the year anniversary of these incursions at Langley. And I’m very frustrated with the fact that there’s still so many unanswered questions,” Kaine told Fox News Digital. 

Lack of a standard protocol for such incursions left Langley officials unsure of what to do, other than allow the 20-foot drones to hover near their classified sites. 

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., April 27, 2021.  (Susan Walsh/AP Photo/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

As defense-minded lawmakers sought more answers, Langley officials referred them to the FBI, who referred them to Northern Command, who referred them to local law enforcement, one congressional source said. 

“I’m going to keep pushing the federal agencies to get their act together and have a clear agency that’s responsible for answering rather than all pointing their fingers at each other and telling us that you got to go to some other agency to get an answer,” said Kaine. 

The drones over Langley “don’t appear to be armed, but they are there for at least surveillance purposes. And they interrupted training exercises at Langley.”

And during the recent drone phenomenon in New Jersey, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have been spotted near Picatinny Arsenal and over President-elect Trump’s golf club in Bedminster. Trump said he canceled a trip to his golf club due to the drone sightings. 

Drone incursions at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio prompted the base to close its airspace Friday night, and UAS sightings have occurred at U.S. military bases in the United Kingdom and Germany. 

A spending bill that must pass before the end of the week includes a reauthorization of the government’s counter-drone authorities. But it is a simple reauthorization of a program many drone experts say is outdated. National security-minded lawmakers and experts have implored Congress to take up legislation that would grant the government greater detection capabilities and give state and local law enforcement the authority to deal with unauthorized drones. 

An F-22 fighter jet takes off from Langley Air Force Base to shoot down China’s spy balloon.  (USNORTHCOM)

U.S. capabilities offer many different ways to take down a drone, including shooting them, zapping them with heat lasers and jamming the frequencies so they stop working and fall out of the sky.

Whether Congress needs to change laws is a point of contention, but one thing that is clear is incursions like the one at Langley prompt confusion over legal authority. 

“This is a little bit of a problem of too many cooks. And it’s not clear who is the chef,” said Kaine. “The FAA is looking at it. The FBI is looking at it. DOD looking at it.

PLANES, STARS AND HOBBYISTS: LAWMAKERS INSIST NOTHING ‘NEFARIOUS’ IS HAPPENING IN NJ SKIES

“This is a lot clearer if there’s a drone incursion over a base in a war zone like Syria, for example, or Iraq at a base where U.S. military personnel are positioned. The authorities to knock these drones down in that setting are much clearer than if there’s a drone incursion over a base on domestic soil. OK, not going to drone down over the city of Hampton, where the debris might fall into neighborhoods. The authorities on that aren’t so clear.” 

A drone  (Jens Büttner/picture alliance via Getty Images)

When drones encroach near bases overseas, the rules of engagement give service members more leeway to engage with them. 

However, U.S. law does not allow the military to shoot down drones near its bases unless they pose an imminent threat. While Langley has the authority to protect its coastal base, the Coast Guard has the authority to protect the waters and the Federal Aviation Administration has authority over U.S. airspace, some of the most congested with commercial airliners in the world. 

Last week, a Chinese national was charged with flying an unauthorized drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. In October, Chinese national Fengyun Shi was sentenced to six months in prison for capturing drone footage over Huntington Ingalls Industries Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, 10 miles from Langley Air Force Base. 

Two months prior to Langley, in October 2023, five drones flew over the Energy Department’s Nevada National Security Site, which is used for nuclear weapons experiments. U.S. authorities were not sure who was behind those drones either. 

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A Chinese surveillance balloon traversed over the U.S. for a week last year before the Air Force shot it down off the coast. 

The U.S. Air Force’s Plant 42 in California, home to highly classified aerospace development, has also seen a slew of unidentified drone incursions in 2024, prompting flight restrictions around the site. 

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…

-Congress unveils bill to avert Friday government shutdown with over $100B in disaster aid

–Supreme Court to take up challenge to TikTok ban

-Biden sinks to all-time low, while Trump’s numbers rise, in new national poll

Gaetz Ethics Report to Be Released

The House Ethics Committee has decided to release its report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

Lawmakers on the secretive panel voted to make the report public after the final votes of this year – which are slated for Thursday.

The House Ethics Committee’s multi-year investigation into Gaetz, involving allegations of sex with a minor and illicit drug use, came to an abrupt halt last month after he resigned from Congress hours after President-elect Trump tapped him to be his attorney general…Read more

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 16: Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) (R) and Andy Ogles (R-TN) listen as former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court on May 16, 2024 in New York City. Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records last year, which prosecutors say was an effort to hide a potential sex scandal, both before and after the 2016 presidential election. Trump is the first former U.S. president to face trial on criminal charges. (Angela Weiss-Pool/Getty Images)

White House

COAL BURN: WV Democrats say Biden’s ‘egregious’ pardon choices are ‘what we would expect from Trump’…Read more

‘WRONG-HEADED’: Energy industry leaders blast Biden admin report on natural gas exports…Read more

Supreme Court

‘RECKLESS’ SCOTUS: Justice was wrong to appear in ‘queer’ musical as court weighs trans case, expert says… Read more

Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has a walk-on role in the “queer” Broadway musical “& Juliet.” (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for The Atlantic | Photo by Bruce Glikas/WireImage)

World Stage

11th HOUR FUNDING DEAL: Renewal of counter-drone authority, China crackdowns in last-minute government funding extension…Read more

51ST STATE: Trump says US subsidies to Canada make ‘no sense,’ suggests Canadians want to joint he Union…Read more

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with President-elect Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida on Friday to discuss topics like the economy, illegal immigration and a proposed 25% tariff. (Justin Trudeau X)

Trump Transition

TWO MORE AMBASSADORS: Trump names Herschel Walker, Nicole McGraw to ambassador positions before issuing warning to GOP senators…Read more

‘NOTHING’: Pete Hegseth says he hasn’t heard from West Point since employee ‘error’ denying his acceptance…Read more

FARMING FRUSTRATION: Farm state Republicans appear skeptical about RFK amid his quest for HHS confirmation…Read more

NEW GAMEPLAN: New mission for longtime Trump ally and friend Herschel Walker…Read more

Former college football star and current senatorial candidate Herschel Walker speaks at a rally, as former U.S. President Donald Trump applauds, in Perry, Georgia, U.S. September 25, 2021.  (REUTERS/Dustin Chambers)

‘SHOULD NOT PASS’: Key Trump ally comes out against massive emergency spending plan…Read more

CALMING FEARS: Senator says RFK told him that he agrees with Trump on abortion, will have light touch regulating farmers…Read more

Capitol Hill

ON THE HILL: Spate of health scares and violent threats highlight growing vulnerabilities for lawmakers on Capitol Hill…Read more

‘HOUSE IS ON FIRE’: Massie drops colorful analogy opposing foreign aid, mocks Speaker Johnson with AI-generated image…Read more

BRIDGE TOO FAR?: Congress agrees to fully fund Baltimore Key Bridge rebuild in plan to avert government shutdown…Read more

