NationalWatch

FIRST ON FOX: The House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance is holding a hearing centered around various Minnesota fraud scandals and will feature testimony from Nick Shirley, a YouTuber and freelance journalist who helped uncover an organized fraud network in the state.

The hearing, “When Public Frauds are Abused: Addressing Fraud and the Theft of Taxpayer Dollars,” will be held Jan. 21, and will focus on several cases of fraud that took place in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

“I pulled up earlier today a report from last July, and they’re interviewing [Minnesota] residents,” Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., who chairs the subcommittee, told Fox News Digital. “You can’t keep anything on your porch or in your yard because it gets stolen, you get your windows broken out of your car.

 “It seems lawless,” he added.

GOP LAWMAKER MOVES TO AWARD CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL FOR JOURNALIST WHO EXPOSED MINNESOTA FRAUD

In 2022, federal officials in Minnesota launched an independent investigation into Feeding Our Future, a nonprofit that prosecutors later described as a key driver of what grew into one of the largest COVID-relief fraud schemes on record.

Over the course of the investigation, authorities uncovered an estimated $250 million in fraudulent claims, leading to criminal charges against 78 individuals. Prosecutors have said the total scope of the alleged fraud connected to the operation may ultimately approach $9 billion.

The hearing will feature testimony from Shirley in addition to Jennifer Larson, CEO of the Holland Autism Center and Clinic, and former Minnesota police officer and former Minnesota fraud investigator Scott Dexter.

PAM BONDI DISPATCHES FEDERAL PROSECUTORS TO MINNESOTA FOLLOWING SOMALI FRAUD ALLEGATIONS

Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, will be joining members of the subcommittee during the hearing. 

Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., will also be in attendance, and told Fox News Digital the hearing’s purpose is a matter of “transparency, accountability and safeguards that prevent this kind of abuse from happening again.”

“The scale of fraud uncovered in Minnesota is staggering, and it represents an egregious abuse of federal taxpayer dollars by criminal actors,” Lee told Fox News Digital. “The House Judiciary Committee is committed to exposing the full scope of that fraud, understanding how it was carried out, and ensuring that taxpayer funds intended to help vulnerable Americans are not diverted into the pockets of criminals.”

JD VANCE ANNOUNCES MULTI-STATE FRAUD TASK FORCE IN WAKE OF MINNESOTA SCANDAL

Tensions in Minnesota rose after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) launched a massive operation in the state, in an attempt to locate and arrest illegal migrants who have committed crimes, as well as those who may have contributed to the fraud scandal.

A historic number of ICE agents were deployed to the state, which prompted agitators to clash with federal agents. 

Last week in south Minneapolis, an ICE officer shot and killed a 37-year-old woman, later identified as Renee Nicole Good, during a federal enforcement operation after authorities said her vehicle charged toward agents on the street. 

Good’s death sparked widespread protests and unrest in the city in the days that followed.

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DHS Secretary Kristi Noem described Good’s actions as “domestic terrorism,” claiming she attempted to use her vehicle against federal officers.

DHS also revealed Wednesday that the officer who shot Good suffered internal bleeding as a result of the incident.

Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston

Democrats and Republicans are united in opposing U.S. military strikes against Iran to retaliate for the killing of protesters amid a wave of massive demonstrations against the Iranian government in recent weeks, according to a new national poll.

Seventy percent of voters questioned in a new Quinnipiac University survey said they think the U.S. should not get involved militarily in Iran, with 18% saying the U.S. should take military action.

The vast majority of Independents (80%-11%) and Democrats (79%-7%), as well as a majority of Republicans (53%-35%) said the U.S. should not get involved if protesters in Iran are killed while demonstrating against the regime.

The poll, conducted Jan. 9–12, comes as President Donald Trump has turned up the heat on the regime in Tehran, threatening strikes on Iran if its forces continue to kill demonstrators.

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The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency announced Tuesday that nearly 2,000 people have been killed in the protests. Other reports say the death toll is over 3,000, with the real number likely to be even higher. 

The protests against Iran’s dire economic conditions, which have rapidly escalated in recent days, are seen as some of the most violent since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that installed the current system of clerical rule.

IRAN REGIME FACES ‘BEGINNING OF THE END’ AS EXILED CROWN PRINCE SEES ‘GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY’

Trump took to social media earlier this week, urging “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING — TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS.”

The president also said that “HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” and apparently pointing to Iranian authorities, he warned, “They will pay a big price.”

Pointing to the possibility of Iranian authorities executing some of the protesters, Trump said in a CBS News interview this week, “If they do such a thing, we will take very strong action.”

And the White House confirmed on Monday that Trump was weighing whether to bomb Iran in reaction to the crackdown.

But seven in 10 questioned in the poll said that, in general, a president should first receive congressional approval before deciding to take military action against another country.

SOME US MILITARY PERSONNEL TOLD TO LEAVE MIDDLE EAST BASES, US OFFICIAL CONFIRMS

“Talk of the U.S. military potentially intervening in Iran’s internal chaos gets a vigorous thumbs down, while voters signal congressional approval should be a backstop against military involvement in any foreign crisis,” Quinnipiac University polling analyst Tim Malloy said.

But there’s a partisan divide, with 95% of Democrats and 78% of Independents saying a president should first receive approval from Congress, but Republicans, by a 54%-35% margin, saying congressional approval is not needed.

Trump last June ordered U.S. military strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities as part of Operation Midnight Hammer, amid fighting between Tehran and Israel.

Voters are also divided on Trump’s move earlier this month to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and bring them to the U.S. to face drug trafficking charges. Forty-seven percent supported the president’s decision, with 45% opposed.

And there was an expected partisan divide, with 85% of Republicans supporting the military action to capture Maduro, with 79% of Democrats opposed. Independents were divided.

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More than half of voters (57%) opposed the U.S. running Venezuela until Washington is satisfied that the government there will operate the way the U.S. wants it to. Nearly three-quarters (73%) said they opposed sending U.S. ground troops to Venezuela and 55% opposed the U.S. taking over the South American country’s oil sales.

“Voters are divided on the merits of overthrowing Maduro. And while split on whether in the long run the people of Venezuela will be better off, they strongly disapprove of America’s temporary domain over Venezuela and are heartily against putting U.S. troops on the ground,” Malloy noted.

Trump has also turned up the volume in his efforts to acquire Greenland from Denmark.

“The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of national security,” the president argued in a social media post Wednesday.

Trump’s push for the U.S. to acquire Greenland is causing tension with Denmark and other NATO allies who insist that the semiautonomous Danish territory should determine its own future. 

Trump officials are openly considering all options, including military force, to take Greenland, spurring bipartisan opposition from some in Congress.

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According to the poll, 86% of voters said they would oppose military action to take over Greenland. And by a 55%-37% margin, voters said they opposed trying to buy Greenland.

But there’s a stark political divide, with more than two-thirds of Republicans supporting efforts to buy or capture Greenland.

A new bill introduced in Virginia would prohibit public schools in the state from describing the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., as a “peaceful protest.” 

Democrat Virginia Delegate Dan Helmer of Fairfax pre-filed House Bill No. 333 ahead of the start of this year’s legislative session that began Wednesday. 

The bill, if passed, would require any public school district that wants to teach about Jan. 6 to describe the event “as an unprecedented, violent attack on United States democratic institutions, infrastructure, and representatives for the purpose of overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election.”

Meanwhile, the bill would also prohibit schools from teaching students that the events of Jan. 6, 2021, were justified due to allegations of election fraud, or from describing the incident as a “peaceful protest.”

SMITHSONIAN REPLACES TRUMP PORTRAIT DISPLAY, STRIPS JAN 6 AND IMPEACHMENT REFERENCES FROM ACCOMPANYING TEXT

Helmer’s bill would only apply to public schools, and it does not compel any schools to teach about it in the first place. However, if they do, then they would have to follow H.B. 333’s guidelines.

