Donald Trump Poll News

The top outside group and financial boon for Senate Republicans, the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), is being equipped with allies of Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., as he prepares to take on the top GOP role in 2025. 

The SLF was built by those aligned with outgoing Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and quickly became a huge resource for the Senate GOP and its candidates in key races across the country. 

‘EXCEPTIONALLY QUALIFIED’: TRUMP TRANSITION ROLLS OUT VIDEO HYPING HEGSETH AMID CAPITOL HILL MEETINGS

Mitch McConnell’s fundraising apparatus is changing hands to John Thune allies. (Reuters)

Former Colorado Sen. Cory Garder will become chair of SLF’s board, a source familiar confirmed to Fox News Digital, and is expected to be involved in finding a replacement for SLF President and CEO Steven Law, who announced after the Senate leader race that he would be stepping down, following McConnell. 

Leaders of Thune’s outside political operation, Johnny DeStefano and Paula Dukes, are also expected to be involved in the search. 

RACHEL MORIN’S MOM PLEADS SENATORS ‘HEAR OUR CRIES FOR HELP’ IN MASS DEPORTATIONS HEARING TESTIMONY

Sen. Cory Gardner (Reuters)

“Cory understands the complexity of midterm elections and modern campaigns, and he knows firsthand the importance of working hand in glove with President Trump and his team to defeat Democrats,” DeStefano said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. 

This will be the first time since the group’s creation during McConnell’s time as leader that it will see new leadership and potentially operate differently, with a new Republican in charge in the Senate. 

GOP SENATOR QUESTIONS FBI OVER REPORTED IRANIAN HACK ATTEMPT OF TRUMP PICK KASH PATEL

Sen. Mitch McConnell (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

McConnell and his allies were credited with building a huge donor network and fostering significant resources for Senate Republicans over the years. While Thune has managed to build up impressive fundraising this cycle, it’s not yet clear whether he will be able to sustain it while serving as leader. 

JOHN CORNYN ‘INCLINED’ TO BACK TRUMP FBI PICK KASH PATEL AFTER SENATE MEETING

Thune was “adamant” about supporting Trump’s agenda as leader, one senator said. (Reuters)

The groups aligned with McConnell, SLF and sister group One Nation, have raised $2.3 billion in the past decade. The groups pulled in $400 million during the 2022 Senate cycle and $420 million in the recent 2024 cycle. 

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It will be up to Thune’s political operation to sustain this cash flow or learn to navigate GOP races with less resources if reaching McConnell-level fundraising proves too difficult. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said on Tuesday that the incoming Republican Senate will make a “transformational” border security bill a “top priority” in 2025 – as immigration is set to remain a top political issue in 2025.

“In January 2025, the Republican Senate will make its top priority a transformational border security bill that will be taken up and passed by the budget committee,” Graham, who has been involved in a number of bipartisan efforts on immigration, said at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

Graham made clear that the priorities for the GOP-controlled chamber will be related to the increased border security and deportation aims outlined already by the Trump transition team.

TRUMP CLAIMS GOP ‘VERY OPEN’ TO KEEPING ‘DREAMERS’ IN US, TAKES SHOT AT ‘VERY DIFFICULT’ DEMS

Sen. Lindsey Graham speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on July 31, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

“Increasing the number of bed spaces available to detain people instead of releasing them,” Graham said. “Increasing the number of ICE agents to deal with people who should be deported. Finish the wall and put technology on the border so we’ll have operation control of the border.”

“That’s going to be our top priority,” he said, saying it would “go first” through reconciliation.

FIREBRAND GOP LAWMAKERS DEMANDS MAYORKAS PRESERVE BORDER CRISIS RECORDS FOR TRUMP ADMIN: ‘UNDO THE DAMAGE DONE’ 

Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Thomas Homan will lead the mass deportation operation as “border czar.” (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Immigration and border security were two of the top issues among voters during the 2024 campaign, and President-elect Trump won the contest in part by promising a mass deportation campaign and ramped-up border security.

Republicans in the House and Senate have expressed their support for such efforts, and many lawmakers made that clear in their election campaigns. While much of the deportation operation can be carried out via executive action, Congress can assist by providing additional resources and also changes to immigration law.

Republicans passed a sweeping border security and asylum reform bill in the House – H.R. 2 – in 2023, but it has not been taken up in the Senate, which is currently controlled by Democrats. Democrats had pushed a separate bipartisan border security bill this year, which included increased funding for border agencies. However, Republicans largely objected to the bill due to the inclusions that they said would codify high levels of illegal immigration.

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Graham’s comments took place at a hearing focusing on the potential impacts of a mass deportation operation. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., pointed to what he said would be the impact on prices if illegal immigrants were deported in significant numbers.

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“Prices will rise and rise and rise. So, hello America, get ready for a more expensive food bill when you’re preparing next year’s Thanksgiving dinner or next year’s Christmas dinner. And if you’ve been saving up for years and years to try to buy your first home, get ready to wait even longer because construction will slow and prices will go up,” he said.

A New Jersey state senator called for a limited state of emergency Tuesday as the mystery surrounding large drones flying over the Garden State continues to deepen.

“The State of New Jersey should issue a limited state of emergency banning all drones until the public receives an explanation regarding these multiple sightings,” Republican New Jersey state Sen. Jon Bramnick said in a press release.

Reports of large drones flying over President-elect Trump’s Bedminster golf course and near military research sites in New Jersey have been on the rise in recent weeks. On Monday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced there were dozens of reports of drones on Sunday alone.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that drones flying over New Jersey were not foreign, adding that President Biden has been made aware of the situation, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FBI are investigating.

FBI LEADER SAYS IT’S ‘CONCERNING’ HOW LITTLE HIS AGENCY KNOWS ABOUT MYSTERIOUS DRONES SEEN OVER NEW JERSEY

A drone was seen over North Jersey Tuesday. (Nicholas Lordi)

“So, we are certainly aware. The president is aware, so we are closely tracking the activity and coordinating closely with relevant agencies, including DHS and FBI, to continue to investigate these incidents,” Jean-Pierre said before adding she did not have anything else to share. “Obviously, this is something the DHS and FBI are tracking very, very closely.”

When pressed if the federal government had ruled out that the drones are being controlled by foreign entities, Jean-Pierre promptly responded, “Yeah.”

The Federal Aviation Administration first received reports of drone activity Nov. 18 in Morris County, which is nearly 2 miles north of Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Somerset County.

