NationalWatch

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., called for a full investigation after a federal agent fatally shot a man who was allegedly armed in Minneapolis on Saturday, calling the incident “incredibly disturbing.”

Cassidy joined a chorus of Democratic lawmakers raising questions following the shooting death of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Alex J. Pretti, who was killed by a Border Patrol agent on Saturday. Pretti allegedly confronted officers during a Department of Homeland Security operation in south Minneapolis and was carrying a gun, according to the agency.

“The events in Minneapolis are incredibly disturbing,” Cassidy said in a post on X. “The credibility of ICE and DHS are at stake. There must be a full joint federal and state investigation.”

Cassidy added that “we can trust the American people with the truth.”

TRUMP BRIEFED ON BORDER PATROL-INVOLVED SHOOTING AS MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR DEMANDS END TO ENFORCEMENT OPERATION

The Louisiana Republican’s comments were seemingly at odds with members of his party, including President Donald Trump, who said in a post on Truth Social following the shooting that federal agents “had to protect themselves” because of the lack of support from local police in Minneapolis.

“This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go—What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?” Trump wrote in the post. “The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves—Not an easy thing to do!”

Last week, Trump pledged his endorsement for U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow if she entered the GOP primary in Louisiana, challenging Cassidy, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 2015. Letlow launched her Senate bid days later.

NOEM SAYS MINNEAPOLIS SUSPECT COMMITTED ‘DOMESTIC TERRORISM,’ ACCUSES WALZ, FREY OF INCITING VIOLENCE

Cassidy was one of the Senate Republicans who voted to convict Trump after the House impeached him in 2021. The Senate vote ultimately fell short of the threshold required to convict Trump.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during a news conference Saturday that the incident occurred while DHS officers carried out “targeted operations” in Minneapolis against an illegal immigrant with a violent criminal history.

“An individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun,” Noem said, adding that agents attempted to disarm him.

“The officers attempted to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently,” Noem said. “Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots.”

BLOCKING ICE COOPERATION FUELED MINNESOTA UNREST, OFFICIALS WARN AS VIRGINIA REVERSES COURSE

Noem said Pretti had “two magazines with ammunition in them that held dozens of rounds” and no identification, adding that “this looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.”

She said DHS is investigating the shooting “just like we do all other officer-involved shootings,” adding that additional details would be forthcoming.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., said during a news conference Saturday that “we need ICE out of Minnesota,” while placing blame on the Trump administration.

“I have personally warned them that there would be more deaths, that more of this would happen,” she said. “And clearly they’re not listening. So, we ask people around the country to talk to their Republican representatives to make clear that this is not the America that is ours. This has got to stop.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt responded to Klobuchar’s comments in an X post Saturday, saying federal agents should not be removed from Minnesota.

“We need dangerous criminal illegal aliens out of Minnesota. The Democrats have their priorities completely upside down. They will not keep the American people safe,” she wrote.

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In his own post, Vice President JD Vance blamed “far left agitators” for the recent unrest in Minneapolis.

“This level of engineered chaos is unique to Minneapolis,” he posted on X Saturday evening. “It is the direct consequence of far left agitators, working with local authorities.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and the White House for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey along with several Minnesota senators and representatives, called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to get out of the state on Saturday, hours after a deadly shooting in the city.

“The city of Minneapolis is filing a declaration after today’s shooting to encourage the judge to rule on a temporary restraining order on Monday that would grant us immediate relief and help, would help stop this operation that has been so harmful to the city of Minneapolis, the state of Minnesota has resulted in multiple shootings and tragic deaths,” the mayor said in a news conference.

Frey said the “chaos that we are seeing” has been directly caused by ICE and the Trump administration.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who joined Frey at the podium, said: “Our message is really clear and straightforward. We need ice out of Minnesota.”

DHS SAYS ICE AGENTS RAMMED BY VEHICLES AMID MINNEAPOLIS ENFORCEMENT SURGE: ‘AGGRESSIVELY ASSAULTED’

Klobuchar asserted that ICE is “not making us more safe as the tragic, tragic killing this morning, as people saw it viscerally on that video, shows us they are making us less safe.”

She said the around 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents in the area outnumber the “sworn police officers in Minneapolis and St. Paul by three to one, and it’s even larger than the 10 metropolitan police departments.”

“This is completely out of whack, completely out of balance,” she claimed. “And now three people have been shot, two resulting in death. One: Renee Good, mother of three, and now Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis man, a citizen, also a nurse.”

Pretti was shot and killed by an ICE agent Saturday morning during an immigration enforcement operation.

LARA TRUMP SLAMS TIM WALZ, JACOB FREY FOR ‘FANNING FLAMES’ WHILE RED STATES COOPERATE WITH ICE

“This city has been under siege,” Klobuchar added, while laying blame on the Trump administration.

“I have personally warned them that there would be more deaths, that more of this would happen,” she said. “And clearly they’re not listening. So, we ask people around the country to talk to their Republican representatives to make clear that this is not the America that is ours. This has got to stop.”

ANTI-ICE AGITATORS, INCLUDING CLERGY, ARRESTED AT MINNEAPOLIS AIRPORT DURING PROTEST IN FRIGID WEATHER

Frey said that he had asked for assistance from the National Guard to help the around 600 officers with the Minneapolis Police Department.

“Minneapolis police officers have been working tirelessly to do their day-to-day work, and simultaneously, they are put in the middle of these chaotic situations,” he said. “Most of the protests that we’ve seen have remained peaceful. Let’s keep it that way.”

Frey also called out the president, saying, “Let’s not counter Donald Trump’s chaos with our own version of chaos here.”

Klobuchar claimed that ICE’s mission in Minnesota had “gone way beyond” investigating fraud or apprehending violent criminals.

“I took part in that peaceful and powerful march yesterday, all those peaceful people, and then we wake up this morning to this,” Klobuchar lamented.

She added that they had opposed a Congressional Republicans bill tripling the ICE budget last summer, which she said is now more than the FBI, and said that training for agents has been reduced from five months to 47 days.

“We are also calling for a full and transparent investigation,” Klobuchar said. “We have done this before in Minnesota, coordinating with local and state and federal law enforcement. And if they’re not going to do it, then they need to get out of the way and allow our very professional Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to conduct the investigation into these killings.”

Frey later added in an X post: “After today’s shooting, Minneapolis is filing a declaration to push for an immediate ruling on our temporary restraining order. We need swift action to protect our city.”

DHS officials said Pretti approached Border Patrol agents while armed with a 9mm pistol and “violently resisted” when they attempted to disarm him.

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Medics at the scene immediately delivered aid, but Pretti was pronounced dead at the scene.

Fox News’ Alexandra Koch contributed to this report. 

A member of Congress was allegedly assaulted Friday evening while attending the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., wrote on X on Saturday: “Last night, I was assaulted by a man at Sundance Festival who told me that Trump was going to deport me before he punched me in the face.”

Frost added that the suspect “was heard screaming racist remarks as he drunkenly ran off.”

Frost said the man had been arrested and that he wasn’t hurt in the incident.

LAWMAKER TARGETED WITH DEATH THREAT AFTER CONDEMNING RACIST SIGN AIMED AT WINSOME SEARS

“Thank you to the venue security and Park City PD for assistance on this incident,” he added.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries responded to the news on X: writing, “I am horrified by the attack on Congressman Maxwell Frost. Grateful that he is okay, but appalled that this terrifying assault took place. The perpetrator must be aggressively prosecuted.”

MEMBER OF CONGRESS SAYS SHE WAS ASSAULTED BY GANG OF YOUTH BEFORE TRUMP DC TAKEOVER 

Jeffries continued: “Hate and political violence has no place in our country, and the entire House Democratic Caucus family stands with Maxwell.”

The alleged assault took place at a party hosted by the CAA talent party at the High West Saloon, which the suspect crashed, according to Variety.

The suspect was allegedly bragging in the bathroom about being “White” before punching Frost in the face, the outlet reported.

He has yet to be identified.

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the Park City Police Department for comment.

The 29-year-old congressman was first elected to serve in Florida’s 10th district in 2022.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Saturday labeled the alleged actions of the suspect killed in a Border Patrol-involved shooting in Minneapolis as “domestic terrorism,” accusing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey of inciting violence against federal officers while stressing that President Donald Trump is prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act if deemed necessary.