Fox News Digital reached out to Helmer for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.  

“The attempted violent overthrow of our elected government on January 6th, 2021, was a tragedy with no precedent in American history. Trump and MAGA Republicans across the country are trying to rewrite this history — turning traitors into patriots,” Helmer said in a press release announcing the new bill. “But Virginians remember our history. We remember the Virginia State Police and National Guard who protected our democracy as Donald Trump egged on a violent mob.” 

DEMS WHO PRAISED COP FOR KILLING J6 PROTESTER NOW CONDEMN ICE FOR SHOOTING MN AGITATOR

Helmer described the bill as an effort to “make sure that our history is protected” in Virginia. 

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In 2023, on the second anniversary of the Jan. 6 capitol riot, Helmer also introduced legislation aimed at banning anyone convicted of a crime related to the riot from serving in public office. The bill never gained enough support to make it out of committee, however. 

Helmer, a Democrat who oversees Northern Virginia’s Fairfax County, also pre-filed a bill that would impose an assault weapons ban ahead of this year’s legislative session in the state.

EXCLUSIVE: Top officials in the Trump administration mocked Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the State of Illinois’ lawsuit against the Trump administration over immigration enforcement activities, calling out apparent hypocrisy in their reading of the Constitution.

Earlier this week, the City of Chicago and state of Illinois teamed up to file a federal suit challenging what they called “illegal actions” by federal immigration agents, including interrogating people on their citizenship status without basis, deploying “noxious chemicals” in public and making civil-law arrests without warrants.

A top DHS official remarked that Democrats suddenly embraced federalism, after previously seeking to grab new control of numerous aspects of Americans’ lives when they had power in Washington.

“It really is astounding that the Left can miraculously rediscover the Tenth Amendment when they don’t want federal law enforcement officers to enforce federal law,” Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said.

DHS BLASTS CHICAGO MAYOR FOR COMPARING RAID LEADER TO SEGREGATIONISTS, ACCUSING HIM OF ‘TERROR’

“[That] is a clear federal responsibility under Article I, Article II and the Supremacy Clause.”

The Tenth Amendment prescribes that any power not explicitly delegated to or prohibited by the federal government via the Constitution is a power of the individual states or to the people themselves.

“Then [they] go right back to federalizing every state responsibility possible when they get back in power: Spare us,” she said.

TRUMP ADMIN SUES ILLINOIS GOV. PRITZKER OVER LAWS SHIELDING MIGRANTS FROM COURTHOUSE ARRESTS

McLaughlin said that Chicago and Springfield should instead be honoring the lives of those lost to violence committed by illegal immigrants, citing a young woman named Katie Abraham killed in a DUI wreck by a Guatemalan national who was in the country illegally.

DHS previously dedicated Operation Midway Blitz to Abraham, who was driving to visit the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign when she was struck by Julio Cucul-Bol.

Cucul-Bol initially fled the scene and later self-identified as a Mexican upon apprehension, but authorities eventually confirmed his real name, according to NPR.

ILLINOIS LAWMAKERS PASS BILL BANNING ICE IMMIGRATION ARRESTS NEAR COURTHOUSES

“The fact is that sanctuary politicians in Illinois and Chicago released violent criminals including murderers, rapists, drug dealers, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists, onto its streets and their dereliction of duty cost lives—just ask Katie Abraham’s father,” McLaughlin said.

“This is a baseless lawsuit, and we look forward to proving that in court.”

The White House was equally defiant in the face of the suit, with spokesperson Abigail Jackson telling Fox News Digital that if Chicago leaders cared as much about protecting Americans “from criminal aliens as they did about defending the criminal illegal aliens, Chicagoans would be much better off.”

APPEALS COURT BLOCKS ORDER LIMITING IMMIGRATION AGENTS’ USE OF FORCE IN CHICAGO

Jackson called the suit by Johnson and Illinois Democratic Attorney General Kwame Raoul a “pathetic stunt only proves that Democrats will put illegal criminals over hardworking Americans every time.”

According to Johnson’s office, the lawsuit is challenging what the city called the feds’ “arbitrary enforcement actions at or near sensitive locations like schools and shelters.”

The case also seeks to scrutinize alleged DHS trespassing on local government-owned property and alleges the White House has implemented policies to coerce [Illinois and Chicago] to abandon their policies which value and respect immigrants, and devote their resources to further the immigration policies of the current administration.”

ICE CHIEF FIRES BACK AT ‘100% FALSE’ SANCTUARY CITY ‘HARASSMENT’ CLAIMS

Johnson called DHS’ actions “cruel” and said the Trump administration “repeatedly violated the law and undermined public trust.”

“Nobody is above the law,” the mayor added, noting the suit seeks to prevent the feds from continuing their practices.

Raoul said in a statement that Border Patrol and ICE are acting “as occupiers rather than officers of the law.”

“I filed this lawsuit to stand up for the safety of the people of Illinois and the sovereignty of our state.”

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Chicago city law department counsel Mary Richardson-Lowry added that her legal team has “compiled substantial evidence of these unlawful actions.”

“We will pursue every remedy available to safeguard the public,” Richardson-Lowry said.

As Minnesota’s Democratic officials hold press conferences, attend vigils, and publicly lash out against the Trump administration over the shooting death of Renee Good, a Fox News Digital review found a much different response from those politicians when Minnesotans were killed or seriously harmed by illegal immigrants.

“Rest in peace,” Walz posted on X this week with a photo of himself at a memorial for Good, who was shot and killed after striking an ICE agent with her car while interfering with ICE activities in Minneapolis, according to federal officials.

Walz, along with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, have been in front of cameras on several occasions since Good’s death, blasting the Trump administration and disparaging ICE while posting tributes to Good on social media.

Several Minnesotans have been killed in the last few years by immigrants who had no legal right to be in the United States, but Fox News Digital did not find any evidence of press conferences or outrage for them from Walz, Frey or Lt. Gov. Flanagan.

JONATHAN TURLEY: ‘SAY HER NAME’ BECOMES RADICAL RALLYING CRY FOR DEMOCRATS’ MOB RULE

In August 2024, Minnesota mom Victoria Eilieen Harwell was killed in a car accident after being struck by an intoxicated Ecuadoran national in north Minneapolis without a press conference or public statement from the mayor or governor.

ICE arrested the man, German Llangari Inga, in May 2024 after they say Hennepin County refused to honor their detainer and released him twice.

St. Paul native Hallie Helgeson, 18, was killed last year along with her 19-year-old boyfriend, Brady Heiling, while driving in Wisconsin when they were struck head on by a drunk driver traveling the wrong way on the highway. The driver, according to DHS, was an intoxicated Honduran national in the country illegally. 

“Hallie was an active member of Salem Lutheran Church, where she shared her faith and joy by teaching Vacation Bible School,” Helgeson’s obituary says about her life. “Hallie’s faith played an important role in her life and every morning, she would exchange bible verses with boyfriend, Brady Heiling. She also worked as a teaching assistant at Hawk’s Nest and had recently begun a position at Meadow Creek Assisted Living.

“Hallie will be deeply missed by all who knew her, remembered for her warmth, kindness, big smile, and the light she brought into every space she entered. Her legacy will continue as a ‘Donor Hero’ by helping more than 75 people through her gift of life.”

In 2021, 55-year-old America Mafalda Thayer was brutally murdered and beheaded by her boyfriend, a Cuban national named Alexis Saborit-Viltres, after telling him she wanted to end their relationship. 

“She was always in an upbeat mood,” Thayer’s friend and former co-worker Eileen Necklen told the Minnesota Star Tribune.  “She was just a spitfire … an unbelievable person.”