NEW JERSEY DRONE SIGHTINGS: MILITARY ANALYSTS BREAK DOWN NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS, DOUBT HOBBYISTS AT PLAY

New Jersey drone sighting map (Fox & Friends/Screengrab)

Since then, sightings have occurred a few miles north of Bedminster in Mendham and Parsippany and other places across the Garden State.

On Monday, Murphy said there were 49 reports of drones Sunday, mostly in Hunterdon County. The Democratic governor said his numbers also included possible sightings and potentially the same drone being reported more than once.

Federal lawmakers from the state have expressed a degree of concern about the drones, regardless of the side of the aisle they stand on.

DRONE ACTIVITY NEAR TRUMP BEDMINSTER, ARMY ARSENAL SPURS NJ FLIGHT RESTRICTION: FAA

“My office has been in communication with Governor Murphy’s office and our federal agency partners,” Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said in a post on X. “While the drones currently pose no known threat to the public, my team and I will continue to monitor the situation closely.”

Booker also penned a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Tuesday, seeking better transparency and a comprehensive briefing on drone activity over New Jersey.

“Over the past several weeks, there have been multiple confirmed sightings of unexplained drone activity over New Jersey communities and military installations,” Booker wrote. “I recognize the need to maintain operational security of ongoing investigations and that this situation requires complex Interagency coordination. 

“However, there is a growing sense of uncertainty and urgency across the state — from constituents and local officials alike — despite assurances that the drones pose no known threats to public safety. As such, I urge you to share any relevant information about these drone sightings with the public. Without transparency, I believe that rumors, fear, and misinformation will continue to spread.”

NEW JERSEY GOV PHIL MURPHY CALLS FOR FEDERAL HELP AMID ‘VERY SOPHISTICATED’ DRONE SIGHTINGS: ‘WE NEED MORE’

Sen. Cory Booker speaks during a press conference in Tel Aviv Oct. 22, 2023.  (Gil Cohen Magen/AFP via Getty Images)

Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., said in a statement to Fox News Digital that the recent drone sightings in New Jersey are “not only scary for residents.” They point to the need for change in the state and in the U.S.

“There has been no transparency with the public, and this lack of communication is unacceptable,” Van Drew said. “Constituents have been told the drones are not a threat, but no further information has been provided. People need, want and deserve answers now so they can stop worrying about their safety and privacy.”

As concerns continue to mount, Robert Wheeler, the FBI’s assistant director of the Critical IIncident Response Group, told Congress the federal agency knows concerningly little about the mysterious drones that have been spotted hovering over New Jersey.

When asked if Americans are at risk, Wheeler said, “There is nothing that is known that would lead me to say that, but we just don’t know. And that’s the concerning part.”

While the FBI has been investigating the incidents, the agency has called on the public for additional information.

The FAA confirmed earlier this month that it had issued two flight restrictions in response to the questionable drone activity reported near Trump’s Bedminster golf club.

Upon request from “federal security partners,” the agency issued two temporary flight restrictions.

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One restriction covers an area near Solberg-Hunterdon County Airport that consists of airspace above Trump Bedminster. Flights are also banned over Picatinny Arsenal, a major U.S. Army hub in Dover, N.J., geared toward research and development via its CCDCAC armaments center.

The ban remained in place over Trump Bedminster through last week, snd the ban over Picatinny Arsenal will remain in place until Dec. 26.

Fox News Digital’s Charles Creitz and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.

Former U.S. ambassador to El Salvador Ronald Johnson has been tapped by President-elect Trump to serve as ambassador to Mexico in his upcoming administration.

Like many of his picks, Trump announced the news on his Truth Social network. 

“Ron will work closely with our great Secretary of State Nominee, Marco Rubio, to promote our Nation’s security and prosperity through strong America First Foreign Policies,” he wrote. 

TRUMP’S PROPOSED TARIFFS ON MEXICO, CANADA, CHINA WILL INCREASE INFLATION, GOLDMAN SACHS WARNS

Ronald Johnson, former U.S. ambassador to El Salvador, listens during a joint press conference in San Salvador, El Salvador, on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. President-elect Trump on Tuesday named Johnson his choice for ambassador to Mexico.  (Fred Ramos/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“During my First Term, Ron served as the Ambassador to El Salvador, where he worked tirelessly with Salvadoran authorities and our team to reduce violent crime and illegal migration to the lowest levels in History,” he added. 

Johnson, a former official with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and U.S. Army Green Beret, would serve in one of the high-profile diplomatic posts in the Trump administration. 

TRUMP TARIFFS WILL BRING MEXICO TO THE TABLE, TEXAS DEMOCRAT SAYS

President Claudia Claudia Sheinbaum (Left) President-elect Donald Trump (Right.) (Getty Images)

Trump has threatened to impose steep tariffs on Mexico if it doesn’t do more to prevent the flow of illegal immigrants and illegal drugs across the southern border. He’s also threatened to impose tariffs on Canada and China as well. 

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In his announcement, Trump said Johnson would help put an end to “migrant crime, stop the illegal flow of Fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into our Country and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!”

President-elect Trump has tapped Andrew Ferguson to serve as chair of the Federal Trade Commission, the anti-trust agency of which he already serves as a commissioner. 

“Andrew has a proven record of standing up to Big Tech censorship, and protecting Freedom of Speech in our Great Country,” Trump said in a Tuesday statement posted to his Truth Social network. “Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History.”

“Andrew will be the most America First, and pro-innovation FTC Chair in our Country’s History,” he added.

LARA TRUMP ANNOUNCES SHE IS STEPPING DOWN AS RNC CO-CHAIR AMIDST TALK SHE MAY BE UP FOR FLORIDA SENATE SEAT

FTC Commissioner Andrew Ferguson has been tapped to chair the agency.  (Screenshot/Federal Trade Commission)

Ferguson is one of two Republican commissioners on the five-member panel chaired by Lina Khan. Ferguson, who also served as the solicitor general of Virginia, was appointed to the commission by President Biden and joined the FTC on April 2. 

The FTC is charged with acting as an anti-trust and consumer protection agency. 

The replacement of Khan likely means that the FTC will operate with a lighter touch when it comes to antitrust enforcement. The new chair is expected to appoint new directors of the FTC’s antitrust and consumer protection divisions.

Khan became a lightning rod for Wall Street and Silicon Valley by blocking billions of dollars’ worth of corporate acquisitions and suing Amazon and Meta while alleging anticompetitive behavior.

Under Khan, the FTC blocked a proposed merger between Korger and Albertsons, two large supermarket chains which forged a $24.6 billion deal in 2022. 

Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 13, 2023, in Washington, DC. The committee and its chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), have accused Khan and the commission of “mismanagement,” “disregard for ethics and congressional oversight” and  “politicized rulemakings.”  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

TRUMP’S TARIFF THREATS GO BEYOND ‘TRADE AGREEMENT’ TO ADVANCE AMERICAN INTERESTS: EXPERT

On Tuesday, a judge halted the merger after the FTC filed a lawsuit to block the move, alleging it would lead to high prices and lower wages for workers. 

Ferguson’s experience could signal continued scrutiny of large tech companies. 

In a statement earlier this month, he called for the prosecution of “unlawful collision” between online platforms that could limit “Americans’ ability to exchange ideas freely and openly.”

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump takes the stage during a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena on August 23, 2024, in Glendale, Arizona. The rally, held in partnership with Turning Point PAC and Turning Point Action, comes come two weeks after Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Harris held a rally at the same location.  (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

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“In particular, we must vigorously enforce the antitrust laws against any platforms found to be unlawfully limiting Americans’ ability to exchange ideas freely and openly,” he wrote. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

San Diego County has voted to further block county cooperation with federal immigration authorities ahead of an expected deportation push by the incoming Trump administration next year – a move quickly slammed by a top local Republican.

The resolution goes further than California’s existing ‘sanctuary’ law, which generally limits law enforcement’s cooperation with ICE. The vote was approved in a 3-1 vote by San Diego County’s board of supervisors.

The resolution says that the county will not provide assistance or cooperation to ICE “including by giving ICE agents access to individuals or allowing them to use County facilities for investigative interviews or other purposes, expending County time or resources responding to ICE inquiries or communicating with ICE regarding individuals’ incarceration status or release dates, or otherwise participating in any civil immigration enforcement activities.”

BLUE STATE COUNTY TEES UP VOTE ON ‘KNEE-JERK’ RESOLUTION TO PROTECT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM DEPORTATION

ICE agents make arrests on September 25, 2019, in Revere, Massachusetts.  ( Photo by Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

When ICE is aware of a suspected illegal immigrant in local or state custody, it will lodge a detainer with law enforcement, typically requesting that the agency is notified ahead of their release and in some cases held until ICE can take custody of them.

ICE says this helps detain illegal immigrants without having to go into communities and gets illegal immigrant offenders off the streets. Sanctuary proponents say that such policies chill cooperation between law enforcement and otherwise law-abiding illegal immigrants.

“When federal immigration authorities, including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Border Patrol, coerce local law enforcement to carry out deportations, family members are separated and community trust in law enforcement and local government is destroyed,” an overview of the resolution claims. “Witnesses and victims who are undocumented or who have loved ones who are undocumented are afraid to come to the County for help, which includes calling local law enforcement. This puts the public safety of all San Diegans at risk.”

ANOTHER MAJOR BLUE CITY DOUBLES DOWN ON VOW TO OBSTRUCT TRUMP’S MASS DEPORTATION PLAN

Former Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Thomas Homan speaks during the third day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2024. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

The vote comes just over a month before President-elect Trump will be sworn into office. He has pledged to launch a “historic” mass deportation operation once in office to remove millions of illegal immigrants from the country.

San Diego County Board of Supervisors Chair Nora Vargas said that California’s current sanctuary laws restricting ICE deportations don’t go far enough.

“While the California Values Act significantly expanded protection from deportation to California residents, it fell short of protecting all residents, because it allowed agencies to still notify ICE of release dates and transfers individuals to ICE without a warrant in some circumstances,” she said.

The resolution echoes a similar policy enacted in 2019 by Santa Clara County. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

Supervisor Jim Desmond, a Republican who provided the sole nay vote on the resolution, slammed the passage of the law. He previously told Fox News Digital that the move was part of an effort by some Democrats to “Trump-proof” the state.

On Tuesday he said the vote is a “direct betrayal of the people we are sworn to protect.” 

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“This reckless measure not only goes far beyond California’s already extreme Sanctuary State laws but actively endangers our communities by shielding illegal immigrant criminals from deportation. Consider this: under this policy, law enforcement is prohibited from notifying ICE about individuals, in custody, who have committed violent and heinous crimes, including: Rape and stalking, Assault and battery, Burglary, Child abuse and more,” he said.

He said he has already been in touch with members of the incoming Trump administration and “will fight relentlessly to undo this disastrous policy and ensure that illegal immigrant criminals are removed from our neighborhoods.”

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

Here’s what’s happening…

–DNC fundraiser Lindy Li takes aim at ‘vindictive’ torrent of criticism over Hegseth comments

-Republicans rip Hochul’s ‘inflation refunds’ as a bribe to ‘make NYers like her’

–Trump shooting task force says DHS, Secret Service haven’t produced docs on golf course incident

Lara in the Senate?

President-elect Trump is pressing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to name his daughter-in-law Lara Trump to fill Sen. Marco Rubio’s seat in the Sunshine State, Fox Digital has learned. 

President-elect Trump named Rubio as his pick for secretary of state last month, leaving DeSantis the decision to name a successor to the position. DeSantis said last month that he will likely name his pick for the seat by early January. 

Speculation has mounted in recent weeks that Lara Trump is a likely choice for the role, as Republican lawmakers such as Sens. Rick Scott, Lindsey Graham, Katie Britt and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida voiced support for her filling Rubio’s Senate shoes. Lara Trump is married to the 45th president’s son, Eric Trump, and co-chaired the RNC amid the 2024 presidential campaign…Read more

Lara Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center on February 22, 2024 in National Harbor, Maryland. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

White House

‘DEBANKED’: Biden admin’s cold-shoulder approach to crypto concerns industry leaders: ‘needs to be looked at’…Read more

‘LAST DITCH EFFORT’: Biden admin report could slow Trump’s efforts to unleash domestic natural gas, experts say…Read more

LEAST THEY CAN DO: Biden administration approves project to limit Trump-era oil and gas lease mandate in Alaska…Read more

‘ENVY OF THE WORLD’: Biden says Trump inheriting ‘strongest economy in modern history,’ slams tariff plan as ‘major mistake’…Read more

Trump Transition

‘EYES AND EARS’: Meet Natalie Harp, Trump’s ‘valuable resource’ who lawmakers say is ‘critical’ to his operation…Read more

‘GREAT STATE OF CANADA’: Trump taunts ‘Governor’ Trudeau of ‘Great State of Canada’ as he continues tariffs push…Read more

HEGSETH HYPE: Trump transition rolls out Hegseth hype video amid Capitol Hill meetings…Read more