“When you perpetuate violence against a government because of ideological reasons and for reasons to resist and perpetuate violence, that is the definition of domestic terrorism,” Noem said during a news conference at FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

“This individual who came with weapons and ammunition to stop a law enforcement operation of federal law enforcement officers committed an act of domestic terrorism,” Noem added. “That’s the facts.”

Noem described the incident beginning while DHS officers carried out “targeted operations” in Minneapolis against an illegal alien whose criminal history included domestic assault, disorderly conduct, and driving without a valid license.

TODD BLANCHE WARNS AMERICANS ‘SHOULD BE WORRIED’ ABOUT MINNESOTA PROTESTS AFTER CHURCH DISRUPTION

“An individual approached U.S. Border Patrol officers with a 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun,” and agents attempted to disarm him. “The officers attempted to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently,” Noem said. “Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots.”

Medics attempted to render aid, Noem said, but the man, later identified as 37-year-old Alex Pretti, “was pronounced dead at the scene.” 

She also claimed that the Pretti had “two magazines with ammunition in them that held dozens of rounds” and no identification.

“This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement,” Noem said.

TRUMP CITES ARMED SUSPECT, LACK OF POLICE SUPPORT FOLLOWING FATAL BORDER PATROL SHOOTING IN MINNEAPOLIS

The shooting was followed by unrest in the area, Noem said. 

“Hundreds of protesters then showed up at the scene,” she said. “They began to obstruct and to assault law enforcement officers,” she added. “We saw objects being thrown at them, including ice and other objects, and a rampant assault began.

“A [Homeland Security Investigation] HSI agent’s finger was bitten off.” 

She said crowd-control measures were deployed “to bring safety to the public and to law enforcement at the scene.”

Noem said the situation “did not have to happen,” placing blame on Minnesota’s political leadership. 

“The Minnesota governor and the Minneapolis mayor need to take a long, hard look in the mirror,” she said. “They need to evaluate their rhetoric, their conversations, and their encouragement of such violence against our citizens and our law enforcement officers.”

NOEM SAYS ‘ARRESTS COMING’ AFTER ANTI-ICE MOB TARGETED MINNESOTA CHURCH

She also accused Walz of undermining federal officers. “I’ll remind you that Governor Walz, today in his press conference, said that our officers were not even law enforcement, which is a lie,” Noem said. “He’s called them the Gestapo.”

Noem further claimed Walz “encouraged residents and citizens and violent rioters to resist,” and alleged that state leaders had doxed federal officers, “putting themselves and their families’ lives in jeopardy.”

During the briefing, Noem was asked whether Trump was closer to invoking the Insurrection Act in response to the unrest. She did not rule it out.

“The president will use every tool that he needs to follow through on his promises to the American people,” Noem said.

She added that the Trump administration would continue operating in Minneapolis despite objections from state and local leaders.

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“We’re going to treat Minneapolis exactly the way that we have treated every other city across this country,” Noem said, referring to immigration enforcement operations like Operation Metro Surge underway nationwide.

Noem said DHS is investigating the shooting “just like we do all other officer-involved shootings,” and that additional details would be released as the investigation continues.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment in response to Noem’s remarks.

Senate Democrats are ready to break a fragile truce that would avert a partial government shutdown after a Minneapolis man was fatally shot by a border patrol agent on Saturday. 

Congressional Democrats were already leery of backing funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the wake of the agency’s presence in Minnesota and beyond, but the shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti during an immigration enforcement operation has shattered what little unity they had on the bill. 

Now, Senate Democrats, led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., plan to vote against the legislation, which is currently included in a broader funding package along with five other spending bills. 

SENATE DEMOCRATS REBEL AGAINST THEIR OWN LEADERSHIP OVER DHS FUNDING PACKAGE, INCREASING SHUTDOWN ODDS

Schumer, in a statement on Saturday, said that Democrats tried to get “common sense reforms” in the DHS funding bill, but charged that “because of Republicans’ refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses” of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

 “I will vote no,” Schumer said. “Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included.”

Schumer’s play call serves as a blow to Senate Republicans, who worked with their colleagues across the aisle to find compromises in the DHS bill, in particular. It also comes as the deadline to fund the government is rapidly approaching on Friday, Jan. 30. Further complicating matters is the arctic storm ripping across the country, which has already forced the upper chamber to cancel votes on Monday. 

A senior Senate aide told Fox News Digital that Senate Democrats had been for weeks saying that they weren’t interested in shutting the government down again, and had praised the bipartisan nature of the government funding process up until Saturday.

 “These bills were negotiated with Dems — they agreed to what’s in them,” they said.

HOUSE JAMS SENATE BY ATTACHING REPEAL OF JACK SMITH PROVISION TO $1.2T FUNDING PACKAGE

The agency would be fully funded in the current proposal with several restrictions and reporting requirements that if not met, would act as triggers to turn off certain cash flows. 

Ripping the bill from the current six-bill funding package would cause a domino effect of headaches in Congress, given that any changes to the package would have to go through the House.

The lower chamber is gone until Feb. 2, making the likelihood of a partial shutdown much higher. 

Before the shooting, a handful of Senate Democrats had already made their opposition to the legislation known, including senators Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Tim Kaine, D-Va.

Kaine, notably, crossed the aisle last year to join a cohort of Senate Democratic caucus members to reopen the government after the longest shutdown in U.S. history.

He was not the only member of that group of eight to voice opposition — senators Catherine Cortez Masto, D-N.V., and Jacky Rosen, D-N.M., both came out against the DHS bill’s inclusion in the broader package on Saturday. 

“My personal guiding principle has always been ‘agree where you can and fight where you must,’ Rosen said in a statement. “And I believe this is a time when we must fight back.”

Meanwhile, House lawmakers are on a week-long recess after passing their latest spending package in two chunks — one standalone vote on DHS funding and another wrapping together funding legislation for the departments of War, Health and Human Services, Labor, Education, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development — this past Thursday.

SENATE ADVANCES $174B PACKAGE AS MINNESOTA ICE SHOOTING FUELS DHS FUNDING FIGHT

A provision was added to the legislation before it passed the House that would combine the bills into one large package for the Senate to consider at once. It was then expected to be paired with other bills the Senate has not yet considered but which passed the House this month.

Changing that ahead of the Jan. 30 shutdown deadline would mean House lawmakers must return to Washington early to go through multiple procedural hurdles and another vote on the legislation — something House GOP leaders are ruling out, at least for now.

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“We passed all 12 bills over to the Senate, and they still have six in their possession that they need to pass to the president,” a House GOP leadership source told Fox News Digital on Saturday evening, referring to the lower chamber completing its portion of Congress’ annual appropriations process. “We have no plan to come back next week.”

Even if House leaders changed their plans, the impending snow storm would mean lawmakers may not return until Tuesday at the earliest. That would put final passage sometime Wednesday or Thursday, virtually guaranteeing Congress does not complete consideration of the bills until after the Friday deadline.

House GOP leaders would also likely be grappling with attendance issues if they did order a return, with various lawmakers on planned trips and over a dozen busy campaigning for higher office.

A partial government shutdown would mean only agencies that Congress has not yet funded would have to reduce or cease functions — in this case, payment to active duty troops, air traffic controllers, and border patrol agents could all be affected.

After a Border Patrol officer fatally shot Minneapolis resident Alex Jeffrey Pretti during an immigration enforcement operation Saturday, Democratic governors outside the state jumped to echo Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s condemnation of the Trump administration. 

DHS told Fox News federal agents attempted to disarm Pretti, 37, who had a gun and allegedly “violently resisted,” prompting the shooting.

Officials said Pretti was armed with a 9 mm handgun with two magazines and no ID, and DHS noted, “This looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement.”

Democrat Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker fired back on X, claiming “masked federal agents in Minnesota just shot and killed another person.”

“We must put a stop to Trump’s ICE. Now. Stop the funding, stop the occupations, stop the killings,” Pritzker wrote. “I am asking my fellow Republican and Democratic Governors across the nation to have a unified response. We must all stand against the lawlessness being inflicted in our states.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom took to social media accusing President Donald Trump of “ma[king] a shooting happen.”