DOJ SAYS ‘NO BASIS’ FOR CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION INTO MINNEAPOLIS ICE OFFICER KILLING

In addition to the high-profile deaths caused by illegal immigrants, other Minnesotans have been seriously harmed with little if any response from Democrat leaders, including a St. Paul landlord who was brutally raped by Mexican national Rolando Lopez-Meneses in 2021 after she refused to let his girlfriend move in with her, TwinCities.com reported.

“Governor Walz, Lt. Gov Flanagan and the rest of the Minnesota DFL leaders have forgotten what it means to be an American or a Minnesotan,” Adam Schwarze, former Navy SEAL and GOP U.S. Senate Candidate in Minnesota told Fox News Digital. 

“Where is the outrage for our innocent citizens killed by criminals? Where is their press conference, their candlelight vigil. Enough is enough. We need new leadership.”  

Fox News Digital reached out to Walz, Frey, and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan inquiring if their offices could point to an example of publicly mourning a Minnesotan killed or harmed by illegal immigrants but did not receive a response.

“This isn’t leadership — it’s selective outrage designed to change the subject from the billions lost to fraud on their watch,” retired Minnesota State Patrol Lieutenant John Nagel, who is running for Congress as a Republican against Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, told Fox News Digital. 

“Minnesota Democrats decide which victims matter based on politics and optics, not on equal application of the law. When a tragedy fits their narrative, we get press conferences and performative vigils. When Minnesotans are killed in situations tied to their failed federal immigration policy, we hear almost nothing — no urgency, no accountability, just silence and deflection.”

CRITICS WARN MINNESOTA LEGISLATION NOW TAKING EFFECT IS SETTING UP THE ‘NEXT BILLION-DOLLAR FRAUD’

ICE officials on Saturday released a shocking list of the “worst of the worst” criminal illegal immigrants arrested during their recent surge in the sanctuary state of Minnesota, including child rapists and nearly a dozen killers.

“Governor Walz and Mayor Frey REFUSE to cooperate with ICE law enforcement and have released nearly 470 criminal illegal aliens including violent criminals back onto the streets of Minnesota,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital.

“They have made it abundantly clear they are prioritizing politics over public safety. Minnesota’s sanctuary politicians have chosen to side with criminal illegal aliens and ignored their American victims. This administration is putting the safety of Americans first and standing up for the victims of illegal alien crime. Secretary Noem relaunched the VOICE office to give victims and their families access to resources and support services. We will always put the American people first.” 

Frey was asked about Harwell in an interview with Fox & Friends on Wednesday and responded by reiterating his belief that ICE is overstepping its bounds in the city without specifically mentioning Harwell. 

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“While they claim to act out of compassion for migrants, sanctuary politicians like Tim Walz, Jacob Frey and Peggy Flanagan end up prioritizing the rights of illegal aliens over American citizens,” Dale Wilcox, executive director and general counsel at Federation for American Immigration Reform told Fox News Digital. 

“Thousands of innocent Americans have lost their lives because of criminal aliens, yet sanctuary politicians are heartless to the suffering of their families. America needs leaders who put the interests of Americans first.” 

Former Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, whose Trump administration ambassador nomination was withdrawn last year, died Monday at 59.

“It is with profound sorrow that the Brnovich family announces the passing of Mark Brnovich. Best known as Arizona’s 26th Attorney General, a state and federal prosecutor, and champion of justice, he will forever be remembered and cherished by us as a beloved father, husband, son, and brother,” a representative of the family said in a statement to ABC15.

“We are heartbroken with this loss and are deeply moved by the outpouring of love and support from so many wonderful people across the state and country. The family asks for privacy during this difficult time. Memorial service arrangements will be made public as they become available.”

FORMER GOP SEN. JON KYL ANNOUNCES DEMENTIA DIAGNOSIS, STEPS AWAY FROM PUBLIC LIFE

Katie Conner, a former press secretary to Brnovich, told The Associated Press he died of a heart attack.

Brnovich was nominated by President Donald Trump in March to become the U.S. Ambassador to Serbia. 

His nomination was later withdrawn in October.

FLORIDA SHERIFF CHAD CHRONISTER WITHDRAWS AS TRUMP’S NOMINEE TO LEAD DEA

He previously ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2022 and served as Arizona attorney general for eight years.

Brnovich was remembered by several state officials and senators for his long career in public service.

ARIZONA AG BRNOVICH URGES BIDEN TO REVERSE REPORTED TITLE 42 REPEAL AFTER BORDER NUMBERS RISE AGAIN

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“Angela’s and my deepest prayers and condolences are with Susan and the entire Brnovich family. It was an honor to campaign with and serve alongside Mark Brnovich. His passion for the law, justice, and victims were hallmarks of his career in public service,” said former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey. “For those of us blessed to call him a friend, his humor, positivity, and happy warrior spirit were infectious. May he rest in peace.”

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., also paid his respects to Brnovich and his family, saying he was praying for his wife Susan and their two daughters.

As House Oversight Democrats denounced a hearing on Minnesota’s sprawling fraud scandal as politically motivated, Rep. Dave Min, D-Calif., took it further — calling the investigation “partisan and racist.” 

But back in California, state auditors have repeatedly flagged major programs as “high-risk” for waste and improper payments, raising fresh questions about whether Min is dismissing scrutiny he wouldn’t want aimed at his own state.

During a House Oversight Hearing earlier this month on the fraud issues in Minnesota, Min said, “We have not seen evidence of any type of fraud on the scale we’re talking about” in California. Min added during the hearing that he had concerns about the ongoing fraud in Minnesota, which has included a significant portion of Somali immigrant perpetrators, but said he had issues with the probe because it appeared Trump was only targeting Democrat-led states, and not Republican-led states as well. 

MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR JACOB FREY ADMITS FRAUD CRISIS IS REAL, SAYS ‘EVERYBODY COULD HAVE DONE MORE’ TO PREVENT IT

“I have concerns about this hearing as well as recent actions by the Trump administration. It’s hard for me not to look at this hearing in the context in which it’s taking place and not see this as a partisan and racist hearing,” Min complained.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on these accusations from Min but did not receive a response in time for publication. 

“Democrats will do anything to deflect from the fraud that has been allowed to run rampant on their watch, including playing the race card,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer said. “First, it’s not racist to call out criminal behavior. Second, I wonder what Congressman Min’s constituents have to say about him not taking fraud seriously when California taxpayers are also being robbed blind to the tune of $72 billion.”

A report released by the California State Auditor’s office last month found several state agencies wasted or misused millions, which follows other audits showing many billions being lost to waste, fraud and abuse in the state, according to California GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton.

MINNESOTA FRAUD SCANDAL SPARKS PUSH TO SCRUTINIZE BILLIONS IN BIDEN-ERA ENERGY GRANTS

“It’s totally ridiculous,” Hilton told Fox News Digital of Min’s comments that there is no evidence of California fraud. “We’ve already seen state auditor reports that have characterized tens-of-billions-of-dollars as being improperly spent, starting from the audit of state homelessness spending.”

According to Hilton, there are criminal prosecutions ongoing in California pertaining to homelessness spending by officials.

Meanwhile, seven state agencies in California have been denoted as “high-risk” for fraud, waste and abuse by the State Auditor’s office, while an extra agency was also added to the list of vulnerable programs that is regularly kept.  

“Vulnerable Democrat Dave Min is more outraged by an oversight hearing than the billions in fraud hurting Americans in Minnesota and California,” said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Christian Martinez. “For Min, accountability isn’t a principle, it’s a problem.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Min for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication. 

EXCLUSIVE: U.S. intelligence officials prevented more than 10,000 individuals with ties to narcoterrorism from entering the country in 2025, and placed more than 85,000 similarly-tied individuals on the terror watchlist, Fox News Digital has learned.

Officials told Fox News Digital that intelligence was collected and passed by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to law enforcement partners in the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to block their access to the United States.