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be Defense Secretary, gives a thumbs-up as he walks with his wife Jennifer Hegseth, left, to meet with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Capitol Hill

‘TOP PRIORITY’: GOP senator reveals ‘transformational’ bill Republicans want to pass in 2025…Read more

‘IT’S OFFENSIVE’: GOP senator wages war on airline industry’s ‘discriminatory pricing’ targets…Read more

RAKING IT IN: McConnell’s Senate money machine makes transition to Thune as new era begins…Read more

Mitch McConnell’s fundraising apparatus is changing hands to Thune allies.  (Reuters)

‘HE IS FINE’: Sen. McConnell reportedly fine after falling during GOP lunch…Read more

‘UNIFIED GOVERNMENT’: Incoming House Republican reveals agenda for new Congress after ousting Dem incumbent…Read more

‘LIBERTY IN LAUNDRY’: House set to challenge Biden green energy standards for washing machines with ‘Liberty in Laundry’ bill vote…Read more

Across America 

UNDER REVIEW: SCOTUS hears arguments in case that could reshape environmental law…Read more

‘FULL FORCE OF THE LAW’: DOJ arrests five Guatemalan nationals in connection with deaths of over 50 migrants…Read more

‘PROBLEMATIC’: Wisconsin mom mulls lawsuit alleging school district is pushing ‘horrifying’ race-based policy…Read more

‘COWARD’: Pennsylvania Dem Gov. Shapiro condemns UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect: ‘Coward, not a hero’…Read more

Josh Shapiro, governor of Pennsylvania, during a campaign event with US Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, governor of Minnesota and presumptive Democratic vice-presidential nominee, not pictured, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US, on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. Harris tapped Walz as her running mate, enlisting him to build an electoral coalition of coastal progressives and Midwest moderates to block Donald Trump from the White House. Photographer: Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Hannah Beier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

SANCTUARY SHUTDOWN: Blue city announces shuttering of migrant shelters as numbers drop…Read more

SWITCHING SIDES: DeSantis welcomes Florida state lawmaker to Republican Party as she ditches Democrats…Read more

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

Incoming border czar Tom Homan says he is already making plans to use more than 1,400 acres of land being offered to the next Trump administration to stage its mass deportation operation.

Fox News Digital first reported last month that Texas has offered the administration land in Starr County, which the state purchased from a ranch owner in October. The 1,402 acres are in the Rio Grande Valley sector near the border.

Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham said her office was “fully prepared” to enter into an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to “allow a facility to be built for the processing, detention, and coordination of the largest deportation of violent criminals in the nation’s history.”

In remarks on “Dr. Phil Primetime,” Homan accepted the offer and said he was already making plans for the land.

‘100% ON BOARD:’ BORDER STATE OFFERS TRUMP MASSIVE PLOT OF LAND TO AID MASS DEPORTATION OPERATION

This image shows drone footage from a ranch in Starr County. (Texas General Land Office)

“I’m writing the plan as we speak, I was working on it last night as a matter of fact,” he said.

He praised Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration for his efforts to secure the border. The state has built its own border wall, including starting construction in the area in Starr County.

Homan said migrants would be moving in and out of the area before they can be put on deportation flights.

‘SHUT IT DOWN’: RED STATE MAKES MASSIVE LAND BUY TO RAMP UP BORDER WALL EFFORTS AMID MIGRANT SURGE

“This 1,400 acres of land, that saves us from acquiring the land. The government never buys things fast and when we do, we overpay for it, so having this from the state of Texas is great,” he said,.

In a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday, Buckingham said she was looking forward to taking the next steps with the land.

Thomas Homan was announced as President-elect Trump’s pick to oversee the incoming administration’s deportation operations. (Reuters)

“For far too long, Texans and Americans have suffered from Biden’s broken border policies. I am looking forward to working with the newly appointed Border Czar, Tom Homan, in ridding our communities of violent, illegal criminals who are hurting our sons and daughters and anticipate discussing the next steps on January 21, 2025,” she said.

“As Texas Land Commissioner, it has been my promise to all Texans to do everything in my purview to gain complete operational control of our southern border. It’s my hope that the leasing of this land will be able to aid the incoming Trump Administration in keeping our American families safe,” she said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

The Texas General Land Office purchased the land in October to facilitate the construction of additional border wall, a project that the Biden administration stopped. The area, which was a ranch before Texas bought it, had seen drug smuggling and human trafficking, officials said.

President-elect Trump made a mass deportation campaign a key plank of his 2024 campaign and quickly announced Homan as the man to lead the operation.

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While some states, including Texas, have been supportive of the operation, others have not.

Officials in some states, including Arizona, Illinois and California, have all said they would not assist the federal government in their efforts to deport more illegal immigrants.

A report from the Biden administration on the environmental impacts of increasing liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports could add delays to President-elect Trump’s efforts to immediately authorize new licenses for the fuel, experts say. 

Brad Crabtree, the Department of Energy (DOE)’s assistant secretary for the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, told lawmakers last week that the report, intended to measure the economic and environmental implications of increasing U.S. exports of the fuel, would be released by mid-December. Under the Natural Gas Act, the DOE must evaluate whether exports are in line with the public’s interest before issuing any new permits.

While some experts dismissed the magnitude of the report, citing the fact that Trump can just undo any restrictions Biden puts on natural gas, others suggested it could provide fodder for environmentalists wanting to go after the Trump administration.

“Corporate sponsors don’t put billions of dollars to work on fragile permits, period, full stop,” said Kevin Book, managing director at ClearView Energy Partners, an independent research and analysis firm that covers the natural gas sector. “The industry is right to expect support [from the Trump administration] but the documentation has to be airtight.”

HOUSE SET TO CHALLENGE BIDEN GREEN STANDARDS FOR WASHING MACHINES WITH ‘LIBERTY IN LAUNDRY’ BILL VOTE

The U.S. Department of Energy headquarters in Washington, D.C. (Getty)

Book noted that if the report is published and lays out reasons why new natural gas permits are not in the public’s interest, it would require the incoming Trump administration to come up with a different study, or a different interpretation of the study, in order to get to a place where it can cleanly say “yes” to new natural gas permits. Book said that depending upon what is shared in the Biden administration’s new study, that process could take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, if not multiple quarters.