“Yesterday, hundreds of thousands filled the streets of Minnesota — marching in subzero temperatures in a PEACEFUL protest,” Newsom wrote in an X post. “Not the excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act the President wanted. So today, Trump made a shooting happen. The President must end his violent occupation of Minnesota. NOW.”

ANTI-ICE AGITATORS DISRUPT MINNESOTA CHURCH, SHOUT DOWN WORSHIPPERS DURING SUNDAY SERVICE

Kathy Hochul, the Democratic governor of New York, also weighed in on X.

“Another horrific outcome from a federal operation that has clearly spun out of control,” Hochul wrote. “Americans have had enough of lawless conduct masquerading as enforcement. President Trump is responsible for putting a stop to it.”

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said he reached out to Walz after the shooting, claiming the recent shooting incidents are “not isolated incidents.”

“Again and again, we see that ICE lacks accountability and agents lack training for the operations they’re being sent on,” Moore wrote in an X post. “This reckless pattern of violence carried out by the Department of Homeland Security is endangering our communities. Not protecting them. This must stop.”

Maine Gov. Janet Mills added she requested a meeting with Trump to demand the administration withdraw ICE agents from Maine.

“I am appalled and heartbroken by reports of yet another killing at the hands of federal immigration agents. President Trump and Secretary Noem’s weaponization of Federal law enforcement against the people they are meant to serve is not only a grave violation of the Constitution, but a threat to the lives of law-abiding people in the cities and states they seek to occupy, including Maine,” Mills wrote in a statement. 

“As Governor, I am requesting that the President of the United States meet with me so that I can demand in person that his Administration withdraw these untrained and reckless ICE agents in Maine and across the country who are stoking fear in communities, arresting legally present people, including law enforcement officials, and who pose a grave threat to public safety.”

Mills also called on Congress to immediately bring Noem before them for a public hearing and cut off any further funding for ICE.

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Walz also touched on immigration officers’ training, calling the shooting “sickening.”

“I just spoke with the White House after another horrific shooting by federal agents this morning. Minnesota has had it. This is sickening,” Walz said. “The president must end this operation. Pull the thousands of violent, untrained officers out of Minnesota. Now.”

At a news conference later Saturday, Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino said the officer involved in the shooting was “highly trained” and had been serving as a Border Patrol agent eight years. 

Bovino said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) law enforcement officers were conducting an operation targeting Jose Huerta-Chuma, an illegal immigrant with a criminal history including domestic assault to intentional conflict bodily harm, disorderly conduct and driving without a valid license= early Saturday morning. 

Trump reacted to the incident in a Truth Social post.

“This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go—What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers? The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves—Not an easy thing to do!” Trump wrote, attaching a photo of a gun DHS said it recovered from the shooting. 

Trump then questioned why Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., has “$34 Million Dollars in her account” and asked where “Tens of Billions of Dollars” of Minnesota’s money has gone, apparently referencing recent reports of massive fraud in the state. 

“We are there because of massive Monetary Fraud, with Billions of Dollars missing, and Illegal Criminals that were allowed to infiltrate the State through the Democrats’ Open Border Policy. We want the money back, and we want it back, NOW,” Trump added. 

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey demanded that the Trump administration remove immigration enforcement officials from the city. 

BORDER PATROL SHOOTS ARMED INDIVIDUAL IN MINNEAPOLIS, FOX NEWS LEARNS

A Border Patrol officer shot an armed man Saturday at the intersection of East 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue, according to Trump administration officials. 

“I just saw a video of more than six masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death,” Frey said during a midday news conference. “How many more residents? How many more Americans need to die or get badly hurt for this operation to end? 

“How many more lives need to be lost before this administration realizes that a political and partisan narrative is not as important as American values? How many times must local and national leaders plead with you, Donald Trump, to end this operation and recognize that this is not creating safety in our city?”

Frey said he was tired of local officials being told to turn down the temperature and that his community members are stirring up “vitriol” in the streets. He demanded that the administration “reflect” on the ongoing chaos in the city and ask whether it is achieving peace and safety. 

“If the goal was to achieve peace and safety, this is doing exactly the opposite,” he said. “If the goal was to achieve calm and prosperity, this is doing exactly the opposite.

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“So to President Trump, this is a moment to act like a leader. Put Minneapolis put America first in this moment,” he continued. “Let’s achieve peace. Let’s end this operation. And I’m telling you, our city will come back. Safety will be restored. We’re asking for you to take action now to remove these federal agents.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Fox News’ Rachel Wolf, Paul Mauro, Bill Melugin and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump on Saturday said he plans to skip next month’s Super Bowl, slamming the halftime performers and griping that the California game is too far away.

Trump, who attended last year’s game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans, told the New York Post: “It’s just too far away. I would, I’ve [gotten] great hands [at] the Super Bowl. They like me.”

This year’s Super Bowl will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, near San Jose.

He added, “I would go if, you know, it was a little bit shorter.”

NFL TAPS BLACK NATIONAL ANTHEM PERFORMER FOR SUPER BOWL LX

The president has also been openly critical of headline performer Bad Bunny since he was chosen last year to perform at the Halftime Show.

“I don’t know who he is,” Trump told Newsmax of the choice last fall. “I don’t know why they’re doing it. It’s crazy. And then they blame it on some promoter they hired to pick up entertainment. I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

Rock band Green Day was also selected in the last week to play before the kickoff.

KRISTI NOEM TORCHES NFL AS ‘WEAK,’ VOWS ICE WILL SHOW UP AT SUPER BOWL AMID BAD BUNNY SCANDAL

Bad Bunny and Green Day’s frontman Billie Joe Armstrong are both liberal performers who have been vocal about their dislike of Trump in the past.

Bad Bunny said last fall that he decided to do his residency show in his native Puerto Rico and didn’t book any U.S. dates on his tour over fears his fans would be detained by ICE agents.

“But there was the issue of, like, f—ing ICE could be outside [my concert]. And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” the Latin pop star, who has a large Latino following, told i-D.

The 31-year-old also featured a person doing a Trump impression in his song “Nuevayol,” saying, “I want to apologize to the immigrants in America. . . . This country is nothing without the immigrants. This country is nothing without Mexicans, Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Venezuelans, Cubans.”

Armstrong has likened Trump to Hitler in the past and the band frequently changes the line “I’m not part of a redneck agenda” from their 2004 hit “American Idiot” to “I’m not part of the MAGA agenda” in more recent live performances, according to The Independent.

“I’m anti-them,” Trump told the Post of the performers. “I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible.”

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Kendrick Lamar headlined last year’s Halftime Show and SZA, Jon Batiste, Lauren Daigle, Trombone Shorty, and Ledisi also performed.

The Super Bowl will take place on Sunday, Feb. 8 with the Seattle Seahawks-Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots-Denver Broncos championship games Sunday deciding who will play.

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller slammed Democrats for calling on federal immigration agents to leave Minnesota, accusing them of siding with “terrorists” after a Border Patrol agent fatally shot an armed U.S. citizen during a confrontation Saturday in Minneapolis.

The 37-year-old man allegedly approached agents during an apparent operation and then “violently resisted,” while armed with a 9mm pistol and two magazines, leading to the shooting.

“A would-be assassin tried to murder federal law enforcement and the official Democrat account sides with the terrorists,” Miller wrote in an X post.

He later responded to a social media post from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., calling for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to leave Minneapolis and for Congress to cut its funding.

TRUMP SAYS MEDIA FOCUSES TOO MUCH ON MINNESOTA ICE COVERAGE, NOT ENOUGH ON CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS

“An assassin tried to murder federal agents and this is your response,” Miller replied.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said the man, whose name has not yet been released, held a lawful permit to carry (PTC).

In a letter penned to Walz on Saturday, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Minnesota has “refused” to enforce the law, saying the “consequences are heartbreaking.”

FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY ANTI-ICE AGITATORS ‘GOING AFTER THE DOGS’ FOLLOWING MINNEAPOLIS KENNEL INCIDENT

“… Unfortunately, you and other Minnesota officials have refused to support the men and women risking their lives to protect Americans and uphold the rule of law,” Bondi wrote. 