DNI GABBARD WARNS ‘ISLAMIST IDEOLOGY’ THREATENS WESTERN FREEDOM

“President Trump gave the order to secure the homeland, and ODNI’s National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) delivered,” Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told Fox News Digital. “In 2025, intelligence shared by our team to federal, state and local partners stopped more than 10,000 persons with connections to terrorism from accessing our country.”

Gabbard told Fox News Digital that “thousands of successful actions against cartels and gangs are driven by intelligence from the National Counterterrorism Center, whose integrated intelligence, analysis, and timely response to terrorist threats have directly led to the apprehension and removal of thousands of criminals from U.S. soil.”

“Thanks to President Trump for his commitment to securing our nation, and thanks to the men and women of NCTC for their vigilance and dedication to keeping the American people safe,” Gabbard said.

TULSI GABBARD WARNS OF ‘DIRECT THREAT’ FROM SUSPECTED TERRORISTS NOW LIVING IN UNITED STATES

A senior counterterrorism official told Fox News Digital that President Donald Trump’s move to designate cartels as terrorist organizations allowed counterterrorism officials to “leverage the tools of the intelligence community.”

The official said that as a result of the intelligence provided by the National Counterterrorism Center, more than 10,000 terror-linked cartel or gang members were denied access to the U.S. in 2025.

“Denied access” can come in the form of visa revocations, arrests, deportations or investigations, according to the official. 

The National Counterterrorism Center also added more than 85,000 new identities to the terrorist database, which directly informs the FBI’s Terror Watchlist and is shared with local law enforcement across the country.

MADURO’S CAPTURE IS ‘BEGINNING OF THE END’ FOR CUBA’S REGIME, HOUSE INTELLIGENCE CHAIR SAYS

“Had we had a capability like this pre-9/11, the hijackers wouldn’t have been able to come into our country in the first place,” the official told Fox News Digital. “We have denied 10,000 narcoterrorists from coming into the country — from every setting foot in America— which is a huge success.”

The official said those career officials working in the National Counterterrorism Center said that the previous administration allowed these individuals to “come back and forth between Mexico, South America, and more as they pleased, with impunity.” 

“But because of watchlisting work and designation, these 10,000 have been denied access, and another 85,000 have been put on the watchlist. These people will also be denied access,” the official said. “Cartels prior to the Trump administration were killing 100,000 Americans per year due to fentanyl alone, so taking them off the playing field is saving American lives.”

The official said that under the Biden administration, officials would need to “wait for the individuals to come into the country and then commit another crime.”

ICE AGENTS REPORT ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ 3,200% SURGE IN CAR ATTACKS LAST YEAR

Meanwhile, the official told Fox News Digital that “traditional terrorists” are “still very much a threat.”

“The tragic thing is that after 9/11, NCTC developed a comprehensive set of tools to block traditional terrorists from coming into the country,” the official said. “The Biden administration did not use those tools. And it is still a threat because the border was wide open for 4 years.”

But the official said that the Trump administration has seen “less than 5 traditional terrorists” attempting to access the United States. The official said those individuals avoided the Southern Border, and instead attempted entry through commercial airlines, but were denied.

“Don’t even try,” the official said.

The official told Fox News Digital that the National Counterterrorism Center stays focused on terror related to cartels and gangs, al-Qaeda, Iranian networks and ISIS.

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“We also have gotten the inclusion of Antifa as a terrorist organization,” the official said. “We are looking at foreign ties to that organization as well.” 

The official said those inquiries into Antifa are ongoing. 

Hillary and Bill Clinton are both now risking possible criminal charges after defying subpoenas to appear before the House Oversight Committee.

Hillary Clinton was compelled to sit for a sworn deposition behind closed doors on Wednesday morning as part of the House’s bipartisan probe into Jeffrey Epstein.

However, the former Secretary of State refused to appear, and the House Oversight Committee will begin contempt of Congress proceedings, a source familiar told Fox News Digital.

She was expected to skip the meeting, after her and former President Bill Clinton’s attorneys wrote to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., arguing the subpoenas were not legally enforceable.

TOP GOP CHAIR ISSUES STARK WARNING TO CLINTONS IF THEY DEFY DEPOSITIONS IN EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION

A committee aide said earlier that the committee would initiate contempt of Congress proceedings “in the coming days” if she did not appear. Comer is already moving forward with contempt proceedings against Bill Clinton.

The lawyers’ letter argued Comer’s subpoenas were “invalid and legally unenforceable, untethered to a valid legislative purpose, unwarranted because they do not seek pertinent information, and an unprecedented infringement on the separation of powers.”

It also compared Comer’s leadership of the probe to Joseph McCarthy’s 1950s-era abuse of congressional power, while pointing out that President Donald Trump has publicly called for the federal government to look into Bill Clinton’s Epstein ties.

“Mindful of these defects, we trust you will engage in good faith to de-escalate this dispute,” the letter said.

HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO SUBPOENA LES WEXNER, 2 OTHERS IN EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION

Comer told reporters Tuesday that he read the letter but suggested his probe would be undeterred.

The former president similarly skipped his own scheduled deposition on Tuesday, prompting Comer to say his panel would move ahead with advancing a contempt of Congress resolution against him next week.

Such resolutions need to advance through the relevant committees before being considered in a House-wide vote.

HILLARY CLINTON EXPECTED TO DEFY EPSTEIN PROBE SUBPOENA, RISKING CRIMINAL CHARGES

It’s then up to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on whether to pursue the resulting criminal referral if a majority of House lawmakers vote to make it.

Contempt of Congress charges are a misdemeanor that carry up to a year in jail and a maximum fine of $100,000.

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Former Trump advisors Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro were notably charged and convicted of contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas by the now-defunct select committee on the Jan. 6 Capitol attack.

The former first couple were two of 10 people subpoenaed by Comer as part of the panel’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The subpoenas were issued following a bipartisan vote by an Oversight subcommittee panel during an unrelated hearing on illegal immigration.

FIRST ON FOX: The State Department is pausing all visa processing for 75 countries in an effort to crack down on applicants deemed likely to become a public charge. 

A State Department memo, seen first by Fox News Digital, directs consular officers to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses screening and vetting procedures. 

The countries include Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Yemen and more. 

The pause will begin Jan. 21 and will continue indefinitely until the department conducts a reassessment of visa processing.

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MINNESOTA’S ‘FEEDING OUR FUTURE’ FRAUD AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S LATEST CRACKDOWN

Somalia has drawn heightened scrutiny from federal officials following a sweeping fraud scandal centered in Minnesota, where prosecutors uncovered massive abuse of taxpayer-funded benefit programs. Many of those involved are Somali nationals or Somali-Americans. 

In November 2025, a State Department cable sent to posts around the globe instructed consular officers to enforce sweeping new screening rules under the so-called “public charge” provision of immigration law. 

The guidance instructs consular officers to deny visas to applicants deemed likely to rely on public benefits, weighing a wide range of factors including health, age, English proficiency, finances and even potential need for long-term medical care.

Older or overweight applicants could be denied, along with those who had any past use of government cash assistance or institutionalization.

 “The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said in a statement. 

“Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REVOKES MORE THAN 100,000 VISAS IN FIRST YEAR BACK

While the public charge provision has existed for decades, enforcement has varied widely across administrations, with consular officers historically given broad discretion in applying the standard.

Exceptions to the new pause will be “very limited” and only allowed after an applicant has cleared public charge considerations.

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A 2022 version of the public charge rule under the Biden administration had limited the scope of benefits considered — primarily to cash assistance and long-term institutional care — excluding programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the federal supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children, known as WIC, Medicaid or housing vouchers.