DOGE HOUSE: Lawmakers eye ‘low hanging fruit’ for government efficiency after first DOGE Caucus meeting…Read more

Trump announced Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy would be leading the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.  (Getty Images)

‘NOT BUYING THE ANSWERS’: Johnson demands Biden admin ‘do its job’ on New Jersey drone sightings…Read more

‘BAD DEAL’: Republican lawmakers savage spending bill as Mike Johnson defends it: ‘We gotta get this done’…Read more

‘AMERICA FIRST ACT’: Mike Lee angles to halt welfare for illegals going on under Biden with key budget process…Read more

‘IT’S MY JOB’: Fetterman meets with Trump nominees, pledges ‘open-mind and an informed opinion’ for confirmation votes…Read more

Across America 

MYSTERY THICKENS: Drones spotted over Camp Pendleton in California posed no threat to operations…Read more

‘UNLAWFUL’: EPA grants California permission to ban new gas car sales by 2035…Read more

PATTERN OF DISREGARD’: Red states seek court action against Biden admin’s ‘shameful’ border wall disposal…Read more

RULING BLOCKED: Montana judge temporarily blocks rules banning transgender people from changing sex on state documents…Read more

BOOK WORM: UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect could see most serious charge downgraded: defense attorney…Read more

Suspected shooter Luigi Mangione is led from the Blair County Courthouse after an extradition hearing December 10, 2024 in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. Mangione has been arraigned on weapons and false identification charges related to the fatal shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City. Mangione is incarcerated in the State Correctional Institution in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania awaiting extradition to New York.  (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

‘POSSIBLY DEADLY’: FBI warns New Jersey residents not to shoot down drones or point lasers at aircraft…Read more

‘GETTING OUR BUTTS KICKED’: Democratic Party chair frontrunner acknowledges ‘we’re getting our butts kicked right now’…Read more

‘FALSE MEDIA NARRATIVE’: DeSantis slams media bias on illegal immigration response as report shows Florida saw economic growth…Read more

‘MAGA’VENUE: Lawmakers prep legislation to name several heartland highways after Trump…Read more

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

President-elect Trump commented Wednesday that it was “too bad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was recently turned down for a leadership position on a House committee, prompting an amused response by the progressive politician. 

“Really too bad that AOC lost the Battle for the Leadership Seat in the Democrat Party,” Trump wrote Wednesday on Truth Social. “She should keep trying. Someday, she will be successful!”

Later, the New York congresswoman screenshot Trump’s remarks and wrote a humorous response.

“Damn you know it’s bad when even Trump is feeling bad for me,” Ocasio-Cortez said, adding a laughing emoji.

TIDE TURNS FOR HEGSETH AS TRUMP’S DEFENSE SECRETARY NOMINEE GOES ON OFFENSE

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., responded Wednesday to barbs by President-elect Trump on Truth Social. (Getty Images/AP Images)

The amusing exchange came just one day after the 36-year-old Democrat was defeated in her bid to serve as the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. The leadership role went to Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, who received 131 votes to Ocasio-Cortez’s 84.

“I thank my colleagues for their support and the confidence they’ve placed in me to lead House Democrats on the Oversight Committee,” Connolly said in a statement after being elected by the House Democratic Caucus.

GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR?

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., listens during an event in Fairfax, Va. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

“This will be trench warfare,” he added. “Now is not the time to be timid. I promise the American people that our Committee Democrats will be a beacon of truth and prepared from day one to counter Republican gaslighting.”

Ocasio-Cortez, who has served on the oversight committee since 2023, wrote on the social media platform Bluesky that she “tried her best” with her bid.

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago Aug. 19.  (Reuters/Elizabeth Frantz)

“Tried my best. Sorry I couldn’t pull it through everyone — we live to fight another day,” she wrote.

Fox News Digital’s Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., while speaking at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., called out House Republicans for breaking a bipartisan agreement to fund the government and avoid a government shutdown, accusing them of hurting everyday Americans across the country.

On Wednesday, House GOP leaders scrambled to search for a backup plan after reaching an initial bipartisan deal to avoid a partial government shutdown this Friday was buried by a barrage of opposition from conservative leaders.

Jeffries spoke about the failed deal, accusing Republicans and their leaders for not reaching the agreement.

“House Republicans, house democrats, Senate. Republicans and Senate Democrats reached a bipartisan agreement to fund the government, keep it open and meet the needs of the American people,” Jeffries said, pointing out the agreement would provide disaster assistance for those affected by extreme weather events. “House Republicans have now unilaterally decided to break a bipartisan agreement that they made. House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government and hurt everyday Americans all across this country…An agreement is an agreement. It was bipartisan and there was nothing more to say.”

TRUMP SAYS HE’S ‘TOTALLY AGAINST’ PROPOSED CONTINUING RESOLUTION BILL

The minority leader also fired off a post on X, saying, “House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government. And hurt working class Americans they claim to support. You break the bipartisan agreement; you own the consequences that follow.”

As of Wednesday, the U.S. national debt – which is a measure of what U.S. taxpayers were on the hook for to the nation’s creditors – had reached $36,189,345,826,140.62, and was climbing at a rapid pace, showing no signs of slowing down. The federal government’s budget deficit in the recently concluded fiscal year totaled $1.834 trillion, ranking the third largest in U.S. history.

Billionaire Elon Musk, who was appointed by President-elect Trump to serve as a co-chair of the newly-established Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, lambasted the bill on his social media platform, saying the 1,547-page continuing resolution (CR) bill is full of “pork.”

Musk fired back at Jeffries’ on X. 

“You seem to think the public is dumb. They are not.” he wrote.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

Musk also wrote in a separate post, “The voice of the people was heard. This was a good day for America.”

Trump adamantly opposed the bill on Wednesday through a series of posts on Truth Social.

“Sounds like the ridiculous and extraordinarily expensive Continuing Resolution, PLUS, is dying fast, but can anyone imagine passing it without either terminating, or extending, the Debt Ceiling guillotine coming up in June?” the incoming president asked. “Unless the Democrats terminate or substantially extend [the] Debt Ceiling now, I will fight ‘till the end. This is a nasty TRAP set in place by the Radical Left Democrats!”

He continued, saying Democrats are looking to embarrass Republicans when it comes up for a vote in June, and the people who extended it from Sept. 28 to June 1, “should be ashamed of themselves.”

GOP SENATORS ‘VERY IMPRESSED’ WITH MUSK, RAMASWAMY DOGE FRAMEWORK AMID MEETINGS ON CAPITOL HILL

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 15: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a campaign rally at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on October 15, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. With early voting starting today in Georgia both Trump and Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris are campaigning in the Atlanta region this week as polls show a tight race.   (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Trump called the extension “political malpractice,” and reiterated the bad timing of Congress asking for pay increases.

“Hopefully, you’ll be entitled to such an increase in the near future when we, “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he said.