“Because Minnesota, Minneapolis, and St. Paul have chosen to ignore federal immigration law by enacting sanctuary laws and policies, the federal agents led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have operated alone,” she added. “And politicians in your state are not just refusing to help these agents, they are putting federal agents in danger.”

Bondi also called out Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for saying, “ICE: Get the f— out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here,” and Walz for referring to federal immigration enforcement agents as “Trump’s modern-day Gestapo.”

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“The results of your state’s policies and politicians’ anti-law enforcement rhetoric are a national tragedy. Violence against ICE officers and agents has increased approximately 1,300 percent,” she wrote. “Vehicular attacks against ICE officers have increased 3,200%. … You and your office must restore the rule of law, support ICE officers, and bring an end to the chaos in Minnesota.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi accused Minneapolis and Minnesota leaders of fueling unrest after a Border Patrol-involved shooting left an armed suspect dead during a targeted immigration enforcement operation, telling Fox News on Saturday that sanctuary-style policies and rhetoric against federal agents have undermined public safety.

Bondi made the remarks during a live interview with Fox News anchor Aishah Hasnie, hours after federal authorities said a Border Patrol (CBP) agent fatally shot a man armed with a handgun during an enforcement operation in south Minneapolis.

The shooting was followed by protests and crowd-control measures as demonstrators converged on the scene.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), agents were conducting a targeted operation against an illegal immigrant wanted for violent assault when an individual approached officers armed with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.

ILHAN OMAR ACCUSES NOEM OF ‘LIES AND PROPAGANDA’ ON MINNESOTA ARRESTS

Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino said agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted.

“Fearing for his life and the lives and safety of fellow officers, a Border Patrol agent fired defensive shots,” Bovino said.

Authorities said the individual was pronounced dead at the scene. Bovino said the suspect was carrying two loaded magazines and no accessible identification, describing the individual as appearing intent on causing “maximum damage” to law enforcement.

MINNESOTA POLICE CHIEFS ALLEGE SOME ICE AGENTS RACIALLY PROFILED US CITIZENS, INCLUDING OFF-DUTY OFFICERS

Bondi placed responsibility for the unrest on Minnesota’s political leadership.

“This has happened in Minneapolis because you have a mayor and a governor who have declared Minneapolis a sanctuary city,” Bondi said. “You’re invited here. We will protect you.”

She said ICE agents operating in the city have arrested individuals accused or convicted of serious crimes, arguing enforcement was necessary to protect people.

TRUMP URGES DHS, ICE TO PUBLICIZE ARRESTS, SAYS CRACKDOWN IS ‘SAVING MANY INNOCENT LIVES’

“And that’s why Donald Trump has ICE in Minneapolis, to protect the citizens,” Bondi said.

Bondi described the protests as “extremely organized,” noting the appearance of matching signs and gas masks. “It’s extremely organized,” she said. “The signs they have are all matching. They’re well written. How did these people go out and get gas masks?”

During the interview, Bondi confirmed federal grand jury subpoenas had been issued to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, though she declined to comment on any ongoing investigation.

“That’s all I can say right now legally,” she said.

Bondi also said she sent a letter to Walz warning that the federal government would step in if state leaders did not support federal law enforcement efforts.

TOM EMMER BLASTS MINNESOTA DEMOCRATS AFTER ‘TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE’ CHURCH DISRUPTION

“We sent Governor Walz a very strong letter today. We had been working on this letter. We got it out saying that he better support President Trump. He better support the men and women in law enforcement because if he doesn’t, we are, and that’s what we’re doing right now.”

Bondi said multiple federal agencies are assisting DHS as the situation unfolds, adding that the administration’s priority remains protecting law enforcement officers and the public.

“We’re going to support our great men and women in law enforcement,” she said.

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Investigations into the shooting and the unrest that followed remain ongoing.

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf and Fox News’ Paul Mauro, Bill Melugin contributed to this reporting.

President Donald Trump sounded off on Truth Social after a Border Patrol agent fatally shot an armed man in Minneapolis on Saturday, claiming federal agents “had to protect themselves” because of the lack of support from local police in the blue city.

The 37-year-old man, a U.S. citizen from Minneapolis, allegedly approached agents and then “violently resisted,” while armed with a 9mm pistol and two magazines.

“This is the gunman’s gun, loaded (with two additional full magazines!), and ready to go—What is that all about? Where are the local Police? Why weren’t they allowed to protect ICE Officers?” Trump wrote in the post. “The Mayor and the Governor called them off? It is stated that many of these Police were not allowed to do their job, that ICE had to protect themselves—Not an easy thing to do!”

The president also called out Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., questioning her finances amid a federal fraud investigation.

“Why does Ilhan Omar have $34 Million Dollars in her account? And where are the Tens of Billions of Dollars that have been stolen from the once Great State of Minnesota?” Trump wrote. “We are there because of massive Monetary Fraud, with Billions of Dollars missing, and Illegal Criminals that were allowed to infiltrate the State through the Democrats’ Open Border Policy. We want the money back, and we want it back, NOW. 

“Those Fraudsters who stole the money are going to jail, where they belong! This is no different than a really big Bank Robbery. Much of what you’re witnessing is a COVER UP for this Theft and Fraud.”

Trump then accused Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz of “inciting Insurrection, with their pompous, dangerous, and arrogant rhetoric!”

“Instead, these sanctimonious political fools should be looking for the Billions of Dollars that has been stolen from the people of Minnesota, and the United States of America,” he wrote. “LET OUR ICE PATRIOTS DO THEIR JOB! 12,000 Illegal Alien Criminals, many of them violent, have been arrested and taken out of Minnesota. If they were still there, you would see something far worse than you are witnessing today!”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom jetted to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum and used the global stage to take aim at the Trump administration, a move that quickly spawned a string of viral moments and mockery. 

Trump administration officials and the president himself converged on Davos, Switzerland, this week to meet with global government and business leaders to discuss the economy at large, and as President Donald Trump upped the ante on pressuring European leaders to ink a deal for the U.S. to acquire Greenland. 

Trump dominated headlines as foreign dignitaries met with the deal-maker-in-chief at the high-profile annual forum, with Newsom simultaneously working to counter his longtime political foe. 

Fox News Digital took a look back at Newsom’s top moments that earned him millions of views on social media as Trump supporters and others lambasted the governor for his political stunts and commentary. 

TREASURY CHIEF UNLOADS ON GAVIN NEWSOM’S DAVOS STUNT, MOCKS GOVERNOR’S ‘BRAIN THE SIZE OF A WALNUT’

Warns foreign leaders against kowtowing to Trump in bizarre ‘kneepads’ meltdown

Shortly after arriving to Switzerland, Newsom told the media from the sidelines of the annual meeting that he “should have brought a bunch of kneepads for all the world leaders” interacting with Trump, calling them “pathetic” as he reprimanded that they “have a backbone” against the White House. 

He also compared Trump to a t.rex on the prowl to either mate or eat.

TRUMP KEEPS MACRON UNDER SPOTLIGHT AS GREENLAND TALKS GRIND FORWARD FROM DAVOS

“This is diplomacy with Donald Trump. He’s a T.rex. You mate with him, or he devours you, one or the other. The Europeans could be (devoured) if they continue down this path and process. They need to stand tall, stand firm, stand united,” Newsom said on Tuesday. 

“Look, a year ago we should have been having this conversation, and they didn’t. And now you’re paying the price — exactly what any one objective observer would have anticipated we’d be where we are today.” 

Video of his remarks quickly spread across social media, generating millions of views as MAGA supporters scratched their heads over the remarks or mocked Newsom for what critics called an “odd” or “vivid” or “bizarre MELTDOWN” online. 

Commentator Stephen A. Smith slammed Newsom for taking shots at Trump while on foreign soil, arguing the “America first” mentality should transcend domestic political differences while on a world stage. 

“I have no problem with Gavin Newsom being candid and open about his feelings about our president on United States soil. To go over to another country, Switzerland, to go over there and to be in the presence of other European leaders, speaking against the President of the United States — I’m not down with that,” Smith said on his  podcast, Fox Digital previously reported. 

Alex Soros photo blowback

Newsom received widespread backlash from conservatives online after left-wing billionaire donor Alex Soros posted a photo of the pair to social media on Tuesday.