The Immigration and Nationality Act has long permitted consular officers to deem applicants inadmissible on public charge grounds, but President Donald Trump in 2019 expanded the definition to include a broader range of public benefits. That expansion was challenged in court, with portions ultimately blocked before being rescinded by the Biden administration.

Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., is reportedly the subject of a federal investigation following a controversial video in which she and several other lawmakers encouraged service members to “refuse illegal orders.”

The senator told The New York Times that she discovered the probe was launched by U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro’s office. 

The Times reported that Pirro’s office sent an email to the Senate’s sergeant-at-arms requesting an interview with Slotkin or her private counsel. Slotkin reportedly described the probe to the Times as an effort by an authoritarian president to use the federal government as a tool of intimidation.

“Facts matter little, but the threat matters quite a bit,” Slotkin told the Times. “The threat of legal action; the threat to your family; the threat to your staff; the threat to you.”

ARIZONA SEN. KELLY SUES HEGSETH OVER MILITARY PENSION CUTS FOLLOWING VIDEO MESSAGE

The controversial video, which was posted in November, featured several lawmakers, including Slotkin, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.; Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa.; Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-N.H.; Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa.; and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo. All the Democrats who participated in the video, which was slammed as a call to defy President Donald Trump and his Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, had military and intelligence backgrounds.

Trump slammed the video and said in multiple Truth Social posts that the lawmakers who participated in it had engaged in “seditious behavior.”

“It’s called SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Each one of these traitors to our Country should be ARRESTED AND PUT ON TRIAL. Their words cannot be allowed to stand — We won’t have a Country anymore!!! An example MUST BE SET,” the president wrote on Nov. 20.

SEN BLACKBURN FIRES BACK AT DEMOCRATS OVER ‘DISTURBING’ VIDEO URGING TROOPS TO DEFY ‘ILLEGAL’ ORDERS

The same day, Trump wrote in a separate Truth Social post, “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH!” The statement caused an uproar with many slamming what they perceived to be a threat from the president.

The video was released amid a nationwide debate about Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to various cities across the country.

Slotkin, a former CIA officer who served in Iraq, is the latest lawmaker who participated in the video to face an investigation.

HEGSETH MOVES TO CENSURE SEN. MARK KELLY, REVIEW HIS RETIREMENT RANK AND PAY OVER ‘SEDITIOUS VIDEO’

Kelly, who is a retired Navy captain and astronaut, sued the War Department and Hegseth over the department’s actions to demote him and cut his retirement pay over the video. The senator’s lawsuit said the Trump administration’s actions “trample on protections the Constitution singles out as essential to legislative independence.”

“It appears that never in our nation’s history has the Executive Branch imposed military sanctions on a Member of Congress for engaging in disfavored political speech,” the lawsuit states.

The Pentagon’s actions “violate numerous constitutional guarantees and have no basis in statute,” the lawsuit adds.

A War Department official told Fox News Digital that the agency was aware of the lawsuit.

“However, as a matter of policy, the Department does not comment on ongoing litigation,” the official said.

Hegseth previously moved to censure Kelly, saying earlier this month that he directed Secretary of the Navy John Phelan to review the retired Navy captain’s retirement rank and pay and provide a recommendation in 45 days, sharply escalating an investigation alleging he made “seditious statements” that undermined military operations.

In a statement posted to X, Kelly said the “unconstitutional crusade” against him “sends a chilling message to every retired member of the military: if you speak out and say something that the President or Secretary of Defense doesn’t like, you will be censured, threatened with demotion, or even prosecuted.”

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Slotkin and Pirro’s offices did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Bonny Chu and Lorraine Taylor contributed to this report.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was subpoenaed to appear before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, but she’s expected to ignore the order, potentially risking criminal charges.

Hillary Clinton is scheduled to be deposed behind closed doors at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, and it appears the GOP-led committee will move forward with holding the interview in some form regardless of whether she attends.

Hillary and Bill Clinton’s lawyers sent a letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., earlier this week, calling their subpoenas “invalid and legally unenforceable.”

But Comer previously threatened to initiate contempt of Congress proceedings against both Clintons if they skipped their January deposition dates, which were rescheduled twice prior, amid conversations with their attorneys.

TOP GOP CHAIR ISSUES STARK WARNING TO CLINTONS IF THEY DEFY DEPOSITIONS IN EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION

Bill Clinton defied his own subpoena on Tuesday, failing to appear for a 10 a.m. closed-door deposition. 

Comer told reporters afterward that the House Oversight Committee would meet next week to advance a contempt resolution against the former president in response.

When Fox News Digital asked if the same would happen to Hillary Clinton if she failed to appear the next day, Comer said, “We’ll see. We’ll talk about it.”

REPUBLICAN HOUSE LEADER SIGNALS PLAN TO BEGIN CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON

The former first couple were two of 10 people subpoenaed by Comer as part of the panel’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. The subpoenas were issued following a bipartisan vote by an Oversight subcommittee panel during an unrelated hearing on illegal immigration.

Despite that, however, no Democrats appeared for Bill Clinton’s expected grilling.

“Not a single Democrat showed up today, not a single Democrat,” Comer told reporters. “It just seems like they only care about pushing Republicans. And we’ve had a former Trump Cabinet secretary, Alex Acosta, in for a grilling. We had Bill Barr, former attorney general, in for a grilling. But for whatever reason, President Clinton didn’t show up. And the Democrats on the committee don’t seem to have a problem.”

AG BONDI ANNOUNCES DOJ INVESTIGATION INTO BILL CLINTON, OTHER DEMOCRATS OVER ALLEGED EPSTEIN TIES

The Clintons’ attorneys criticized Comer’s leadership of the investigation in their letter, discounting the subpoenas.

“President and Secretary Clinton have already provided the limited information they possess about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to the Committee,” the lawyers said.

“Your continued insistence that the former President and Secretary of State can be compelled to appear before the Committee under these circumstances, however, brings us toward a protracted and unnecessary legal confrontation that distracts from the principal work of the Congress with respect to this matter, which, if conducted sincerely, could help ensure the victims of Mr. Epstein and Ms. Maxwell are afforded some measure of justice for the crimes perpetrated against them, however late. But perhaps distraction is the point.”

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Comer said after Bill Clinton skipped his deposition, “No one’s accusing Bill Clinton of any wrongdoing. We just have questions. And that’s why the Democrats voted, along with Republicans, to subpoena Bill Clinton.”

The House Oversight Committee would need to advance a contempt resolution before it’s considered by the entire chamber. If a simple majority votes to hold someone in contempt of Congress, a criminal referral is then traditionally made to the Department of Justice.

A criminal contempt of Congress charge is a misdemeanor that carries a punishment of up to one year in jail and a maximum $100,000 fine, if convicted.

President Donald Trump is setting the stage for the U.S. to be involved in overseeing Venezuela for a significant period of time, after conducting strikes and capturing dictator Nicolás Maduro and labeling himself “acting” president of Venezuela. 

The move marks his boldest interventionist move yet — a foreign policy approach by which one country intervenes in another state’s affairs — and follows other major military operations from the Trump administration, including strikes in Syria in December 2025 against Islamic State operatives after an ambush against U.S. troops there, and strikes in June 2025 against the Iranian nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

Trump told The New York Times in an interview that was published Wednesday that “only time will tell” how long the U.S. will be running Venezuela, but said it would be “much longer” than a year. 

Additionally, Trump announced recently that Venezuela’s interim government would hand over up to 50 million barrels of oil to the U.S. and that the oil would be sold “immediately.”

TRUMP DISCUSSES EXPANSION OF DRUG CARTEL CRACKDOWN, ISSUES GRIM WARNING TO IRAN

“We will rebuild it in a very profitable way,” Trump told the Times. “We’re going to be using oil, and we’re going to be taking oil. We’re getting oil prices down, and we’re going to be giving money to Venezuela, which they desperately need.”