In another post, Trump explained that trying to pass a clean CR without all of the bells and whistles Democrats want will be destructive to the country and his administration instead of the Biden administration.

“Any Republican that would be so stupid as to do this should, and will be Primaried,” Trump warned. “Everything should be done, and fully negotiated, prior to my taking office on January 20th, 2025.”

MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT

The U.S. Capitol is seen lit by the morning sun. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)

Congressional leaders released the text of their 1,547-page CR on Tuesday evening after last-minute negotiations delayed its original planned release on Sunday. A source familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital more specifically that the deal was largely struck between the top two Democrats and Republicans in each chamber.

Since its release, the CR has seen fierce pushback from conservatives and House GOP hardliners, many of whom are frustrated with unrelenting policy riders attached to the legislation, rather than a “clean” extension of government funding.

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While the bill would avert a partial government shutdown through March 14 if passed, it also includes provisions on health care and ethanol fuel, along with $100 billion in disaster aid funding and measures to fund the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The bill also includes the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009.

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

The 1,547-page interim spending bill to avoid a government shutdown is effectively dead. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has all but yanked the plan off the floor after President-elect Trump, Vice President-elect Vance and Elon Musk torched the package to avoid a government shutdown this weekend and fund the government through March 14.

Had House Republicans had the votes to pass the bill – without leaning too heavily on Democrats – Republicans may have been able to pass the bill late Wednesday afternoon before the intervention of Mssrs. Trump and Vance. But there was just too much grassroots pressure, sparked by Musk on X and elsewhere.

HOUSE GOP LEADERS SCRAMBLE FOR PLAN B AFTER TRUMP, MUSK LEAD CONSERVATIVE FURY AGAINST SPENDING BILL

The stopgap spending package proved unpopular due to its size, and various legislative ornaments festooned on the bill like a Christmas tree. Conservatives were expecting Johnson to handle the spending plan differently this year at the holidays. But it backfired. Badly.

It’s notable that Mr. Trump did not weigh in until the 11th hour. He also demanded a debt ceiling increase. That’s something which faced the President-elect in the first quarter of the year and threatened to derail any legislative agenda or potentially spook the markets.

Johnson’s decision to veer off course – despite touting the bill heartily on Fox this morning – underscores several things.

President-Elect Donald Trump reacts during his meeting with Prince William, Prince of Wales at the Embassy of the United Kingdoms Residence on December 7, 2024 in Paris, France. (Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images)

This is a sign of things to come once President-elect Trump is in office. And that could present problems for Johnson as he may be at the whim of decisions by the new President?

Why did Johnson pull the bill?

It was wildy unpopular with his rank and file. But it devolved further once Musk and the President-elect got infused themselves. 

MATT GAETZ REPORT BY HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE TO BE RELEASED

In many respects, Johnson’s decision to pull the bill was all about January 3. That’s the day of the Speaker’s vote. With 434 members to start the new Congress, Johnson needs 218 votes. Otherwise, he lacks a majority and cannot become Speaker. The House must vote repeatedly – as it did in January 2023 – before electing former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) five days later in what was the longest Speaker’s race since the 1850s. 

Johnson tried to salvage himself in the Speaker’s vote by adding emergency agriculture spending to the bill. But Johnson is now trying to salvage himself by coming up with a new bill. 

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) listens during a news conference following the Republican conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on January 17, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

The irony is that Johnson did not want to create drama before Christmas with a spending package. But drama is exactly what he got in what quickly became the worst Congressional holiday standoff since the fiscal cliff in 2012 or a government shutdown threat in 2014.

So here’s the $64,000 Question: What play does Johnson call next?

Does he do a clean CR to fund the government with nothing attached? Is it a bill that just re-ups current funding coupled with disaster aid? Do they attach a debt ceiling suspension as President-elect Trump has requested?

RFK JR SET TO FACE ABORTION, VACCINE SCRUTINY IN SIT-DOWNS WITH SENATORS ON CAPITOL HILL

And then the biggest question of all: can ANYTHING pass at all? Especially without votes from the Democrats?

Johnson has a tranche of conservatives who won’t vote for any CR at all. Many of them would also not vote for a debt ceiling increase, either. 

And even if there is a new bill, do conservatives insist on waiting three days to ponder that bill? That triggers a government shutdown right there.

The US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024.  (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The deadline is 11:59:59 pm ET on Friday.  

So this is going to require someone to pull a rabbit out of a hat. 

President-elect Trump’s maneuver today is reminiscent of a similar move he made in December 2019, which sparked the longest government shutdown in history. 

Then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), then-Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and others thought they had a deal to fund the government and avoid a Christmas-time shutdown. 

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The Senate voted for the bill. Senators even sat in the back of the chamber and sang Christmas carols during the vote. 

Mr. Trump then balked at the last minute. House Republicans followed suit. The government shut down for more than a month. 

The co-leaders of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have circled the wagons against a stopgap spending bill that has drawn the ire of conservatives in Congress. 

“Unless @DOGE ends the careers of deceitful, pork-barrel politicians, the waste and corruption will never stop,” Tesla and Space X CEO Elon Musk posted on X on Wednesday afternoon as Republican lawmakers mulled the best way forward for the CR to fund the government. 

“Therefore, there is no choice but to do so. I wish there was another way, but there is not.”

Former Republican presidential candidate and DOGE co-leader Vivek Ramaswamy has also been a vocal critic of the legislation and suggested in an X post on Wednesday that Republicans should put forward a simple 1-page resolution.

SPENDING BILL TO FUND STATE DEPARTMENT AGENCY ACCUSED OF CENSORING, BLACKLISTING AMERICANS

Elon Musk, Co-Chair of the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), arrives on Capitol Hill on Dec. 5, 2024 in Washington, D.C.; Vivek Ramaswamy, chairman and co-founder of Strive Asset Management, arrives to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024.  (Left: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Right: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“Yes, it *is* possible to enact a simple 1-page Continuing Resolution, instead of 1,500+ page omnibus pork-fest,” Ramaswamy wrote. “Here it is.:”

Ramaswamy continued, “This is what a clean CR looks like. I still don’t love it because it permits the historical spending excesses to continue, but at bare minimum, we shouldn’t be stacking even more waste on top.”

Musk, who posted a video of Ramaswamy railing against the bill urging Americans to call their representatives to “stop the steal of your tax dollars,” spent part of the afternoon re-posting comments from elected Republicans who voiced their opposition to the bill. 

“Thank you!” Musk posted in response to GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna saying she will not vote for the “Cramnibus bill” due to “billions to Ukraine, mask and vaccine mandates, Deep State immunity.”

DOGE CAUCUS FOUNDING MEMBER DEBUTS 2 BILLS TO KICK-START WASTE CUTS IN TRUMP TERM

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., talks with reporters in the U.S. Capitol  after the last votes of the week on Thursday, September 12, 2024.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

“I will still fight for a standalone disaster relief bill,” Luna wrote. 

In an earlier post on X, Musk wrote, “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” Musk wrote on X.