“So glad he’s here calling out world leaders for believing appeasement works when it comes to Trump,” Soros captioned the photo of the pair. “It doesn’t. It only emboldens him to become more chaotic and destructive. World leaders could take a page out of Newsom’s book. It’s time to stand tall, stand firm, and stand united — before it’s too late.”

The photo sparked mockery and condemnation from Trump officials and social media commenters, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent quipping that Newsom is like “Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken.”  

He’s here this week with his billionaire sugar daddy, Alex Soros, and Davos is the perfect place for a man who, when everyone else was on lockdown, when he was having people arrested for going to church, he was having $1,000 a night meals at the French Laundry,” Bessent continued during a Wednesday press conference. 

“Gavin Newscum auditioning to be Alex Soros’ next sugar baby is a waste of time – all the money in the world could not make Newscum’s pitiful presidential dreams come true,” White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said. 

“Someone confiscate Alex Soros’ Instagram account,” Tim Miller, “Bulwark Podcast” host and MSNBC analyst wrote in response to Newsom and Soros showing off their friendship in Davos.

Newsom claims White House prevented him from holding Davos fireside chat 

Newsom took to X on Wednesday and claimed he was barred from speaking at an event in Davos, with his office pinning blame on the White House. 

“Under pressure from the White House and State Department, USA House (a church acting as the official U.S. pavilion) is now denying entry to @CAGovernor Gavin Newsom to speak with media after Fortune — the official media partner — invited him to speak,” Newsom’s press office said on Wednesday.

Newsom was invited to speak at USA House in Davos, which served as the U.S.’ main hub at the World Economic Forum and focused on celebrating America’s upcoming 250th anniversary as a nation, but was denied entry. 

“California was just denied at the USA House. Last we checked, California is part of USA,” Newsom posted on X. 

The White House weighed in shortly after, taking aim at the governor for spending time in Europe and not at home in California. Newsom has long been viewed as a potential 2028 Democratic candidate for the White House. 

“No one in Davos knows who third-rate governor Newscum is or why he is frolicking around Switzerland instead of fixing the many problems he created in California,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News of the remarks. 

Newsom caught on camera reacting to Trump’s speech 

The California governor had yet another viral moment on Wednesday when he attended Trump’s speech to the forum and was spotted smirking. 

Trump called Newsom out by name amid his remarks on Wednesday, which overwhelmingly focused on his administration’s first-year wins and heightened calls for the U.S. to acquire Greenland. 

STEPHEN A SMITH SHREDS NEWSOM FOR VIOLATING ‘AMERICA FIRST’ WITH DISPARAGEMENT OF TRUMP IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY

“We’re going to help the people in California. We want to have no crime,” Trump said during his address. “I know Gavin was here. I used to get along so great with Gavin when I was president. Gavin’s a good guy, and we’re going to. If he needed it, I would do it in a heartbeat. I’d love to see. We did help them a lot in Los Angeles, a lot with the early, early in my term when they had some problems. But we would love to do it.”

Newsom was spotted in video footage and photos standing on the sidelines of the speech while listening to Trump, including appearing to smirk during the president’s address. 

Governor hows off Trump-styled kneepads 

After claiming that he should have brought kneepads for world leaders as they interact with Trump, Newsom whipped out a pair of what he called “Trump signature series kneepads” during a World Economic Forum session moderated by Ben Smith, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Semafor. 

“It’s not what we should be doing. But you’ve got to point out the absurdity,” Newsom said of the political prop. 

The governor said the Trump administration has heightened its personal attacks against him, pointing to Bessent’s “Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken” remark as evidence. 

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“We’re deeply in their head. I think the affordability agenda appears to be I’m living rent-free in the Trump administration’s head,” he said of the Trump administration. 

Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office on Friday regarding his series of viral moments but did not immediately receive a reply. 

Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report. 

Progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, is moving to restrain President Donald Trump‘s crackdown on illegal immigration via a bill to create new transparency mandates on federal flights.

Crockett’s legislation is called the “Transparency Requirements for Aircraft Carriers to Know Immigration Conduct and Enforcement Act,” or the TRACK ICE Act.

She introduced it this week alongside Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., another Democrat who has made headlines for clashing with Trump.

The bill would make it easier to track detention and deportation flights commissioned by the federal government, as well as mandate new transparency disclosures for who is detained.

ICE FUNDING BILL DRAWS FIRE FROM LEFT AND RIGHT AS SHUTDOWN DEADLINE NEARS

“For far too long, the federal government has operated immigration flights without full transparency. These ghost flights are tearing families apart, leaving loved ones in the dark, and giving immigration agencies free rein to act without oversight, transparency, and justice. It is Congress’s job to ensure they aren’t operating above the law,” Crockett said in a statement on the legislation.

It comes as Democrats push to impose new guardrails on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the wake of fierce demonstrations in Minneapolis. Tensions erupted there after an ICE agent fatally shot 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in her car. 

Good was accused by Trump administration figures of impeding ICE operations at the time of her death, while Democrats have said the ICE agent who shot Good acted recklessly and even merits a criminal investigation.

TRUMP ADMIN WARNS OF ‘WIDESCALE DOXXING’ OF ICE IF HOUSE DEM’S NEW BILL PASSES

Crockett’s bill would mandate public disclosure of immigration flights commissioned by ICE or Customs and Border Protection (CBP) within 72 hours of them taking place. 

Details like aircraft identification code, departure and arrival times, and ICE Air mission designations would all need to be made public.

It would also require disclosure of detainees’ information including nationality, age group, sex and family status.

Critics of Democrats’ transparency efforts have said forcing ICE to disclose too much information could endanger agents and targets of federal operations.

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But people on the left are contending that the agency operates with too much impunity.

Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for a response to the bill.

Deportation flights have sharply increased under Trump, rising 44% between 2024 and 2025 according to Human Rights First.

The Department of Justice alleged to the Supreme Court on Thursday that California improperly factored race into its newly redrawn congressional map, arguing that the high court should block the map because it violated the Voting Rights Act.

Solicitor General John Sauer said the map, approved by California voters under the ballot measure Proposition 50 in November, was “tainted by an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.” The Supreme Court should quickly intervene and pause a lower court’s decision that upheld the map, Sauer said.

The DOJ’s arguments came as part of a lawsuit state Republicans brought against Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee over Proposition 50. The DOJ intervened in the lawsuit on behalf of the Republicans. 

HIGH-STAKES MAP FIGHT: HERE ARE THE NEXT BATTLEGROUNDS IN THE TRUMP VS. DEMOCRATS REDISTRICTING SHOWDOWN

California lawyers said in court papers that Republicans used the “flimsy veneer of racial gerrymandering” to challenge the map in court after failing to convince California voters to reject it. The lawyers argued that Republicans did not meet the “especially stringent” burden required to prove the maps were unconstitutionally redrawn with race at top of mind.

The court battle is one of several mid-decade redistricting fights to crop up ahead of the midterms. In response to a warning from the DOJ Civil Rights Division, Texas’ legislature approved a new Republican-friendly map last year that Democrats argued was an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

The Supreme Court upheld Texas’ map in December in an unsigned order in which the three liberal justices dissented.

Newsom responded to Texas by announcing that California would redraw its map to directly offset Republicans’ gains in Texas. California voters approved the ballot measure in November, which allowed the state to enact the map.

DOJ BACKS TEXAS IN SUPREME COURT FIGHT OVER REPUBLICAN-DRAWN MAP

Democrats have said the map was drawn for political purposes and gives them a five-seat advantage heading into the 2026 midterm elections. Sauer argued that race, and not politics, “predominated” in the redrawing of at least one of the districts.

“Unlike Texas’s map, the Prop 50 map suffers from a fatal constitutional flaw: one of the districts (District 13) was clearly drawn ‘on the basis of race,’” Sauer argued.

The solicitor general said the mapmaker, Paul Mitchell, openly said the district would bolster the Latino vote, particularly in the Central Valley, where the district in question is located.

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Republicans asked the Supreme Court for an immediate response because candidates for the 2026 midterm elections will begin submitting their paperwork under the new map on Feb. 9.

The Newsom administration has until Jan. 29 to respond to the Supreme Court, and the justices could issue a decision anytime thereafter.

President Donald Trump threatened on Saturday that he would implement 100% tariffs on Canada if it strikes a deal to become a “drop off port” for China.