DEMS JOIN HOUSE GOP’S REBUKE OF BIDEN LNG EXPORT PAUSE: ‘WHOLE-OF-GOVERNMENT ATTACK’ ON US ENERGY

“I’m a strong supporter of LNG exports. Unfortunately, the report could slow down movement on new LNG export licenses both because the Trump team will need to respond to comments and because the report could provide fodder – even if it is unfounded – for those who claim that LNG exports have detrimental consequences,” said Jeff Kupfer, the president of nonprofit ConservAmerica and a former acting deputy secretary and chief operating officer at the DOE under the second George W. Bush administration.

A tank car before loading at the Elbehafen port in Brunsbuettel, Germany, on April 25, 2016. (Bodo Marks/picture alliance via Getty Images)

While other energy sector experts agreed that the move could spell potential legal hurdles for the Trump administration and, thus, delay new natural gas licensing, they suggested there was not much to worry about. 

“It’s a last ditch effort,” said Trisha Curtis, CEO of PetroNerds and an economist at the American Energy Institute. “Could there be legal setbacks? Yeah. Just like there were legal setbacks under the Biden administration, and then they fight those legal battles. But if you’re trying to hurry up and issue a study before the end of the year, and then have a two-month comment period, I’m not sure anything’s going to really stick. Especially if your comment period is during the Trump administration.”

The Biden administration announced a “temporary pause” on issuing new natural gas export permits in January, which included a DOE review of the current environmental impact analysis that the department uses to meet requirements under the Natural Gas Act. Under that measure, which was passed nearly 75 years ago, the DOE must evaluate whether natural gas exports are in line with the public’s interest before issuing any new permits.

HOUSE DELIVERS BLOW TO BIDEN’S CLIMATE AGENDA, VOTES AGAINST NATURAL GAS MORATORIUM

President Biden has repeatedly taken aim at the fossil fuel industry as part of his sweeping climate agenda. (Getty Images)

The requirement excludes free trade agreement countries, but, according to Book, 80% of the liquefied natural gas market is countries that do not have free trade agreements with the U.S.

Trump has signaled that he wants to remove the natural gas pause immediately in order to boost domestic energy production. This is among several actions he plans to take to peel back the Biden administration’s climate regulations. On his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, he wrote: “Any person or company investing ONE BILLION DOLLARS, OR MORE, in the United States of America, will receive fully expedited approvals and permits, including, but in no way limited to, all Environmental approvals. GET READY TO ROCK!!!”

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“Families have suffered under the past four years’ war on American energy, which prompted the worst inflation crisis in a generation,” Trump-Vance Transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Voters re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail, including lowering energy costs for consumers. When he takes office, President Trump will make America energy dominant again, protect our energy jobs, and bring down the cost of living for working families.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the DOE for comment but did not receive a response by press time. 

The House Task Force investigating the assassination attempts on President-elect Trump’s life has released its final report on Tuesday, detailing “preexisting conditions and leadership failures” that led to the deadly campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July.

While the bipartisan panel was given ample information on that shooting, the report suggested requests for documents on the second attempt on Trump’s life – this one at his Palm Beach golf course in September – were seemingly stonewalled.

“The Task Force notes that as of the date of publication of this report, [the Department of Homeland Security], [U.S. Secret Service], FBI, and [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] have not produced any documents responsive to the Task Force’s requests regarding the preparation for, events of, and response to the second assassination attempt that occurred on September 15,” the report said.

Lawmakers found “critical vulnerabilities” in the security of that site. The report said Secret Service agents identified the golf course’s outer perimeter as “a favorable position for potential snipers.”

REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE’S MUSK, RAMASWAMY

On September 15, Routh allegedly hid in the bushes outside Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach with a rifle as Trump was playing. (Fox News)

The report also called on the Secret Service to review its protocols for golf courses – which would be a significant policy overhaul, given Trump and past presidents’ historic penchant for golfing.

Other recommendations in the 180-page report include calling on Congress to consider taking the Secret Service out from under the purview of DHS.

“The current structure potentially weakens USSS, a small but critically important agency, in advocating for its budget and other priorities inside a much larger entity,” the report said.

“The failure in [Butler, Pennsylvania] was far from the first significant USSS failure in recent history, and it is fair to question whether USSS should continue to be housed within DHS.”

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

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The Secret Service was under the Treasury Department until 2003, when it was moved to the newly formed DHS, but the task force advocated for it to be its own structure entirely.

“A fresh look at whether USSS might benefit from the status of an independent agency, with more freedom to make budget requests and advocate for itself, would be a healthy discussion for former USSS leaders to have with Congress,” the report said.

President-elect Donald Trump is pressing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to name his daughter-in-law Lara Trump to fill Sen. Marco Rubio’s seat in the Sunshine State, Fox Digital has learned. 

President-elect Trump named Rubio as his pick for secretary of state last month, leaving DeSantis the decision to name a successor to the position. DeSantis said last month that he will likely name his pick for the seat by early January. 

Speculation has mounted in recent weeks that Lara Trump is a likely choice for the role, as Republican lawmakers such as Sens. Rick Scott, Lindsey Graham, Katie Britt and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida voiced support for her filling Rubio’s Senate shoes. Lara Trump is married to the 45th president’s son, Eric Trump, and co-chaired the RNC amid the 2024 presidential campaign. 

A source in President-elect Trump’s political orbit said Tuesday that the former and upcoming president is pressing DeSantis to name Lara Trump. The comment comes as DeSantis and Trump are expected to attend the annual Army-Navy college football game this coming weekend, Fox Digital previously reported. 

‘DOING VERY WELL’: TRUMP RALLIES BEHIND DEFENSE SECRETARY PICK HEGSETH BUT INVITES DESANTIS TO ARMY-NAVY GAME

Lara Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference at Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center on Feb. 22, 2024 in National Harbor, Maryland. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

If Rubio is confirmed as the U.S.’ next secretary of state, his successor would serve in the Senate for two years before the seat is up for election again in 2026. 

LARA TRUMP ANNOUNCES SHE IS STEPPING DOWN AS RNC CO-CHAIR AMIDST TALK SHE MAY BE UP FOR FLORIDA SENATE SEAT

President-elect Donald Trump, left, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Amid speculation over Rubio’s potential replacement, Lara Trump announced this week that she will step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC) after serving in the position throughout the presidential campaign. She explained in a social media post that she fulfilled three goals she sought as GOP co-chair, and would “formally step down from the RNC at our next meeting.” 

LARA TRUMP SAYS SHE’D ‘LOVE TO CONSIDER’ FILLING RUBIO’S SENATE SEAT IF ASKED BY DESANTIS

Lara Trump has publicly spoken favorably of potentially filling the Florida Senate seat, saying she would “100% consider” taking the job if offered by DeSantis. 