Likewise, Trump shared a doctored image that looked like a Wikipedia page that identified him as “Acting President of Venezuela” since January 2026. 

Previous interventionist actions the U.S. has taken include launching an invasion of Afghanistan in response to the 9/11 attacks Afghanistan-based al-Qaeda conducted against the U.S., and an invasion of Iraq in 2003 that led to the toppling of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime. In both cases, the U.S. remained in prolonged occupations there. 

The language the Trump administration is using now focusing on illegal migration is different than what was used during the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts, which focused on democracy-building and promoting freedom, Katherine Thompson, a senior fellow in defense and foreign policy studies at the libertarian think tank the Cato Institute, told Fox News Digital. 

US RAID IN VENEZUELA SIGNALS DETERRENCE TO ADVERSARIES ON THREE FRONTS, EXPERTS SAY

“But the pathway to achieve those things, I don’t see, like, a broad differentiation from the things that we did before,” Thompson told Fox News Digital. 

Thompson said that she doesn’t see how the Trump administration’s goals could be completed without small rotational deployments from U.S. forces to provide security, particularly in the event that the U.S. reopens its Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela. 

“I don’t see how we’re going to have a team there without at least some small deployment of rotational forces to achieve security of our own personnel,” Thompson said.

So far, no U.S. troops are on the ground in Venezuela, and the Senate advanced a War Powers resolution Thursday that, if passed, would bar using U.S. forces within or against Venezuela without Congress’ approval. 

TRUMP ADMIN SAYS MADURO CAPTURE REINFORCES ALIEN ENEMIES ACT REMOVALS

When asked by Fox News Digital about whether Trump’s “Acting President of Venezuela” post was shared jokingly and what it indicates about how long the U.S. will be involved in running Venezuela, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital: “President Trump will be the greatest President for the American and Venezuelan people in history. Congratulations, world!”

Although Trump has blasted previous administrations for actions in the Middle East and vowed he would bring an end to “endless wars” while ushering in an “America First” agenda prioritizing U.S. interests, Democrats warned that the U.S. may be involving itself in another complicated conflict. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., claimed that the U.S. is on the path to another “endless war.”

“The very thing that Donald Trump campaigned against over and over and over again was no more endless wars,” Schumer said in an interview with ABC News Jan. 4. “And, right now, we’re headed right into one with no barriers, with no discussion.” 

SEN JEAN SHAHEEN: MADURO IS GONE, BUT THE SAME POWER STRUCTURES REMAIN IN VENEZUELA

Trump announced on Jan. 3 that U.S. special forces conducted a “large-scale strike” against Caracas, and seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both were taken to New York and appeared in a Manhattan federal court Jan. 5 on drug charges, where they each pleaded not guilty.

The raid came after months of pressure on Venezuela and more than two dozen strikes in Latin American waters against alleged drug traffickers as part of Trump’s effort to crack down on the influx of drugs into the U.S.

The Trump administration routinely stated that it did not recognize Maduro as a legitimate head of state and said he was the leader of a drug cartel. Likewise, Trump said in December 2025 he believed it would be “smart” for Maduro to step down. 

The Trump administration has justified seizing Maduro as a “law enforcement” operation, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said congressional approval wasn’t necessary since the operation didn’t amount to an “invasion.”

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However, lawmakers primarily on the left have questioned the legality of the operation in Venezuela, which was conducted without Congress’ approval.

“This has been a profound constitutional failure,” the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said in a statement Jan. 3. “Congress — not the President — has the sole power to authorize war. Pursuing regime change without the consent of the American people is a reckless overreach and an abuse of power.”

The Trump administration has filed court warrants in an effort to seize more ships linked to Venezuela’s oil trade, according to media reports. 

So far, five vessels have been seized by the U.S. military and Coast Guard in recent weeks in international waters.

The seizures were part of the administration’s pressure campaign to force former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro out of power, which happened Jan. 3, when he was arrested by U.S. forces. 

PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS THERE WON’T BE A ‘SECOND WAVE OF ATTACKS’ AGAINST VENEZUELA DUE TO THEIR ‘COOPERATION’

After Maduro’s capture, President Donald Trump said the United States would control Venezuela’s oil resources indefinitely. 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and Justice Department.

Through federal courts, the U.S. government has filed multiple civil forfeiture actions to force the seizure and confiscation of oil cargo and ships that have been involved in the trade, the sources told Reuters. 

It was not clear how many seizure warrants the U.S. is seeking.

US FORCES ATTEMPTING TO BOARD SANCTIONED RUSSIAN-FLAGGED OIL TANKER IN NORTH ATLANTIC, SOURCES SAY

On Friday, the War Department said it “will hunt down and interdict ALL dark fleet vessels transporting Venezuelan oil at the time and place of our choosing.”

“The Department of War blockade in the Caribbean Sea remains in full effect — and very effective,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell wrote on X. “In the past 24 hours alone, at least seven “dark fleet” oil vessels have turned around to avoid interdiction — because they know we mean business. The days of letting criminal activity run rampant in our hemisphere are OVER.”

A day earlier, Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Justice Department was monitoring several other vessels amid news of the U.S. seizure of the Bella-1 tanker, a Russian-flagged oil vessel allegedly responsible for transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran. 

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Russia, like Venezuela, relies on the shadow fleet to carry oil that is under sanctions.

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., is facing backlash from the MAGA base after voting with Democrats and a small group of Republican senators to advance a war powers resolution related to Venezuela — marking a break with President Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, the Senate is expected to hold a full vote on the resolution that would limit Trump’s ability to conduct future military operations against Venezuela without Congressional approval, teeing up a test for Hawley with MAGA and its base. 

The vote comes after Trump announced Jan. 3 that the U.S. military carried out a successful operation in Venezuela, capturing dictatorial president Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The couple is now being held in a New York City jail on sweeping narco-terrorism conspiracy and drug trafficking charges. 

The operation set off condemnation among Democrats who took issue with Trump ordering the mission and strike on Venezuela without prior congressional approval. 

HOUSE REPUBLICANS RIP SENATE WAR POWERS PUSH AS ‘POLITICAL THEATER’ AFTER TRUMP’S VENEZUELA RAID

Days later, on Jan. 8, the Senate advanced a bipartisan war powers resolution by a 52–47 vote that would require the president to seek congressional authorization before engaging U.S. armed forces in “hostilities within or against Venezuela.” The procedural vote set up a full Senate vote slated for Wednesday. 

Hawley joined Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Rand Paul, R-Ky.; Susan Collins, R-Maine; and Todd Young, R-Ind., in voting with Democrats to require Trump obtain congressional approval prior to military action in Venezuela, sparking condemnation and surprise from the MAGA base on social media earlier in January. 

“The Republicans who sided with Democrats today on the War Powers resolution are STUPID & WEAK,” former campaign aide Alex Bruesewitz posted to X following the procedural vote. “It came as no surprise to see Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, or Todd Young vote against President Trump, they’ve all shown clear signs of Trump Derangement Syndrome in the past.”

Bruesewitz added that he was “surprised and disappointed” by Hawley for aligning “himself with the anti-Trump faction and Democrats, particularly since he represents Missouri, one of the most staunchly pro-Trump states in the nation.”

“Shameful,” he added. 

Hawley previously defended his procedural vote by framing it as a constitutional issue rather than a rebuke of the administration. 

“My read of the Constitution is that if the President feels the need to put boots on the ground there in the future, Congress would need to vote on it,” Hawley posted to X explaining the vote. 

Fox News Digital spoke to a longtime Republican campaign operative working on midterm races, who said Hawley has broken with the administration over a handful of issues, and compared him to former Republican Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, who frequently take shots at the president and his policies and draw media attention.  

DEMOCRATS’ OWN WORDS BACK UP TRUMP ACTION IN VENEZUELA, TOP INTEL LAWMAKER SAYS

“It seems like every other month he does something that’s opposed to the president and the party more broadly,” the source said. 