“If Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a “drop off port” for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken. China will eat Canada alive, completely devour it, including the destruction of their businesses, social fabric, and general way of life,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“If Canada makes a deal with China, it will immediately be hit with a 100% tariff against all Canadian goods and products coming into the U.S.A.,” the president added.

Trump referred to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as a “governor,” echoing comments he made while campaigning for a second term about annexing America’s northern neighbor. He previously used the same term when speaking about Carney’s predecessor, Justin Trudeau.

Carney made his first official visit to China earlier this month as he and Chinese President Xi Jinping work together to forge an improved bond between their countries. 

During the Jan. 14-17 visit, the leaders of the two nations reached an agreement that would allow up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles to enter the Canadian market at a lower tariff rate of 6.1%, Carney’s office announced. 

“At its best, the Canada-China relationship has created massive opportunities for both our peoples. By leveraging our strengths and focusing on trade, energy, agri-food, and areas where we can make huge gains, we are forging a new strategic partnership that builds on the best of our past, reflects the world as it is today, and benefits the people of both our nations,” Carney said in the statement.

Additionally, by March 1, China is expected to drop its tariff on Canadian canola seed to a combined rate of 15%. Carney’s office said that Canada expects that its canola meal, lobsters, crabs, and peas will not be subject to relevant anti-discrimination tariffs beginning March 1 “until at least the end of this year.”

It is unclear what deal would trigger a response from Trump in the wake of the ones made during Carney’s trip to China.

Tensions between Carney and Trump have flared in recent days, as the leaders took swipes at one another at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland — and at home after the conference.

Carney, fresh off his trip to China, delievered a speech that garnered international attention. While he did not mention Trump by name, he made a reference to the U.S., saying that “rules-based order is fading.” Many, including the U.S. president, saw this as a jab at Trump.

“Every day we’re reminded that we live in an era of great-power rivalry,” Carney said. “That the rules-based order is fading. That the strong can do what they can, and the weak must suffer what they must.” 

He admitted that there were benefits to U.S. leadership on the world stage, but painted the entire concept of a rules-based international order as a falsity that is actively failing. Additionally, in his address, Carney urged middle powers, like Canada, to assert themselves and take the opportunity to “build a new order that embodies our values.”

“Middle powers must act together because if you are not at the table, you are on the menu,” Carney said. 

When delivering his address on Wednesday, Trump did not shy away from taking aim at Carney. He said that Canada “should be grateful” because the country gets “a lot of freebies” from the U.S., though he did not say what he was referring to.

“I watched your prime minister yesterday. He wasn’t so grateful,” Trump said. “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements.”

In another apparent swipe at Carney, Trump issued an “open letter” to the Canadian leader on Truth Social revoking Canada’s invitation to join the Board of Peace, a U.S.-led council tasked with managing Gaza’s post-war future.

“Please let this Letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The inauguration of the Board of Peace took place after Carney had already departed, according to The Associated Press.

Upon his return to Canada, Carney addressed a cabinet retreat and took the opportunity to reject Trump’s claim.

“Canada and the United States have built a remarkable partnership in the economy, in security, and in a rich cultural exchange,” Carney said on Thursday while speaking in Plains of Abraham, Québec, during a cabinet retreat. 

“But Canada doesn’t ‘live because of the United States’,” he said, referencing Trump’s remark. “Canada thrives because we are Canadian. We are masters in our own house. This is our country. This is our future. The choice is ours.”

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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

President Donald Trump is waging war against a century-old tradition in the Senate that both Republicans and Democrats don’t want to touch.

Trump has ebbed and flowed in his disdain for the blue slip tradition in the upper chamber, taking out his frustrations on Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and other Republicans who have drawn a firm line in the sand for their support of the practice.

Much of his anger stemmed from the blue slip’s role in derailing a pair of his hand-picked U.S. attorney nominees — Alina Habba and Lindsey Halligan — last year.

SENATE DEMOCRATS REBEL AGAINST THEIR OWN LEADERSHIP OVER DHS FUNDING PACKAGE, INCREASING SHUTDOWN ODDS

Trump sounded off on the practice late last year in the Oval Office, arguing that the GOP should “get rid of blue slips, because, as a Republican President, I am unable to put anybody in office having to do with US attorneys or having to do with judges.”

But the practice, which has been around since World War I, is likely not going anywhere, given that it’s been a valuable tool for minority parties to block nominees.

The tradition allows for home state senators to weigh in on judicial nominees, giving them a say on who does and doesn’t move forward. Returning a blue slip is the equivalent of giving a thumbs up to the nominees moving forward, while keeping the slip effectively blocks the process.

While the tradition was used to block both Halligan and Habba, both of whom served as Trump’s attorneys while in between stints in the White House, Republicans have still been successful in confirming several of the president’s judicial picks.

REPUBLICANS NARROWLY REJECT EFFORTS TO HANDCUFF TRUMP’S WAR POWERS IN VENEZUELA

Grassley noted in a post on X that “nearly 1/5 of the 417 nominees who were confirmed this [year] went” through his committee.

“I’m ready to process even more in the new [year] just need materials from WH and DOJ so [committee] can continue contributing to Senate’s historic nominations progress,” he said.

While Senate Democrats tried to block as many of Trump’s nominees throughout last year, Republicans changed the rules to ram more through. That resulted in the upper chamber confirming 36 U.S. attorneys and 26 federal judges.

Four of those were from Democratic senators with blue slips in Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Michigan and Minnesota, where the Trump administration’s usage of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents has faced legal challenges.

Both of Minnesota’s Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, who aren’t quiet critics of Trump and his administration, returned their blue slips for U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen last year.

“Putting aside political differences, he is respected across the board in Minnesota, and so I thought he would be a good U.S. attorney,” Smith said.

And notably, the blue slip tradition was used by Republicans to ensure that Trump would have 15 judges to appoint once he took office, blocking several of former President Joe Biden’s nominees in the process. There is also not a single blue slip holding up a judicial nominee currently making its way through the process.

HOUSE JAMS SENATE BY ATTACHING REPEAL OF JACK SMITH PROVISION TO $1.2T FUNDING PACKAGE

There have also been several Senate Republicans who have pushed back against Trump’s demand to decimate the tradition, including Sens. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and John Kennedy, R-La., both members of the Judiciary Committee.

They argued that the entire point of the blue slip was to ensure that individual senators got to have a say on the matter, and that the “issue cut both ways.”

“I would urge my colleagues to respectfully tell the president that we would do damage to this institution, and we would do damage to the power of individual senators if we were to rescind the blue slip,” Tillis said on the Senate floor last year.

Like many instances of Trump’s desire to take a sledgehammer to Senate tradition or procedure, Republicans largely aren’t biting.

And neither are members of Senate GOP leadership, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., who last year argued that there was more of an “intense feeling about preserving the blue slip maybe even than there is the filibuster.”

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Thune noted that he and fellow South Dakota Republican Sen. Mike Rounds both took advantage of the blue slip process to ensure that their state had a Republican-appointed district court judge for the first time since former President Ronald Reagan’s presidency.

“There were two vacancies,” Thune said. “They wanted one Dem, we gave them a Dem, we got a Republican person into that position in South Dakota. So it’s — there are examples of how that process, I think, works to our advantage, and that’s what most senators hang on to when it comes to a discussion about the blue slip.”

After making historic inroads with Hispanic voters in the last several election cycles, the Republican Party is going all in on winning the Latino vote this midterm election. The party, which currently holds a razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives, is confident that Hispanic voters will help it retain and shape the future of its majority both this November and in the years to come.  

Longtime South Texas Democratic Judge Tano Tijerina told Fox News Digital during an interview that he and Hispanics are ready to buck the Democrats and embrace a “new generation” of political leadership.

Alongside former assistant U.S. attorney Eric Flores and former California mayor Kevin Lincoln, Tijerina is one of three Hispanic Republicans running to unseat Democrats in Congress who have been endorsed by President Donald Trump. There are eight other Hispanic Republicans running in competitive, heavily Latino districts in border states, Texas, New Mexico and California.

If elected, these candidates will join an already influential group of Hispanics in Congress, including Reps. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., Juan Ciscomani, R-Ariz., and Gabe Evans, R-Colo.