LARA TRUMP SAYS SHE WOULD ‘ABSOLUTELY’ CONSIDER BECOMING SEN. RUBIO’S REPLACEMENT: ‘WOULD BE AN HONOR’ | FOX NEWS VIDEO

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference at The Rosen Shingle Creek on Feb. 25, 2022 in Orlando, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

“It is something I would seriously consider,” she told The Associated Press. “If I’m being completely transparent, I don’t know exactly what that would look like. And I certainly want to get all of the information possible if that is something that’s real for me. But yeah, I would 100% consider it.”

She additionally told Fox News’ Sean Hannity last month that she “would love to serve the people of Florida” and “would love to consider” filling the seat if asked.

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This is not the first time Lara Trump has been in the midst of Senate speculation. Following the 2020 presidential election, rumors spread across Washington, D.C., that the Trump daughter-in-law was considering a Senate run in her home state of North Carolina. She ultimately decided against a run, endorsing now-Sen. Ted Budd. 

Fox News Digital’s Christina Shaw and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report. 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Tuesday the shutting down of dozens more migrant shelters, as the “sanctuary” city continues to see a drop in arrivals and as Adams continues to take a hawkish stance on illegal immigration.

Adams announced that 25 shelters are being closed in the next few months. The locations include the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens. Shelters are also slated to close outside of New York City in Albany, Buffalo and Poughkeepsie. 

The blue city has seen more than 225,000 migrants arrive since 2022, a surge that coincided with a spike at the southern border and also a strategy by Texas to bus migrants to cities like New York City to relieve pressure on the border state.

NYC MAYOR DELIVERS BLUNT MESSAGE TO LEFT-WING CRITICS OVER DESIRE TO MEET WITH TRUMP’S INCOMING BORDER CZAR

New York City Mayor Eric Adams departs the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse in New York City on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Adam Gray for Fox News Digital )

Now, his administration says there has been a 22-week drop in migrant arrivals into the city, allowing for the closure of many of the shelters used to house the influx.

Adams, who has been deeply critical of the federal government’s handling of the migrant crisis, linked the drop in numbers to executive orders by the Biden administration that have limited the ability to claim asylum in the U.S. and have been tied to a sharp drop in apprehensions at the border itself. 

He also linked it to strategies taken by the city itself to help relocate migrants, including reticketing and case management.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

“Thanks to our smart management strategies, we’ve turned the corner, and this additional slate of shelter closures we’re announcing today is even more proof that we’re managing this crisis better than any other city in the nation,” Adams said in a statement. “Our intensive case management, paired with 30- and 60-day policies, have helped more than 170,000 migrants take their next steps on their journeys, because migrants don’t come here to live in our shelter system — they come here to pursue the American Dream.” 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been critical of illegal immigration. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images | Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

“We’re going to continue looking for more sites to consolidate and close, and more opportunities to save taxpayer money, as we continue to successfully manage this response,” he said.

Adams has taken a more muscular approach to illegal immigration than some of his Democratic counterparts in other blue cities across the country, some of whom have promised resistance to the plan by the incoming Trump administration.

TRUMP BORDER CZAR HOMAN SAYS HE’LL MEET WITH NYC MAYOR ADAMS TO ADDRESS MIGRANT CRISIS: LETS ‘GET THIS DONE’ 

While he has stressed the importance of work authorization, case management and protection from deportation for some, he has expressed openness to working with the incoming Trump administration and border czar Thomas Homan on the deportation of illegal immigrants with criminal convictions.

“I would like to speak with our border czar and find out what his plans are. Where our common grounds are, we can work together. And I strongly believe, my history is sitting down with those across the aisle with different ways of thinking and sit down and share my ideas,” he said last week. “I believe I have some ideas that could deal with this issue, and we can reach what the American people have been saying to us: secure our borders, address the people who are committing violent acts in our country and make sure that … our citizens are going to be safe.”

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Meanwhile, voters in the state of New York support the deportation of illegal immigrants, according to a new poll. The Siena College New York State Poll found that 54% of respondents say the state should support any Trump administration efforts to deport migrants living illegally in the state, compared to 35% of respondents who oppose the plans.

Strong support for President-elect Donald Trump’s deportation plan was found throughout the state, including New York City.

Fox News’ Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: The transition team for President-elect Donald Trump is touting the support of several Republican senators for Pete Hegseth, who Trump has picked to lead the Department of Defense (DOD) in 2025. 

In a new video, Republican senators offered praise for Hegseth and his abilities, as he and Trump make the case for him taking the lead of the DOD. 

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told reporters that Hegseth was “perfect” for the role, while Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., predicted he would be “great.”

RACHEL MORIN’S MOM PLEADS SENATORS ‘HEAR OUR CRIES FOR HELP’ IN MASS DEPORTATIONS HEARING TESTIMONY

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be Defense secretary, makes his way to a meeting with Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., in the Russell building on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (Tom Williams)

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., pledged, “I’m going to do whatever that [I] can to make sure he’s confirmed as Secretary of Defense.”

“The American people re-elected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a clear mandate to deliver on his campaign promises — and his Cabinet selections reflect his commitment to putting America First,” said Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt in a statement.

“Pete Hegseth is an exceptionally qualified, highly educated, and tough patriot who has not only served this country with courage, but has also devoted his life to advocating for our troops and veterans. Mr. Hegseth’s extensive military experience, combined with his steadfast commitment to restoring the Pentagon and our armed forces to greatness, will advance President Trump’s vision of returning meritocracy, accountability, and efficiency to the United States military.”

GOP SENATOR QUESTIONS FBI OVER REPORTED IRANIAN HACK ATTEMPT OF TRUMP PICK KASH PATEL

The seal of the Department of Defense is seen on the podium at the Pentagon on Sept. 27, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The video comes as Hegseth continues to meet with Republican senators on Capitol Hill as he also faces scrutiny over accusations of sexual assault, drinking and potential mismanagement of funds at a veterans nonprofit. Hegseth has reportedly denied all the allegations that surfaced following Trump’s announcement of him as his choice for DOD secretary. 

JOHN CORNYN ‘INCLINED’ TO BACK TRUMP FBI PICK KASH PATEL AFTER SENATE MEETING

Pete Hegseth is an Army combat veteran. (Tom Williams)

Hegseth had a second meeting with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, on Monday after their first meeting did not leave her convinced to support him. In a statement following their discussion, the senator said, “As I support Pete through this process, I look forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.”