Congressional leaders released the text of their 1,547-page CR on Tuesday evening after last-minute negotiations delayed its original planned being release Sunday. Since then, it’s seen fierce pushback from conservatives and House GOP hardliners, many of whom are frustrated at the unrelated policy riders attached to the legislation – rather than a “clean” extension of government funding.

SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk speaks during an America PAC town hall on October 26, 2024 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

The final package extends existing government programs and services at their current operating levels for a few more months, through March 14, 2025.

The stopgap measure is needed because Congress has failed to pass its annual appropriations bills to fund all the various agencies in the federal government, from the Pentagon and national security apparatus, to the health, welfare, transportation and other routine domestic services. When the fiscal year ended on Sept. 30, Congress simply punted the problem by passing a temporary funding bill that expires Friday.

Fox News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram reported on Wednesday afternoon that there is “talk now of pulling the CR and trying to do a ‘clean’ bill. but it is “unclear if that also means no disaster aid.”

Stopping the 1,500 page spending package and forcing a vote on a clean bill would mark a significant victory for DOGE and its supporters, who have been vocally pushing for changes in the way that government spending bills are handled.

“This bill is contrary to the very existence of @DOGE,” GOP Rep. Chip Roy’s press office posted on X. “The @HouseGOP should vote NO. Miss Christmas if we must.”

Pergram posted on X on Wednesday after that the bill was “bleeding support from Republicans.”

“As to Elon Musk weighing in, telling lawmakers that all should be voted out in two years, a member of the House Republican leadership told Fox that Musk ‘is not helping. He has bigger fish to fry than picking a fight with House Republicans,'” Pergram wrote. 

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 28: U.S. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) attends a press conference on the debt limit and the Freedom Caucus’s plan for spending reduction at the U.S. Capitol on March 28, 2023 in Washington, DC. The group of conservative Republicans is proposing making deep cuts to entitlement spending including repealing much of President Joe Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act.  ((Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images))

Johnson’s difficulty coming to an agreement with his razor-thin majority in the House has resulted in names being floated to possibly replace him in the next Congress, Fox News Digital reported.

Fox News anchor Lawrence Jones reported late Wednesday afternoon that President-elect Trump is “totally against” the CR although he “acknowledged” that Johnson is in a precarious position. 

During an appearance on Fox & Friends on Wednesday morning, Johnson shared that while government debt and deficits are a concern, Republicans must approve “short-term stopgap funding measures” while Democrats still control the White House and Senate.

“We’ve got it in our central focus and when we start the new Congress in January, when Republicans are in control and DOGE (the Department of Government Efficiency) is working on all six cylinders, we’re going to be able to scale back the size and scope of government,” he said.

Johnson also said the move would ensure Republicans can control spending for 2025, describing it as an “impossible position.”

“This is the sausage-making process,” he added.

The House Speaker also revealed that he has been on a text chain with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who will helm DOGE.

Elon Musk is one of the Trump allies pushing House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, to hold a House vote on the Kids Online Safety Act (Getty Images)

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“Remember, guys, we still have just a razor-thin margin of Republicans. So, any bill has to have Democrat votes. They understand the situation.” Johnson said, referencing the text exchange.

If Republicans are unable to rally the necessary votes or receive enough support from Democrats to push it through despite the vocal opponents within the party, the country would face a government shutdown on Friday night.

“What does President Trump want Republicans to do: vote for the CR or shut down government? Absent direction, confusion reigns,” said retiring Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, in a sly post on X.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Trump said in a statement, “If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL THEIR BLUFF.”

Musk addressed the shutdown possibility on X writing that “shutting down the government (which doesn’t actually shut down critical functions btw) is infinitely better than passing a horrible bill.”

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom, Liz Elkind, Nikolas Lanum and the Associated Press contributed to this report

House GOP leaders appear to be searching for a backup plan after an initial bipartisan deal to avoid a partial government shutdown on Friday was buried in an avalanche of conservative opposition.

The legislation angered conservatives in both the House and Senate – as well as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to co-chair his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk.

As Musk called for lawmakers who supported the bill to lose their seats, Trump’s presidential transition team released an official joint statement by Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance opposing the initial iteration of the deal.

The bill was expected to get a vote sometime on Wednesday afternoon, but a planned round of late afternoon votes was canceled. Instead, senior Republicans are huddling in the speaker’s office to chart a path forward – less than 24 hours after the legislation was unveiled.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL 

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., told reporters while leaving Johnson’s office in the early evening, “There will be a new CR likely tomorrow. They are negotiating right now. But there will be no votes this evening.”

Speaker Mike Johnson, left, and Elon Musk are at odds over a government spending bill. (Jean Catuffe/GC Images/Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., told reporters a short while later that he anticipated a “skinny” CR without disaster aid or agricultural subsidies.

It came after GOP critics of the spending bill spent much of the day attacking Johnson’s handling of the issue.

The 1,547-page bill is a short-term extension of fiscal year (FY) 2024 government funding levels, aimed at giving lawmakers more time to agree on funding the rest of FY 2025 by the Friday deadline.

It’s the second such extension, called a continuing resolution (CR), since FY 2024 ended on Sept. 30.

In addition to funding the government through March 14, the bill also has more than $100 billion in disaster aid to help Americans affected by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. It also includes an added $10 billion in economic relief for farmers, as well as health care reform measures and a provision aimed at revitalizing Washington, D.C.’s RFK stadium and its surrounding campus.

Members of the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus said they felt blindsided by what they saw as unrelated policy riders being added to the bill in last-minute negotiations.

Several GOP lawmakers granted anonymity to speak freely said Johnson would see challenges to his speakership bid in early January over the matter.

But Johnson defended the deal on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday morning.

President-elect Trump is against the bill (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“When we start the new Congress in January, when Republicans are in control…we’re going to be able to scale back the size and scope of government. But before we get to that point, remember right now, we only control one half of one third of the federal government. Remember, Democrats are still in charge of the Senate and the White House. So what we’ve done is the conservative play call here,” he said.

REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE DUO

Opponents of the legislation include Elon Musk, who posted on X, “Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!”

He later called on Republicans to leverage a partial government shutdown, “‘Shutting down’ the government (which doesn’t actually shut down critical functions btw) is infinitely better than passing a horrible bill.”

Meanwhile Trump and Vance called for Republicans to reject the deal and instead opt for a CR paired with an increase in the U.S. debt limit – which was suspended until January 2025.

“Increasing the debt ceiling is not great but we’d rather do it on Biden’s watch. If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do it in June during our administration? Let’s have this debate now. And we should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want,” the statement said.

But simply bowing to his right flank may not get Johnson out of the woods, with Democrats warning him to not renege on their deal.

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is warning Johnson not to renege on their deal. (Getty Images)

“House Republicans have been ordered to shut down the government.And hurt the working class Americans they claim to support.You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, R-N.Y., wrote on X.

Johnson was always likely to need Democratic help to pass a CR, given his slim margins in the House and widespread opposition to short-term funding extensions within the GOP.