HEALTHCARE, ECONOMY AND THE ‘ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL’: WELCOME TO THE MIDTERMS

Tijerina is running to unseat longtime Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar in a district along the Texas-Mexico border. He said that despite long being a Democratic stronghold, the Biden administration’s mismanagement of the border and prioritization of DEI “really opened up a lot of eyes of the Hispanics down here in South Texas.”

“Being a Democrat after so many years, I’m just sick and tired of seeing all the social issues that the Democrats are [promoting]. And I’m not the only one. That’s why Webb County, that’s why South Texas, voted for Trump plus 10 numbers.”

“We have always been conservative, everybody knows it,” he went on, adding, “Down here in South Texas, the only thing that we care about is good-paying jobs [and] making sure that we’re getting protected.”

Cuellar also counts himself as one of the last “blue dog” conservative Democrats in the House of Representatives. He was highly critical of the Biden administration’s handling of the border and immigration issues. Cuellar has said that it was this stance that led to him being indicted by the Biden Department of Justice on foreign bribery charges. He was later given an unconditional pardon by Trump, who also posited that the charges were politically motivated.  

Though there was much speculation that Cuellar would switch parties after his pardon, he rebuffed those rumors, saying he would remain a blue dog Democrat. Tijerina said that it is just as well because the people of South Texas “deserve somebody that’s actually going to go fight for them and not fight for themselves.”

“[Cuellar] comes around and says, ‘I’m your money guy, I’m the one that brings the money.’ When in all reality, I, as a county judge, know that we’ve gone through commissioner’s court, we’re the ones with the ideas, we’re are the ones that ask for the federal funding, we’re the ones who do the cash match,” said Tijerina.

“Henry’s been for Henry all these years, and it’s very obvious,” he went on. “It’s time for a new generation.”

CALL TO DUTY: IN BATTLE FOR HOUSE, REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS LOOKING TO VETERANS

In response, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Spokesperson Madison Andrus told Fox News Digital that “during his time in office, Congressman Cuellar has brought billions of dollars back home to South Texas through his powerful position on the House Appropriations Committee.”

Andrus knocked Tijerina for “fighting for a controversial $10 million spending project in Webb County” to purchase property for a new tax office.

“Tano should focus on his own backyard and do his homework on how members bring money back to their districts,” she said.

A national Democratic strategist told Fox News Digital that Tijerina’s assertion that Cuellar has failed to bring money back to the district stems from a “misunderstanding” of how the House appropriations process works.

“Just based on how the House works, Tano will not be able to bring as much money to the district as Cuellar is,” said the strategist, adding, “It is exceedingly rare that a freshman member of Congress gets a seat on the Appropriations Committee. So, Tano would not be able to sit on it, that just wouldn’t happen. And so, that would necessarily lead to a significant decrease in the federal funding that Texas 28 would get.”

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER JOHN THUNE PREVIEWS REPUBLICAN MIDTERM MESSAGE HEADING INTO 2026

Tijerina, however, is not the only candidate forecasting that the Democrats’ hold on the Hispanic vote is nearing its end.

“For too long, Democrats took South Texas for granted, assuming our votes were virtually guaranteed, while they turned their backs on our values,” said Flores, an Army veteran running as a Republican in the Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Flores asserted that Democrats have “traded the needs of hardworking families for a radical agenda that has left our borders open and our economy in shambles.”

Lest one think this phenomenon is isolated to the Texas border, this sentiment was further echoed by Lincoln, a Marine veteran who is also running in California.

Lincoln told Fox News Digital that Hispanic families in the California Central Valley are “feeling the crushing pressures of the affordability crisis driven by Democrats from Sacramento to Washington who put political ideology ahead of kitchen table issues.”

“Generations of families like mine came to America in pursuit of the American Dream, and the Republican Party is earning their trust by working to restore the affordability and opportunity that allows working families to get ahead again,” said Lincoln.

GOP SEIZES ON DEM CIVIL WAR AS PROGRESSIVES JUMP INTO KEY 2026 SENATE RACES: ‘THEY’RE IN SHAMBLES’

Despite this, the Democratic Party is also leaning into the affordability message and remains confident that Hispanic voters will stand by them.

“While Republicans are pushing policies that make everyday life unaffordable, Democrats are focused on lowering costs, creating good-paying jobs, and protecting health care for every American,” DCCC spokesperson Bridget Gonzalez told Fox News Digital.

“Latino voters see through the GOP’s empty, hypocritical rhetoric because they’re living with the consequences of Republican extremism every day,” said Gonzalez, adding, “Republicans can trot out all the talking points they want, but Latino families know who’s actually fighting for them — it’s the Democrats.”

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Meanwhile, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Christian Martinez told Fox News Digital that “outstanding” candidates like Flores, Lincoln and Tijerina “reflect their communities, understand the challenges working families face, and are stepping up to help grow a House majority focused on opportunity, security, and the American Dream.”

“Republicans aren’t just talking about earning Hispanic voters’ trust, we’re continuing to work and build it,” said Martinez.

Iran’s top prosecutor Thursday denied President Donald Trump’s claim that Tehran, Iran, halted mass executions of imprisoned protesters under U.S. pressure — a rebuttal that comes as Trump openly warned Iran it would face consequences more severe than recent U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities if the executions went forward.

Trump has said he pulled back from threats to intervene militarily after Iran agreed to stop the execution of as many as 800 detained demonstrators following days of anti-regime unrest.

“This claim is completely false, no such number exists, nor has the judiciary made any such decision,” Mohammad Movahedi was quoted by Iranian state media as saying Friday. 

“We have a separation of powers, the responsibilities of each institution are clearly defined, and we do not, under any circumstances, take instructions from foreign powers,” he added.

IRAN STRIKES COULD SIGNAL LIMITS OF BEIJING, MOSCOW’S POWER AS US FLEXES STRENGTH

Movahedi is an Iranian cleric and judge who serves as the nation’s prosecutor general. He previously warned that those taking part in the protests were “enemies of God,” a crime punishable by death. 

Iran’s mission to the United Nations declined to comment on the discrepancy between Trump and Movahedi’s claims. Fox News Digital also reached out to the State Department for more details and has not yet received a response. 

A White House official said Trump “is watching the situation in Iran very seriously and all options are on the table if the regime executes protesters.” 

The official declined to say where Trump had learned executions were being halted but added: “As a result of President Trump’s warnings, Iranian protesters who were scheduled to be sentenced to death were not. As President Trump stated, he thinks this is good news and hopes this trend continues.”

The denial reopens questions raised in the past week, when Trump publicly warned Iran and encouraged protesters by saying “help is on its way,” setting expectations of U.S. action as security forces carried out a violent crackdown. U.S. and regional security officials said at the time that restraint reflected concern over retaliation against U.S. forces and allies — not a retreat from confrontation.

Trump has since argued that pressure worked, saying Iran backed away from planned executions after he warned of severe consequences. Iran’s rejection of that claim now sharpens the stakes, raising the prospect that Washington may soon face a test of whether it is prepared to act if executions resume — or risk its warnings being dismissed.

Trump on Thursday told reporters that a U.S. “armada” was heading toward Iran, signaling that Washington is prepared to escalate if the country continues executions or intensifies its crackdown.

Recalling a conversation with Iranian envoys, Trump said: “I said, if you hang those people, you’re going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit.”

“It will make what we did to Iran nuclear look like peanuts,” he said. “And an hour before this horrible thing was going to take place, they canceled. And they actually said they canceled and they didn’t postpone it they canceled it. So that was a good sign.” 

INSIDE TRUMP’S IRAN WARNING — AND THE UNEXPECTED PAUSE THAT FOLLOWED

“We have an armada heading in that direction. And maybe we won’t have to use it,” Trump said. “We’ll see,” 

The president said the U.S. has “a big force going to Iran,” adding, “I’d rather not see anything happen,” but warning that “we have a lot of ships going that direction just in case.”

The Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group set sail from the South China Sea toward the Middle East in the past week and is expected to arrive in the region soon, placing significant U.S. firepower within striking distance of Iran amid rising tensions. The Lincoln carries F-35C stealth fighters, F/A-18 Super Hornets and destroyer escorts armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles and advanced air-defense systems.

The deployment has renewed questions over whether the United States is prepared to intervene militarily if Iran resumes executions or continues its crackdown on protesters, which already has left thousands dead.