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS APPOINT INCOMING CALIFORNIA, NEW JERSEY SENATORS 3 WEEKS EARLY

Sen. Joni Ernst and Pete Hegseth had a second meeting on Monday. ( Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

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When Fox News host Bill Hemmer pressed Ernst on her first meeting with Hegseth, she admitted that the meeting had not quite gotten her to a “yes” on Hegseth. 

Hegseth, who worked at Fox News as a political commentator and weekend host over a 10-year period, is an Army combat veteran who is decorated with two Bronze Stars. He served for nearly 20 years, completing tours in Guantánamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Mississippi Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, who chaired the Jan. 6 House Select Committee, responded to President-elect Donald Trump floating jail time for members of the former congressional committee, underlining he is “not afraid of [Trump’s] most recent threats.”

“Donald Trump has shamefully undermined the rule of law, degraded our democracy, and eroded our Constitution for years, and his latest lies about the work of the January 6th Select Committee are just the latest installment. But let me be clear: Those of us who investigated his central role in the January 6th insurrection are simply not afraid of his most recent threats,” Thompson said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday. 

“Donald Trump and his minions can make all the assertions they want – but no election, no conspiracy theory, no pardon, and no threat of vengeful prosecution can rewrite history or wipe away his responsibility for the deadly violence on that horrific day. We stood up to him before, and we will continue to do so.”

Trump joined NBC’s “Meet the Press” for an interview that aired Sunday, when the president-elect railed that former Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, Thompson and others on the J6 committee “deleted and destroyed” evidence related to the investigation and “should go to jail.”

‘RIDICULOUS’: CHENEY RESPONDS TO TRUMP FLOATING JAIL TIME FOR J6 COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Rep. Bennie Thompson, left, and President-Elect Donald Trump. (Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images | Photo by Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images)

“Cheney did something that’s inexcusable, along with Thompson and the people on the un-select committee of political thugs and, you know, creeps,” he said in the interview. “They deleted and destroyed all evidence.”

“And Cheney was behind it. And so was Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee,” he continued. “For what they did, honestly, they should go to jail.”

DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE’LL PARDON JAN. 6 RIOTERS ON DAY ONE: ‘ACTING VERY QUICKLY’

Liz Cheney attends “Liz Cheney in Conversation with David Rubenstein” at The 92nd Street Y, New York on June 26, 2023 in New York City. (Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)

Trump’s comments that aired Sunday come as President Biden reportedly mulls issuing blanket, “preemptive pardons” to those viewed as Trump’s political foes, such as Cheney, Thompson and California Sen.-elect Adam Schiff. 

Thompson added in his statement to Fox Digital that the committee diligently followed House rules throughout the investigation. “Our committee was fully authorized by the House, all rules were properly followed, and our work product stands on its own. In fact, in the two years since we have completed our work, no court or legal body has refuted it.”

Cheney, a longtime outspoken critic of Trump’s, also responded to Trump’s remarks earlier this week, slamming the suggestion of jail time as “a ​​continuation of his assault on the rule of law.” 

HOUSE GOP REPORT ALLEGES JAN 6 COMMITTEE ‘DELETED RECORDS AND HID EVIDENCE’

“Here is the truth: Donald Trump attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election and seize power,” Cheney said in a response statement to Trump, which was provided to Fox News Digital. “He mobilized an angry mob and sent them to the United States Capitol, where they attacked police officers, invaded the building and halted the official counting of electoral votes. Trump watched on television as police officers were brutally beaten and the Capitol was assaulted, refusing for hours to tell the mob to leave.”

The Jan. 6 committee was founded in July 2021 to investigate the breach of the U.S. Capitol earlier that year by supporters of Trump ahead of President Biden officially taking office on Jan. 20. The Jan. 6 committee’s investigation was carried out when Democrats held control of the House. 

President-elect Donald Trump sits down with Kristen Welker on Sunday for an interview on “Meet the Press.” (Screenshot/NBC)

The committee concluded its 18-month investigation last year, when Republicans regained control of the House and sent referrals to the Justice Department recommending Trump be criminally prosecuted for his involvement in the lead-up to supporters breaching the Capitol. 

The committee was composed of seven Democrats and two Republican lawmakers, Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, both of whom are no longer in office. 

TRUMP CRITICISM OF LIZ CHENEY AS ‘RADICAL WAR HAWK’ FRAMED AS CALL FOR VIOLENCE BY ‘IRRESPONSIBLE’ MEDIA

Trump has previously alleged that members of the committee “deleted” evidence amid the investigation, which was supported by a report released by House Republicans released earlier this year claiming the select committee “deleted” records and hired “Hollywood producers” to promote a political narrative while investigating Jan. 6. 

Among its key findings, the report claimed that the select committee was designed “to promote a political narrative” and also asserted that it “deleted records and hid evidence” ahead of Republicans taking the House majority during the 2022 election cycle. 

Vice President Kamala Harris attends a conversation moderated by Charlie Sykes with former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) in Brookfield, Wisconsin, Oct. 21, 2024. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

“THE SELECT COMMITTEE DELETED RECORDS AND HID EVIDENCE – Reps. Thompson and Cheney failed to turn over video recordings of witness interviews and depositions despite using these recordings in their high-profile, primetime hearings. The Subcommittee recovered over one hundred deleted or password-protected files, including some files that were deleted days before Republicans took the majority. They also hid multiple transcribed interviews of witnesses who had firsthand knowledge of Trump‘s actions on January 6,” the report, which was spearheaded by Republican Georgia Rep. Barry Loudermilk, found. 

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

Thompson denied the claims of deleting evidence in a July 2023 letter to Loudermilk, detailing that the committee had called on the federal government regarding the “proper archiving of such sensitive material to protect witnesses’ safety, national security, and to safeguard law enforcement operations.” Cheney has also publicly and repeatedly denied claims the committee mishandled evidence. 

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“Donald Trump knows his claims about the select committee are ridiculous and false, as has been detailed extensively, including by Chairman Thompson,” Cheney continued in her response to Trump’s remarks over the weekend, referring to Thompson’s 2023 letter.  “There is no conceivably appropriate factual or constitutional basis for what Donald Trump is suggesting – a Justice Department investigation of the work of a congressional committee – and any lawyer who attempts to pursue that course would quickly find themselves engaged in sanctionable conduct.”

FIRST ON FOX: The mother of a woman allegedly killed by an illegal immigrant pleaded with Judiciary Committee senators to secure the border in her written testimony for a hearing led by committee Democrats titled, “How Mass Deportations Will Separate American Families, Harm Our Armed Forces, and Devastate Our Economy.” 