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But it’s not clear if the number of Democrats willing to break ranks will offset that Republican opposition. 

House leaders will also have to decide whether to put the bill through regular order – which will include a House Rules Committee vote followed by a House-wide procedural vote before lawmakers can weigh on the measure itself – or bypass that and rush the bill onto the House floor in exchange for raising the threshold for passage to two-thirds rather than a simple majority.

All the while, the clock is ticking until the partial government shutdown deadline at the end of Friday.

President-elect Trump said Wednesday he is “totally against” the continuing resolution (CR) being debated by the House to keep the government from shutting down through March.

Trump spoke with “Fox & Friends” co-host Lawrence Jones on Wednesday, telling him the “fight starts now.”

“I just spoke with President-elect [Trump], and he is ‘totally against’ the proposed CR,” Jones wrote in a post on X. 

In another post, the morning show co-host wrote, “The President-elect [Trump] believes that the ‘fight starts now,’ rather than waiting until he is sworn in.

‘WE’RE GOING TO GUT THE FISH’: REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY

Jones later wrote, “The President-elect [Trump] acknowledged [House Speaker Mike Johnson’s] challenging situation but emphasized that this approach is not the appropriate course of action.”

Congressional leaders in Washington, D.C., released the text of their 1,547-page CR on Tuesday evening after last-minute negotiations delayed its original planned release Sunday. A source familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital more specifically that the deal was largely struck between the top two Democrats and Republicans in each chamber.

Since its release, the CR has seen strong opposition from conservatives and House GOP hardliners, many of whom are frustrated with unrelenting policy riders attached to the legislation, rather than a “clean” extension of government funding.

KEY TRUMP ALLY COMES OUT AGAINST MASSIVE EMERGENCY SPENDING PLAN: ‘THIS BILL SHOULD NOT PASS’

The report looked at various numbers such as veterans, active-duty military, volunteers and more.  (iStock)

While the bill would avert a partial government shutdown through March 14 if passed, it also includes provisions on health care and ethanol fuel, along with $100 billion in disaster aid funding and measures to fund the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The bill also includes the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009.

Republican congressional leaders have defended their plan for a stopgap spending bill, arguing it would allow Trump to have a greater influence on spending when the question comes up again in the spring.

Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance released a statement on the spending bill on Wednesday.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

“The most foolish and inept thing ever done by Congressional Republicans was allowing our country to hit the debt ceiling in 2025. It was a mistake and is now something that must be addressed,” they wrote. “Increasing the debt ceiling is not great but we’d rather do it on Biden’s watch. If Democrats won’t cooperate on the debt ceiling now, what makes anyone think they would do it in June during our administration? Let’s have this debate now. And we should pass a streamlined spending bill that doesn’t give Chuck Schumer and the Democrats everything they want.

The two continued, Republicans want to support farmers and pay for disaster relief while setting the country up for success in 2025.

“The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS combined with an increase in the debt ceiling. Anything else is a betrayal of our country,” they said. “Republicans must GET SMART and TOUGH. If Democrats threaten to shut down the government unless we give them everything they want, then CALL THEIR BLUFF. It is Schumer and Biden who are holding up aid to our farmers and disaster relief. THIS CHAOS WOULD NOT BE HAPPENING IF WE HAD A REAL PRESIDENT. WE WILL IN 32 DAYS!”

GOP SENATORS ‘VERY IMPRESSED’ WITH MUSK, RAMASWAMY DOGE FRAMEWORK AMID MEETINGS ON CAPITOL HILL

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 30: Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill on April 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. Johnson, who took questions on a variety of topics including the protests at Columbia University, has just gained support to stay on as Speaker from House Democrats who’s leadership has announced that they would move to prevent a potential motion to vacate, a simmering threat from some conservative Republicans. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk – who was appointed as a co-chair to Trump’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – also came out in opposition to Johnson’s proposed bill to keep the government funded on Wednesday.

Musk turned to his social media platform X to argue that the 1,547-page document is full of “pork.”

“This bill should not pass,” he wrote.

MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT

Elon Musk, Co-Chair of the newly announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), arrives on Capitol Hill on Dec. 5, 2024 in Washington, D.C.; Vivek Ramaswamy, chairman and co-founder of Strive Asset Management, arrives to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024.  (Left: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Right: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The other co-chair of DOGE, Vivek Ramaswamy, expressed skepticism of the bill on Tuesday, though he did not outright oppose Johnson’s solution.

“Currently reading the 1,547-page bill to fund the government through mid-March. Expecting every U.S. Congressman & Senator to do the same,” Ramaswamy wrote on X.

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The GOP currently holds just a one-seat majority in the House, meaning Johnson will likely have to rely on Democratic votes to pass the bill. The legislation must also pass the Senate by the Friday deadline to avoid a shutdown.

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

Police in Aurora, Colorado, have detained five more migrants in an armed home invasion and kidnapping that occurred early Tuesday morning.

This brings to 19 the number of migrants detained in the incident, which involved two victims being beaten, bound and kidnapped in a Denver suburb

A spokesperson for ICE told Fox News Digital 16 of those in custody have been identified as Venezuelan nationals in the U.S. without authorization and “are suspected of being members or associates of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.”

Tren de Aragua, or TdA, is a violent international criminal group that has been terrorizing Aurora residents for over a year.

TREN DE ARAGUA ARE IDEOLOGICAL TERRORISTS DISGUISED AS A STREET GANG WARNS FORMER MILITARY OFFICER

This compilation shows suspected Tren de Aragua members and the southern border. (Fox News/Border Patrol)

The ICE official said the 16 suspects “will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings or hearings before an immigration judge.”

Aurora Police Department Chief Todd Chamberlain said Tuesday the home invasion was “without question a gang incident.”

However, Joe Moylan, a representative for the Aurora Police Department, told Fox News Digital police are still working to identify the suspects and have not yet been able to officially confirm whether the incident was gang-related.

Police were called to an Aurora housing complex, The Edge at Lowry Apartments, just before 2:30 a.m. Tuesday in response to a reported armed home invasion in which victims were assaulted and taken to another apartment in the same complex.

COLORADO VIDEO SHOWS TREN DE ARAGUA GANG BEATING APARTMENT COMPLEX WORKER IN EXTORTION BID, COMPANY SAYS

Police officers in the Gang Unit search for evidence in apartment buildings at 12th and Dallas in Aurora, Colo., Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. The dwellings were the target of a reported home invasion overnight. (Fox News Digital)

One of the victims, a man, sustained a stab wound but is expected to survive. Both victims are still at a hospital for treatment. 

Moylan said Aurora police served an additional warrant at the apartment complex late Tuesday afternoon, resulting in their taking in the five additional migrants for questioning. He said police are working in conjunction with federal authorities, including Homeland Security Investigators who are helping to identify everyone involved.

Moylan said the Aurora police chief will likely address the incident further in another press conference once more details are confirmed.