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Iranian state television has acknowledged that more than 3,000 people have been killed during the unrest, while activists and human rights groups say the true death toll is significantly higher — a discrepancy that underscores the regime’s tight control over information as international scrutiny intensifies.

By publicly tying U.S. military action to the fate of detained protesters, Trump has drawn a clear red line. Iran’s refusal to acknowledge U.S. pressure, even as American naval forces move closer, leaves little room for ambiguity — and raises the risk of escalation as both sides test each other’s resolve.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, returned to the Lone Star State Friday after a photo went viral on social media of him boarding a plane as the state prepares for a potentially historic winter storm.

The senator appeared to poke fun at himself on Friday as online chatter swirled over the past few days about whether he would once again be absent as his constituents hunkered down during a major weather event.

“I’ve returned home from my work trip. It’s 66 degrees & beautiful. A storm is expected tomorrow night,” Cruz wrote in an X post Friday.

“But I am reliably informed by Twitter that if I simply raise up my hand on Texas soil, the storm will turn around & sunshine, rainbows & unicorns will emerge. Let it be,” he continued.

TRUMP MOCKS ‘ENVIRONMENTAL INSURRECTIONISTS’ AS AMERICANS BRACE FOR MASSIVE WINTER STORMS: ‘GLOBAL WARMING?’

In 2021, Cruz was slammed for traveling to Cancun, Mexico, with his family the same week that Texas dealt with a winter storm that left millions of people without power and ultimately caused 246 deaths, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Cruz later admitted that the decision was “obviously a mistake.”

His comments Friday came after a photo was posted on X on Tuesday showing Cruz aboard a plane that was reportedly heading to Laguna Beach, California.

FOX WEATHER TO PROVIDE EXTENDED LIVE COVERAGE OF WINTER STORM IMPACTING THE NATION

The post quickly went viral, gaining more than 9 million views, with users both defending and blasting the senator.

“I’m noticing a pattern,” one person responded.

A spokesperson for Cruz confirmed to FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth that the senator left Tuesday on a pre-planned trip, vowing that the senator would return ahead of the inclement weather.

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The winter storm is expected to impact 235 million Americans across 40 states this weekend, according to FOX Weather, and many areas will experience life-threatening cold weather, heavy snow and crippling ice.

Republicans are clinging to a razor-thin 218-213 House majority.

But House Speaker Mike Johnson shouldn’t expect many reinforcements anytime soon.

This month’s shocking early House retirement of MAGA firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and the unexpected death of Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa of California further shrunk the GOP’s margins in the chamber.

And that has House GOP leaders keeping a tight leash on the party’s rank and file members.

DEMOCRATIC TAKEOVER FEARS SOAR AS HOUSE REPUBLICANS CLING TO FRAGILE MAJORITY

“They’d better be here,” Johnson recently said of his members. “I told everybody, and not in jest, I said, no adventure sports, no risk-taking, take your vitamins. Stay healthy and be here.”

And House Majority Whip Tom Emmer’s office confirmed it is advising members that “outside of life-and-death circumstances,” they expect Republican lawmakers to be on Capitol Hill.

REP. LAMALFA’S DEATH FURTHER SHRINKS REPUBLICAN HOUSE MAJORITY

There are currently four vacant House districts, which means four special elections to fill the seats. But it’s the Democrats rather than the Republicans who will likely benefit more from the ballot box results in the short run.

Here’s a look at the special elections that are on deck:

Jan. 31

Voters in Texas’ Democrat-dominated 18th Congressional District, which is anchored by downtown Houston and surrounding areas, head to the polls on the last day of January to choose a successor to fill the seat left vacant when Rep. Sylvester Turner died last March.

Democrats Christian Menefee, a former attorney for Houston’s Harris County, and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards are facing off in the special election. They were the top two finishers in a field of 16 candidates that faced off in an initial election in November.

While Texas has redrawn its congressional maps for the 2026 midterms, as part of the high-stakes redistricting battle between President Donald Trump and Republicans versus Democrats, the special election will use the state’s current district lines.

FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER MCCARTHY WARNS MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE IS ‘THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE’

The winner of the special election will give the Democrats one additional House member, giving Republican leadership further headaches.

Feb. 5

Eleven candidates are running in the Democratic Party primary in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.

The seat was left vacant after now New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill stepped down after winning November’s gubernatorial election in the Garden State.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face off with Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, the only Republican to file for the special election, which will be held on April 16.

The suburban district in northern New Jersey leans to the left, with Sherrill winning re-election in 2024 by 15 points, the same margin she carried the district in November’s gubernatorial showdown.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: HOUSE EXODUS THREATENS JOHNSON’S GRIP ON POWER AS OVER 40 MEMBERS HEAD FOR EXIT

But then-Vice President Kamala Harris won the district by just eight points in the 2024 presidential election, giving the GOP some hopes of possibly flipping the seat.

March 10

A whopping 22 candidates, including 17 Republicans, are running in a special election in the 14th Congressional District, in the race to succeed Greene.

According to Georgia state law, all the candidates will run on the same ballot. If no contender tops 50% of the vote, a runoff election between the top two finishers will take place on April 7.

The district in northwestern Georgia is solidly Republican, with Greene winning re-election in 2024 by nearly 30 points and Trump carrying the district by 37 points.

June 2

Primary Day in California for the 2026 elections will also include a primary for the special election in the state’s 1st Congressional District, in the race to fill LaMalfa’s seat. The general election will be held on Aug. 4.

The district, in northeastern California, is solidly Republican.

Similar to Texas, California is also altering its congressional maps as part of the redistricting wars, but the special election will be held under the current district lines.

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The White House and congressional Republicans criticized the decision by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to not hold a special election to fill LaMalfa’s seat until August, six months after the late congressman’s death.

But Democrats similarly complained about Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas not scheduling the special election to fill Turner’s seat until eight months after the late lawmaker died.

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkins contributed to this story.

The Department of the Navy issued an apology letter Friday to former military personnel “unjustly removed” from service because of the COVID vaccine mandate during the Biden administration.

Under Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao emphasized that the Department of War is committed to “righting past wrongs” and welcoming back former service members who were dismissed during the pandemic.

“To the sailors and marines who were wrongfully discharged during COVID, we failed you,” Hung said in a video posted on X. “We will never allow this to happen again, not on my watch. We are ready for you to come back, and we want to correct your records.”

Cao, the Department of the Navy’s chief operating and chief management officer, overseeing roughly one million Navy, Marine Corps and civilian personnel, acknowledged the impact of the mandate on those it forced out.

HEGSETH ORDERS ABOUT FACE ON PENTAGON’S SLIPPING GROOMING STANDARDS

“We are righting this wrong and it starts with this formal letter of apology,” he said.

President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14184 shortly after returning to office last January, directing federal agencies to identify service members affected by the former vaccine requirement and take steps to reinstate them or restore certain benefits.

The order applies to former members of the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Space Force and Coast Guard who were discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.

VA REVERSES BIDEN ADMIN POLICY PROVIDING ABORTION SERVICES AGENCY CALLS CONTRARY TO FEDERAL LAW

The former secretary of defense mandated in 2021 that all service members receive the COVID-19 vaccine, a policy that was rescinded in 2023.

“The military unjustly discharged those who refused the vaccine, regardless of the years of service given to our Nation, after failing to grant many of them an exemption that they should have received,” Trump’s executive order states.

The Department of War issued guidance to all the secretaries of military departments to contact former service members with information about potential reinstatement and to correct their discharge records.

TRUMP DECLARES ‘REAWAKENING’ OF ‘WARRIOR SPIRIT,’ UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR MILITARY: ‘I HAVE YOUR BACKS’

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 8,000 service members were separated after the Biden administration’s Department of Defense issued the vaccination mandate.

“It is unconscionable that thousands of former Service members who held true to their personal and religious convictions were not just separated, but separated with general (under honorable conditions), rather than honorable, discharge characterizations,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a December memo. “While many have applied for and received relief from our Military Department review boards, I believe the onus is on us to make this right.”

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Hegseth said he directed a proactive review of personnel records to identify individuals involuntarily discharged solely for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine and facilitate appropriate discharge upgrades.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Navy for additional information.