Trump needs two of the five Republicans to switch their positions ahead of Wednesday’s vote. The president put the five senators on notice following the procedural vote, warning on social media that they “should never be elected to office again.”

“This Vote greatly hampers American Self Defense and National Security, impeding the President’s Authority as Commander in Chief,” he wrote earlier in January. “In any event, and despite their ‘stupidity,’ the War Powers Act is Unconstitutional, totally violating Article II of the Constitution, as all Presidents, and their Departments of Justice, have determined before me.”

MAGA allies echoed Trump’s Truth Social message in their own posts, describing Hawley as a “RINO” whose political career is allegedly teetering over the vote. 

“President Trump ERUPTS on the Republican senators who just voted to approve the War Powers resolution that would rein in his Venezuela operations, says NEVER ELECT THEM AGAIN,” Eric Daughtery posted to X Jan. 8. 

“Remember this in November. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to office again! We are sick of compromised GOP dirtbags going against our President,” another MAGA-aligned social media account, Farm Girl Carrie, posted. 

Hawley told Fox News Tuesday, when asked how he plans to vote, that he’s spoken with Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and DOJ officials about his top concern of having American troops on the ground. 

He said they “assured me there are no ground troops in Venezuela” and that there “are not going to be ground troops in Venezuela.” 

“My big concern has been ground troops in Venezuela and, making sure that if there’s going to be ground troops in Venezuela, (which) I would hope we would not do, that Congress authorizes that. But I will tell you, I’ve talked to the president. I talked to the secretary of state. I talked to the Department of Justice here in the last few days and have had tremendous conversations in the Secretary of State, who I just talked to recently, assured me there are no ground troops in Venezuela. There are not going to be ground troops in Venezuela,” he said. “The administration will notify Congress, will seek congressional approval where necessary.” 

Hawley has drawn Trump’s ire before, including during a fight over Hawley’s stock-trading ban proposal in July. Trump, who previously said he liked the idea “conceptually,” accused Hawley of siding with Democrats to block a GOP-backed effort tied to reviewing Nancy Pelosi’s stock trading.

“Why would one ‘Republican,’ Senator Josh Hawley from the Great State of Missouri, join with all of the Democrats to block a Review, sponsored by Senator Rick Scott, and with the support of almost all other Republicans, of Nancy Pelosi’s Stock Trading over the last 25 years. The information was inappropriately released just minutes before the Vote — Very much like SABOTAGE!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Hawley has also broken with the administration on domestic policy, repeatedly criticizing Medicaid reforms included in Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” back in 2025, even as he ultimately voted in favor of the sweeping package when it came to the Senate floor.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOP REBELS DEFY TRUMP AS CONGRESSIONAL GRIP CONTINUES TO WEAKEN ACROSS MULTIPLE VOTES 

The Republican campaign operative said it is unclear why Hawley has broken with the administration on certain policies, speculating he might have 2028 aspirations.

“The polling I’ve seen shows that Republicans are in favor of the president’s actions in Venezuela,” the sourced added. “He would be out of step with our voters. I don’t think it’d bode well for him. I think this was one of the most unifying moments on the right, when the president successfully arrested Maduro and took him out the country. Him siding with the Democrats is bizarre.” 

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“How has that worked out for Rand Paul or Massie,” the operative said, referring to Kentucky lawmakers’ ongoing policy spats with the president and administration. 

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons argued on Tuesday that federal immigration agents are facing “constant impediments” and “constant attacks” after video showed a suspected illegal migrant in San Antonio ramming cars in an attempt to flee.

The video shows the migrant in a car ramming into vehicles that were blocking them in from the front and the back, as the individual attempted to evade arrest.

During an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity,” Lyons was asked if rhetoric from Democrats criticizing ICE can be tied to incidents like these.

REP RO KHANNA DEMANDS PROSECUTION OF ICE AGENT IN MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTING

“When we hear elected officials calling upon individuals to impede or obstruct ICE law enforcement operations nationwide, you’re going to see incidents like this,” Lyons responded. “You saw the officers and agents attempting to apprehend a criminally illegal alien, and there they are using their car as a weapon.”

Lyons said one of the agents went to a hospital with neck injuries after their vehicle was struck in the incident.

“Every day, this is what the men and women of ICE are facing,” he claimed. “It’s constant impediments, constant attacks like this. And it’s not safe for my folks, it’s not safe for the public. It really needs to stop.”

He also purported that “criminal gangs” are organizing groups to impede or obstruct immigration enforcement operations.

“It’s a constitutional right to go out there and protest. But when you have organized criminal gangs, which these are, that are organizing these groups to, again, impede or obstruct law enforcement operations … that’s a criminal act. I will tell you that Homeland Security investigations, my folks, the FBI, we’re investigating these and people can be held accountable because you can’t organize groups to go out and impede law enforcement. It’s a criminal act, and we have to act swiftly to prevent this from spreading,” he said.

Lyons was also asked about recent comments from Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, who vowed to prosecute any ICE agent who commits unlawful acts during operations in the city while stressing that his threat does not apply to “honest, decent, moral” agents.

“The men and women of ICE, the men and women of HSI, they’re not committing any crimes,” Lyons argued. “So he doesn’t have to worry about arresting any of my folks because what we’re doing is we’re enforcing the law. We are out there every day making this nation and his city safe again. So he shouldn’t worry about the men and women of ICE. What he should worry about is the sanctuary policies that have these criminal aliens go back to his neighborhoods and commit heinous crimes like fentanyl trafficking, human trafficking, rape of a child. He should focus on those and let law enforcement do law enforcement work.”

PHOTOS RELEASED OF RENEE NICOLE GOOD, THE US CITIZEN KILLED BY ICE IN MINNESOTA

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This comes on the heels of a recent incident in Minnesota, where Renee Nicole Good, a U.S. citizen, was fatally shot by masked ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who fired into the driver’s open window from the side of the vehicle and subsequently exclaimed “f–king b—h” as the car crashed into another parked vehicle.

Democrats and local residents have condemned the shooting as a murder and called for Ross’ prosecution, while the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers have defended the incident by arguing that it was a justified shooting.

The House of Representatives voted 226-197 along bipartisan lines Tuesday to reverse Biden-era regulations on shower heads, a move Republican lawmakers framed as a quick and easy way to return choice to homeowners.

“Washington bureaucrats have gone too far in dictating what happens in Americans’ own homes,” Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., the sponsor of the legislation, said of his bill. 

“This is about defending consumer choice, pushing back on regulatory overreach and standing up for commonsense policy.”

WHITE HOUSE ‘LASER FOCUSED’ ON AFFORDABILITY AS TRUMP SOFTENS TARIFF STRATEGY

Asked what his thoughts were on the bill, Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine., kept his thoughts simple.

“Shower pressure is a good thing,” Golden said. 

Golden was one of 11 Democrats who joined Republicans to pass the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation with Exceptional Rinsing Act, or SHOWER Act.

The bill looks to codify an executive order President Donald Trump issued in April of last year, directing the Department of Energy to repeal the way the Biden administration interpreted water pressure in showers.

Under current law, shower heads can only produce a set amount of pressure.

That Biden-era regulation interpreted that to mean that the combined flow of showers with multiple nozzles had to stay below that bar. In other words, the more shower heads, the less pressure the individual nozzles could have.

JOHNSON WARNS OF ‘UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES’ IN TRUMP’S CREDIT CARD RATE CAP IDEA

Rep. John McGuire, R-Va., characterized it as a way Democrats had gone out of their way to create unnecessary restrictions.

“It seems like the Democrats want to tax you out of existence and overregulate you. So, [the bill] is a step in the right direction. Less regulation,” McGuire said. 