BLUE STATE FACES SPIKE IN MIGRANT SEX CRIMES AS TOP CITY PLEDGES RESISTANCE TO TRUMP DEPORTATIONS

Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain speaks to the media during a press conference in Aurora, Colo., Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024.  (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)

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Roger Hudson, a city council member in nearby Castle Pines, Colorado, who has had contact with the apartment owner, told Fox News Digital most people in the area believe Tren de Aragua is behind the incident. In recent months, the gang has only become “more powerful, more dangerous and more desperate,” he said. 

Hudson bashed the sanctuary policies passed by Colorado and the City of Denver, which he said have made it more difficult for state and local law enforcement to protect Coloradans from the likes of TdA.

“These policies make all of our communities less safe,” he said. “This is lawlessness in the West, and you can’t have that. That’s not who we are as a country. That’s not who we are as a state.”

Multiple Missouri lawmakers are reportedly preparing legislation to name several highways after President-elect Trump in the new year.

The most expansive reported bill would bestow Trump’s name on carriageways of the Missouri state highway system not yet designated otherwise before next August, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

That bill, from state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, however, exempts roadways in counties encompassing St. Louis, Columbia and Kansas City, the paper reported.

Coleman previously floated a bill to rename a portion of Interstate 55 in her district the “Donald J. Trump Highway” in 2021, but the effort failed in the Republican-majority legislature.

TRUMP PICKS BILLY LONG TO LEAD IRS

A caravan of vehicles for Donald Trump drive along the freeway near Encinitas, California. (Reuters)

Under both the defunct and current proposals, MoDOT would erect and maintain the commemorative signage, but private donations would foot the bill for the signs.

A separate proposal from state Sen. Nick Schroer, R-St. Charles, would designate a portion of MO Route D west of St. Louis the “President Donald J. Trump Highway.”

“It’s time to Make Missouri Roads Great Again,” Schroer said in a social media post announcing his bill.

The post included an inset of Trump doing his viral “Y.M.C.A.” dance on the shoulder of a freeway beside a “President Donald J. Trump Highway” sign.

Attempts to reach both Schroer and Coleman for further comment were unsuccessful.

FLASHBACK: TRUMP SPEAKS TO SUPPORTERS IN MISSOURI

Fox News Digital also reached out to Missouri Senate President Pro-Tempore Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia.

In announcing her 2021 bill, Coleman said Trump deserved the honor for “strengthening Missouri’s economy, defending our values, and making America great again during his historic first term.”

Missouri lawmakers have also tried to commemorate other national conservatives, including the late radio host Rush Limbaugh – who was born and raised in Cape Girardeau.

Language to commemorate Jan. 12 as “Rush Limbaugh Day” did not make it to the final text of a 2021 designations bill, according to the Columbia Missourian.

Trump’s name has made it onto a handful of highways outside the Show-Me State, including in some politically-unfriendly areas.

In 2019, a man “adopted” portions of Burke Lake Road and Fairfax County Rte. 620 in the deep-blue Washington, D.C., suburb of Springfield, Virginia, in Trump’s name.

The man also successfully had the incoming president’s name festooned on VDOT adopt-a-highway signage on heavily-trafficked Ox Road in nearby Lorton, according to the Washingtonian.

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The Gateway Arch is seen in the skyline of St Louis. (Reuters/Tom Gannam)

In 2021, Oklahoma Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt signed legislation designating a 20-mile stretch of U.S. 287 in the state’s panhandle after Trump.

Meanwhile, Hialeah, Florida, Mayor Esteban Bovo joined Trump at a 2023 rally in the Miami suburb and offered him a commemorative sign after an avenue near a casino in the city was renamed Donald J. Trump Avenue.

In Trump’s home state, a controversial 430-acre tract of parkland also bears his name. Donald J. Trump State Park in Putnam Valley came into being in 2006 after he donated the parcel to New York state.

After Trump was unable to successfully develop a golf course on the site due to town permit roadblocks and the like, he passed the land on to Albany after originally purchasing it in two pieces in 1998 for about $2.5 million.

Donald J. Trump State Park soon fell into disrepair and remains largely unmaintained. New York Democrats have attempted to pass legislation stripping Trump’s name from the park, including a 2019 bid to rename it after the woman killed during the 2017 Charlottesville riot.

After Trump’s May conviction in his hush-money trial, New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal told The New York Times he hopes it “primes the pump” to restart talks to rename the park.

Hoylman-Sigal, a Democrat, indicated he has visited the park and has seen “some improvements” since Trump gifted it to the Pataki administration.

EXCLUSIVE: House GOP critics of how Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is handling government funding talks are already beginning to float names of possible challengers, people told Fox News Digital.

Two GOP lawmakers told Fox News Digital that House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., were all mentioned in early talks about alternatives.

A source close to Donalds told Fox News Digital in response, “At this time, the Congressman has not made any statements regarding the future of House leadership.”

A spokesperson for Emmer told Fox News Digital, “Whip Emmer supports Speaker Johnson and is focused on doing the job he was elected to do.”

Fox News Digital also reached out to Donalds, Jordan and Johnson’s offices for comment.

MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN AFTER TRUMP ENDORSEMENT

Left to right: Speaker Mike Johnson’s critics are floating names like Majority Whip Tom Emmer, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan and Rep. Byron Donalds as possible replacements. (Getty Images)

One of the lawmakers said they had not heard from any of the three, adding, “That would be suicidal.” 

But discussions about potential rivals to Johnson in the Jan. 3, 2025 House-wide speaker vote represent the latest warning shot from Republican lawmakers who are vehemently opposed to the short-term spending bill, known as a continuing resolution (CR).

Congressional leaders released the text of their 1,547-page CR on Tuesday evening after last-minute negotiations delayed its original planned release Sunday.

Since then, it’s seen fierce pushback from conservatives and House GOP hardliners, many of whom are frustrated at the unrelated policy riders attached to the legislation – rather than a “clean” extension of government funding.

In addition to averting a partial government shutdown through March 14, the bill also includes provisions on health care and ethanol fuel, plus more than $100 billion in disaster aid funding and measures to fund the rebuilding of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and the first pay raise for lawmakers since 2009.

Multiple GOP lawmakers signaled Tuesday that Johnson could face a challenge to his leadership over the CR.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

Johnson struck a deal with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

“The speaker definitely has some ‘no’ votes and some people considering their options,” a third House Republican granted anonymity to speak candidly told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital when asked if Johnson could see blowback on Jan. 3, “There’s always consequences.”

When previously asked about any potential speakership challenges, Emmer, Jordan and Donalds have all said they back Johnson.

A source close to Jordan told Fox News Digital that the Ohio Republican is “not interested in challenging Johnson.”

But all three ran for House Speaker last year after ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted. Johnson ultimately won after a messy three-week fight.

The Louisiana Republican, who Republicans chose unanimously to be their candidate for speaker last month, is also backed by President-elect Donald Trump, which is likely to keep a significant amount of backlash at bay.

He’s also still expected to get a large share of GOP lawmakers to vote for his plan, with most in Congress in agreement that a partial government shutdown over the holidays would have a negative political and economic impact.

But his CR plan is also under attack by members of Trump’s orbit – both Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy blasted the bill on Wednesday.

Johnson is backed by President-elect Trump. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

“Any member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” Musk wrote on X.

Johnson himself dismissed concerns about his job as the blowback began to build on Tuesday.

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“I’m not worried about the speaker vote,” he said. “We’re governing. Everybody knows we have difficult circumstances. We’re doing the very best we can under those circumstances.”

The speaker and his allies have argued that they won the most they could while controlling one half of one third of government, and promised that Republicans would be in a better position to handle federal funding when the CR expires at the beginning of Trump’s term.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., has suggested that it is his duty to meet with President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees, noting that his decision about whether to vote to confirm the candidates will stem from an open mind and informed perspective.

“I believe that it’s appropriate and the responsibility of a U.S. Senator to have a conversation with President-elect Trump’s nominees. That’s why I met with Elise Stefanik and Pete Hegseth, just wrapped with Tulsi Gabbard, and look forward to my meetings with others soon,” Fetterman declared in a post on X.

“My votes will come from an open-mind and an informed opinion after having a conversation with them. That’s not controversial, it’s my job,” he continued.

FETTERMAN SLAMS LEGAL CASES AGAINST TRUMP, HUNTER BIDEN IN FIRST TRUTH SOCIAL POST: ‘CASES WERE BOTH BULLS—’

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., talks with West Point cadets in the senate subway on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Trump has tapped Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., to serve as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Hegseth to serve as secretary of defense, and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard for the role of director of national intelligence.

While Fetterman has previously noted that he plans to support Stefanik, it is unclear whether he will ultimately back Hegseth and Gabbard for confirmation.

Fox News Digital reached out to request comment from the senator, but a spokesperson did not provide any additional insight into Fetterman’s voting plans regarding Hegseth and Gabbard.

FETTERMAN STILL ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORTIVE OF STEFANIK FOR US AMBASSADOR TO UN: ‘ALWAYS WAS A HARD YES’

Sen. John Fetterman and Rep. Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik on X)

Fetterman has been unflinching in his staunch support for Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack against the U.S. ally.

“Always was a hard YES for @EliseStefanik but it was a pleasure to have a conversation. I support defunding UNRWA for its documented Hamas infiltration and fully look forward to her holding the @UN accountable for its endemic antisemitism and blatant anti-Israel views,” Fetterman declared in a post earlier this month.

He has also pledged to support Sen. Marco Rubio’s confirmation to serve as secretary of state.

FETTERMAN HAILS RUBIO AS ‘STRONG CHOICE’ FOR SECRETARY OF STATE, SAYS HE WILL VOTE TO CONFIRM HIM

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. secretary of state nominee for U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is seen here at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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“Unsurprisingly, the other team’s pick will have political differences than my own,” Fetterman noted in a post on X last month. “That being said, my colleague @SenMarcoRubio is a strong choice and I look forward to voting for his confirmation.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been on Capitol Hill this week in an attempt to drum up support for his nomination to be the next leader of the Department of Health and Human Services. 

According to one senator he spoke to, Kennedy is aligning himself with President-elect Donald Trump’s stance on abortion and has signaled that he will exercise restraint when it comes to regulating the agricultural industry.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R–Ala., said following his meeting with Kennedy that his view on abortion is “whatever Trump decides” and that Kennedy will “back him 100%.” Trump has repeatedly said he wants to let the states decide the matter for themselves and is against a national abortion ban. He has also expressed support for certain limited exceptions to abortion restrictions, such as when the life of the mother is in jeopardy.  

Tuberville also said he spoke to Kennedy about not going “overboard” when it comes to regulating farmers. The senator told reporters that Kennedy is “very on board” with protecting their livelihoods and “understands our farmers are in trouble, and we want to make sure that we have farmers that can make a living.” 

RFK JR SET TO FACE ABORTION, VACCINE SCRUTINY IN SIT-DOWNS WITH SENATORS ON CAPITOL HILL

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be secretary of Health and Human Services, meets with Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), left, in the Senate Office Building on Dec. 17, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Kennedy’s nomination has drawn skepticism from both pro-life groups and those in the agriculture sector. Pro-life groups have expressed concern over Kennedy’s past statements that extol a liberal position on reproductive rights, while people in the agricultural sector have expressed concern over Kennedy’s crusade against processed foods and pesticides. The fears from those in the agriculture sector were bolstered after Trump said he wants to let Kennedy “go wild on health and dramatically shake things up.”

However, according to Tuberville, Kennedy understands the need to strike a balance when it comes to regulating the food industry, and he confirmed his views on abortion have evolved to be in line with Trump’s. 

“We talked about abortion and the big thing about abortion is he’s telling everybody, ‘Listen whatever president Trump [supports] I’m going back him 100%,'” Tuberville told reporters following his meeting with Kennedy.

Tuberville highlighted how Trump has expressed support for three main exceptions to abortion restrictions, which include instances when the life of the mother is in jeopardy, or when either rape or incest was the cause of a woman’s pregnancy.

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., left, endorsing former President Donald Trump set off a wave of intense reactions from the mainstream media. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

“I just asked him, ‘In the past you’ve been pro-abortion,’ and he said, well, it’s basically, he and President Trump have sat down and talked about it, and both of them came to an agreement, ‘Hey, Roe-Wade is gone, it’s gone to the states, let the people vote on it,’” Tuberville said. 

Tuberville added that he also agrees with Trump’s stance on abortion, telling reporters that while he is pro-life, he is also “glad the American citizens have a chance to vote in their state,” adding that Kennedy feels the same.

DR. MARC SIEGEL SAYS RFK JR. POLICY POSITIONS WILL ‘LEAD TO A LOT OF PUSHBACK’

While recounting his conversation with Kennedy to reporters, Tuberville also shared that the two discussed how Kennedy would approach the agriculture industry, considering his fervent belief that the American food system is deeply flawed. Republicans who hail from states where agriculture is a major industry have expressed concern about Kennedy restricting modern farming techniques. Meanwhile, a Michigan soybean and corn farmer called Kennedy’s nomination a “danger” to the agriculture industry.

An aerial view shows workers from Pinicon Farm harvesting corn on Oct. 31, 2023 near McIntire, Iowa. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Tuberville echoed the concerns of his fellow GOP lawmakers following his meeting with Kennedy, telling reporters that while his constituents are “very concerned” about food safety, they do not want regulations to be so stringent that it puts farmers out of a job. 

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“I can understand that,” Tuberville said of his constituents’ concerns, “and he’s very on board. He understands our farmers are in trouble, and we want to make sure that we have farmers that can make a living, and we don’t lose our our family farms.”

Fox News Digital reached out to spokespeople for the potential future HHS secretary but did not receive a response by press time. 

The Biden administration has officially granted California permission to ban new gas car sales in the state by 2035. 