Fry, the sponsor of Tuesday’s bill, said the legislation would reinstate what he viewed as the common interpretation of what a “shower head” meant to most audiences.

“That rule was widely criticized as overreach and emblematic of a broader regulatory agenda targeting everyday household appliances,” Fry said in a statement. “The SHOWER Act is a smart fix that reaffirms each shower nozzle is just that — its own shower head — and should be treated accordingly under the law.“

Rep. Brett Guthrie, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, echoed the comments from Fry.

MIKE JOHNSON SAYS HOUSE GOP WORKING FULL STEAM AHEAD ON TRUMP’S ‘AFFORDABILITY AGENDA’

“For far too long, federal regulations and red tape have limited consumer choice and forced Americans to live with limited water pressure,” Guthrie said. 

“By codifying how different nozzles are categorized, the SHOWER Act offers a commonsense fix that will allow households to choose what meets their needs, not what Washington mandates.”

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The bill now heads to the Senate, where it must receive the support of at least seven Democrats before making its way to President Trump’s desk.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pushed back on the idea that the U.S. would intervene militarily in Greenland, saying he does not anticipate war or U.S. troops being deployed there.

Johnson told The Hill there is no declaration of war pending for Greenland and said he does not expect any boots on the ground.

“We’ve been very clear. I mean, the Article 1 branch is clear. There’s no declaration of war pending for Greenland,” Johnson said. “It’s just not a thing. I don’t anticipate any boots on the ground anywhere, anytime soon.”

Johnson echoed the foreign policy objectives of President Trump, noting the administration views Greenland as strategically important to U.S. interests.

STEPHEN MILLER DISMISSES THE IDEA DENMARK WOULD FIGHT FOR GREENLAND, CLAIMS IT SHOULD BE PART OF THE US

“Look, there are negotiations. There is interest in Greenland. For U.S. interests, America’s first interest,” Johnson said.

“It has to do with national security and critical minerals and many other reasons. And we’ve long acknowledged that,” he added.

Trump has made acquiring Greenland a key strategic and national security objective, warning last week that if the United States does not acquire the territory, superpowers Russia or China could move in.

He said Sunday the U.S. must acquire Greenland — not lease it — arguing the Arctic territory lacks adequate defenses and warning that Russia or China would move in if Washington does not act, a move he said is critical to U.S. and NATO security.

Greenland has rejected Trump’s repeated advances, and on Tuesday the island’s prime minister said the country would prefer to remain part of Denmark rather than become a U.S. territory.

“We face a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the U.S. and Denmark here and now then we choose Denmark,” Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said while appearing alongside Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen at a joint press conference in Copenhagen.

TRUMP ADMIN REPORTEDLY CONSIDERS PAYING EACH GREENLAND RESIDENT UP TO $100K AMID US TAKEOVER TALKS

“We stand united in the Kingdom of Denmark.”

Johnson’s comments come as bipartisan lawmakers move to restrict any unauthorized U.S. military action against NATO allies amid growing debate over Trump’s remarks about Greenland.

Rep. Bill Keating, D-Mass., is leading legislation that would block funding for military action taken without congressional approval, arguing the effort is aimed at preventing U.S. intervention against allied nations.

“This isn’t just about Greenland. This is about our security,” Keating said.

The push follows Trump’s statement Friday that the U.S. would act on Greenland “whether they like it or not,” raising alarm among European leaders over a potential violation of NATO’s collective defense commitments.

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The developments also come as Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, and Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, are expected to meet Wednesday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance at the White House, according to Reuters.

Fox News’ Greg Norman and Landon Mion, as well as Reuters contributed to this report.

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., suggested Tuesday that Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell should resign to avoid a potential indictment, arguing the move could prompt the Department of Justice (DOJ) to drop its investigation.

The suggestion comes after the DOJ announced Sunday it has opened a criminal probe into Powell focused on the renovation of the central bank’s Washington headquarters and whether he was truthful in his congressional testimony regarding the project.

“If you’re the attorney for Jay Powell and you want to avoid an indictment, how about you go to Jeanine Pirro and say, ‘I’ll make a deal. I’ll step down today if you’ll drop the investigation today,'” Cramer said on FOX Business’ “Kudlow.”

Cramer added that his proposed legal strategy would be “a win-win for everybody.”

THUNE WARNS DOJ’S PROBE OF FED CHAIR POWELL ‘BETTER BE REAL’ AND ‘SERIOUS’ AMID POLITICAL BACKLASH

U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said on X Monday that her office had contacted the Fed “on multiple occasions to discuss cost overruns and the chairman’s congressional testimony, but were ignored, necessitating the use of legal process — which is not a threat.”

“The word ‘indictment’ has come out of Mr. Powell’s mouth, no one else’s,” Pirro continued. “None of this would have happened if they had just responded to our outreach. This office makes decisions based on the merits, nothing more and nothing less. We agree with the chairman of the Federal Reserve that no one is above the law, and that is why we expect his full cooperation.”

Powell provided testimony before the Senate Banking Committee last year regarding a significant renovation to two main office buildings in the Fed’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. The project is expected to cost $2.5 billion and is being paid for by the central bank, not taxpayers.

TRUMP INSISTS GOPERS ‘LOVE’ DOJ TARGETING JEROME POWELL, SAYS HE ‘CAN’T HELP’ IT IF IT LOOKS LIKE RETRIBUTION

Powell confirmed in a video statement Sunday that the Federal Reserve had been served “with grand jury subpoenas” that threatened “a criminal indictment.”

While Powell said he respected the rule of law and congressional oversight, he asserted that the Justice Department’s move was “unprecedented” and politically motivated.

“This new threat is not about my testimony last June or about the renovation of the Federal Reserve buildings,” he said. He added that the threat of criminal charges is a “consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president.”

REPUBLICAN SENATOR VOWS TO BLOCK TRUMP FED NOMINEE OVER POWELL INVESTIGATION

A spokesperson for the Fed told Fox News Digital the Fed would not have any comment beyond Powell’s video message from Sunday.

Cramer cautioned on “Kudlow” that an indictment could negatively impact the economy.

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“I don’t want to do anything to disrupt this incredible rocket ship economy we’re enjoying right now,” he said. “We’ve got other big things to do that I’d rather focus on than an indictment.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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

The interim government in Venezuela has released at least four U.S. citizens who were imprisoned under President Nicolás Maduro‘s regime, Fox News confirmed.

The release marks the first known release of Americans in the South American country since the U.S. military completed an operation to capture authoritarian Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is now facing federal drug trafficking charges in New York.

“We welcome the release of detained Americans in Venezuela,” a State Department official said Tuesday. “This is an important step in the right direction by the interim authorities.”

The release of American citizens was first reported by Bloomberg.

TRUMP SIGNS ORDER TO PROTECT VENEZUELA OIL REVENUE HELD IN US ACCOUNTS

President Donald Trump said Saturday that Venezuela had begun releasing political prisoners.

“Venezuela has started the process, in a BIG WAY, of releasing their political prisoners,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Thank you! I hope those prisoners will remember how lucky they got that the USA came along and did what had to be done.”

Venezuela’s interim government has reported that 116 prisoners have been released, although only about 70 have been verified by the non-governmental organization Justicia, Encuentro y Perdón, according to Bloomberg.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said prisoner releases would continue, according to the outlet.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FILES SEIZURE WARRANTS TARGETING SHIPS TIED TO VENEZUELAN OIL TRADE: REPORT

The U.S. government issued a new security alert Saturday urging Americans in Venezuela to leave the country immediately, citing security concerns and limited ability to provide emergency assistance, the U.S. Embassy in Caracas said.

“U.S. citizens in Venezuela should leave the country immediately,” the embassy said in the alert.

The warning pointed to reports of armed groups operating on Venezuelan roads.

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Following the military operation, Trump suggested that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela for an extended period.

“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” he said.