California set a strict emissions standard that would ban new gas cars in the state by 2035, but officials needed to obtain a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to proceed with the mandate.

The EPA announced on Wednesday that they would be approving two waivers, under the Clean Air Act, that grant California permission to phase out gas cars in the state – one of President Joe Biden’s final acts pushing the auto industry into the green energy sector. 

One waiver grants California’s near future request to mandate that 35% of new cars and light-duty trucks sales be zero emissions by 2026 and achieve 90% below current emissions by 2027.

BIDEN EPA MAKES FIRST-EVER CLIMATE CHANGE ARREST

President Joe Biden talks after driving Jeep Wrangler 4xe Rubicon on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, during an event on clean cars and trucks.  (Susan Walsh)

The other EPA waiver allows California officials to mandate that all new car sales be zero-emission within the decade – the most strict EV mandate in the country.

However, the waivers could soon be revoked by President-elect Donald Trump, who is reportedly planning to rescind both federal EV requirements and any waiver issued for California by the Biden administration.

“Fresh off imposing his insane, job-killing electric vehicle mandate at the federal level, Crooked Joe Biden is preparing to slaughter the remnants of the U.S. auto-industry by approving California’s waiver request outlawing the sale of all gasoline-powered automobiles,” incoming Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital during the campaign.

FIVE WAYS TRUMP COULD DISMANTLE BIDEN’S CLIMATE AGENDA

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said that the waivers will “protect its [California] residents from dangerous air pollution coming from mobile sources like cars and trucks.”

Brand new Tesla cars sit in a parking lot at a Tesla showroom on June 27, 2022 in Corte Madera, California.  (Justin Sullivan)

However, American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) President and CEO Chet Thompson described the mandate as “unlawful.”

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“Contrary to claims on the campaign trail that they would never tell Americans what kinds of cars we have to drive, the Biden-Harris EPA just did exactly that by greenlighting California’s ban on sales of all new gas and traditional hybrid vehicles,” Thompson said in a statement. “These policies will harm consumers—millions of whom don’t even live in California—by taking away their ability to buy new gas cars in their home states and raising vehicle and transportation costs.”

The House Ethics Committee has decided to release its report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

Lawmakers on the secretive panel voted to make the report public after the final votes of this year – which are slated for Thursday.

The House Ethics Committee’s multi-year investigation into Gaetz, involving allegations of sex with a minor and illicit drug use, came to an abrupt halt last month after he resigned from Congress hours after President-elect Donald Trump tapped him to be his attorney general.

JOHNSON BLASTS DEM ACCUSATIONS HE VOWED TO END OBAMACARE AS ‘DISHONEST’

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz resigned from Congress last month. (Aaron Schwartz/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Gaetz dropped out of consideration amid quiet but steady GOP opposition, but the committee nevertheless lost jurisdiction over the probe when Gaetz left the House of Representatives.

Gaetz has consistently denied any accusations of wrongdoing, and an earlier federal investigation into the allegations ended without charges against him.

His resignation came just before the committee was expected to meet to consider releasing the report.

That meeting, delayed by a few days, ended in a dramatic fashion after House Ethics Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., told reporters that no agreement had been reached on releasing the report.

DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL BY HOUSE GOP LAWMAKER

Rep. Susan Wild is the top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

It prompted Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., the top Democrat on the committee, to return after leaving the meeting room without comment to criticize her Republican colleague.

Wild said Guest “betrayed the process by disclosing our deliberations within moments after walking out of the committee, and he has implied that there was an agreement of the committee not to disclose the report.”

She said that conclusion was “untrue.”

“I’d say that a vote was taken. As many of you know, this committee is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, five Dems, five Republicans, which means that in order to affirmatively move something forward, somebody has to cross party lines and vote with the other side – which happens a lot, by the way, and we often vote unanimously. That did not happen in today’s vote,” Wild said.

President-elect Donald Trump previously tapped Gaetz to be attorney general. (AP/Evan Vucci)

The latest decision to release the report indicates at least one Republican lawmaker crossed the aisle and voted with Democrats.

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It is rare – but not unheard of – for the House Ethics Committee to release a report into a lawmaker after they left Congress.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters last month he was opposed to letting the Gaetz ethics report go public, arguing, “It doesn’t follow our rules and traditions and there is a reason for that. That would open up Pandora’s box and I don’t think that’s a healthy thing for the institution, so that’s my position.”

With one month left in office, President Biden’s approval rating is hitting a new low.

Biden stands at 34% approval and 66% disapproval in a Marquette Law School national poll conducted Dec. 2-11 and released on Wednesday.

That is down four percentage points from October and the lowest approval for Biden in Marquette Law School polling since the president took over in the White House four years ago.

The president’s approval stands in the mid-30s to low-40s in the latest national surveys, including the most recent Fox News national poll, where Biden stands at 41% approval.

WHERE TRUMP AND BIDEN STAND IN THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLL 

President Biden attends a holiday party at the White House on Dec. 16, 2024 in Washington D.C. (AP )

Biden’s approval rating hovered in the low to mid 50s during his first six months in the White House. However, the president’s numbers started sagging in August 2021 in the wake of Biden’s much-criticized handling of the turbulent U.S. exit from Afghanistan and following a surge in COVID-19 cases that summer, mainly among unvaccinated people.

The plunge in the president’s approval was also fueled by soaring inflation – which started spiking in the summer of 2021 and remains to date a major pocketbook concern with Americans – and the surge of migrants trying to cross into the U.S. along the southern border with Mexico. 

TRUMP MOVES ANOTHER STEP TOWARDS FORMALLY BECOMING PRESIDENT

President-elect Donald Trump ended his first term in office at 47% approval, according to Fox News polling from four years ago.

The new Marquette survey indicates that 53% of adults nationwide say they approve of the way Trump handled his job during his first term in the White House (2017-2021), a three point increase from their October poll. 

“This is Trump’s highest approval rating since March, when this question of retrospective approval was first asked in the Marquette Law School Poll’s national surveys,” the survey’s release highlights.

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024 in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP/Evan Vucci)

The survey also indicates the public’s divided on Trump’s Cabinet appointments for his second administration, some of which have sparked controversy.

Forty-nine percent of respondents approved of Trump’s handling of cabinet appointments, with 51% disapproving.

According to the Fox News poll, which was conducted Dec. 6-9, 47% approved of the job Trump is doing on picking his cabinet, with 50% giving a thumbs down.

Trump’s favorable rating stands at 49% favorable and 50% unfavorable in the Marquette survey, his highest in his post-first administration period.

New polling gives insight into how Americans view President Biden, left, and President-elect Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson and Evan Vucci)

The president stands at 37% favorable and 62% unfavorable.

Vice President Kamala Harris has a favorable rating of 41% and an unfavorable rating of 57% in the new poll. That is a decline from 45% favorable and 51% unfavorable in the October poll, when Harris was the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.

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Vice President-elect Sen. JD Vance has 35% favorable and 47% unfavorable rating in the new survey.

The Marquette Law School poll has an overall sampling error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.