“I live 1,800 miles from the southern border in a small town in northern Maryland. Yet a man who was wanted for murder in El Salvador made his way to my community… and ambushed my daughter on a quaint walking trail in broad daylight,” wrote Patty Morin, the mother of Rachel Morin who died in 2023. 

GOP SENATOR QUESTIONS FBI OVER REPORTED IRANIAN HACK ATTEMPT OF TRUMP PICK KASH PATEL

Patty Morin is testifying at a judiciary hearing on Tuesday. (Reuters)

Rachel Morin was a mother of five. Following her death, a grand jury in Maryland voted to formally charge the suspect, illegal immigrant Victor Martinez Hernandez, 23, with two counts of murder, two counts of rape and one count each of sex offense and kidnapping. 

“We felt relieved when the suspect was finally caught. But that relief quickly turned to horror and outrage when we learned that the suspect was an illegal immigrant. This man was wanted for killing a woman in his home country when he walked into ours,” Patty wrote in her planned testimony. 

JOHN CORNYN ‘INCLINED’ TO BACK TRUMP FBI PICK KASH PATEL AFTER SENATE MEETING

Victor Martinez Hernandez is accused of raping and murdering mother of five Rachel Morin in Maryland on Aug. 5, 2023. (Tulsa Police Department/ Facebook)

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin, D-Ill., recently previewed the Tuesday hearing, saying it “will examine the consequences of President-elect Donald Trump’s plan for mass deportations, as well as stress the need to shift our focus toward sensible solutions that would bring order to the border and provide a path to citizenship to longtime residents with no serious criminal convictions.”

Patty will be one of five witnesses at the hearing. 

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNORS APPOINT INCOMING CALIFORNIA, NEW JERSEY SENATORS 3 WEEKS EARLY

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

“I really want you to hear my words and take to heart what I and other families across America are saying. Please hear our cries for help! You each have taken an oath…an oath to serve our nation and the citizens who make it great. Protect Americans by securing our borders,” she said in her testimony. 

LARA TRUMP ANNOUNCES SHE IS STEPPING DOWN AS RNC CO-CHAIR AMIDST TALK SHE MAY BE UP FOR FLORIDA SENATE SEAT

From left to right, Lizbeth Medina, Jocelyn Nungaray, Laken Riley and Rachel Morin are Americans allegedly killed by illegal immigrants. (Instagram; Fox Houston; Facebook; Family handout)

The hearing and Patty Morin’s testimony come as both parties prepare for the mass deportations of illegal immigrants that have been promised by the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. He has also said he will further fortify the southern border and continue building his wall. 

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Rachel Morin’s death was one of several high-profile deaths of women in the U.S. allegedly at the hands of illegal immigrants during the Biden administration. Some of the other cases that garnered national media attention and outrage were those of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Texas and Laken Riley in Georgia. 

Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.V., and Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., are proposing a constitutional amendment that would institute a term limit system for future Supreme Court justices.

Currently, high court justices do not face constraints on the length of their service. They ” … shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour …” the U.S. Constitution states.

The proposed amendment would create 18-year terms, with new terms beginning every two years. But the term limits would only impact justices appointed after ratification — all current justices would still be able to remain on the bench as long as they wish.

JOE MANCHIN ISN’T DONE WITH POLITICS, SAYS BOB CUSACK

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., speaks to the Detroit Economic Club at their meeting held at The Masonic in Detroit, Michigan, on Feb. 26, 2024. (JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

“The proposed amendment would not adjust the tenure of sitting Justices, but rather institute a transition period to maintain regular vacancies as current Justices retire,” a Manchin press release explains. “During that period, 18-year terms will begin every two years, regardless of when a current Justice leaves the bench. Once a current Justice retires, the newly appointed Justice will serve out the remainder of the next open 18-year term. The amendment would not change the overall number of Justices on the Court.”

Manchin, a Democrat-turned-independent who has served in the Senate since late 2010, did not seek re-election this year. His current term will end in less than a month.

“I’m proud to introduce this legislation with Senator Welch that would establish 18-year term limits for Justices of the United States Supreme Court. The current lifetime appointment structure is broken and fuels polarizing confirmation battles and political posturing that has eroded public confidence in the highest court in our land,” Manchin said, according to the press release. 

MANCHIN DELIVERS EMOTIONAL FINAL FLOOR SPEECH AS WEST VIRGINIA SENATOR: ‘HONOR OF MY LIFE’

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., speaks during the third annual Axios What’s Next Summit at the Planet Word Museum on March 19, 2024, in Washington, D.C.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“Our amendment maintains that there shall never be more than nine Justices and would gradually create regular vacancies on the Court, allowing the President to appoint a new Justice every two years with the advice and consent of the United States Senate. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join our legislation to help restore faith in our judicial system.”

The proposed amendment stipulates that the high court should be comprised of nine justices, a figure which is not currently enshrined in the Constitution.

“The Judiciary Act of 1869 fixed the number of Justices at nine and no subsequent change to the number of Justices has occurred,” according to the Supreme Court’s website.

FIRST DEM SENATOR CALLS FOR BIDEN TO DROP OUT ‘FOR THE GOOD OF THE COUNTRY’

Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., departs from the Senate Chambers following a cloture vote on the Kids Online Safety Act in the U.S. Capitol Building on July 25, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Tierney L. Cross/Getty Images)

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Three of the current nine members of the Supreme Court were appointed by President-elect Donald Trump during his first term in office, while only one of the current members was appointed by President Joe Biden.

“Taking action to restore public trust in our nation’s most powerful Court is as urgent as it is necessary. Setting term limits for Supreme Court Justices will cut down on political gamesmanship, and is commonsense reform supported by a majority of Americans,” Welch noted, according to the press release. “I’m proud to lead this effort with Senator Manchin that will restore Americans’ faith in our judicial system.”

Prominent Democratic National Committee (DNC) powerhouse Lindy Li is facing fierce backlash from members of her own party after she expressed support for President-elect Donald Trump’s defense secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth.

She said her position touched off a level of intraparty vitriol that took her off guard, to the point where some are calling for her to leave the Democratic Party altogether.

Li, a Democrat strategist, served as both a surrogate for Vice President Harris and a member of the DNC’s national fundraising committee, a membership for which she noted requires raising “millions of dollars” on behalf of Democrat candidates. She also appeared nearly every day on the air to stump for Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign.

Li said that what’s happening to her underscores the party’s broader posture of finger-pointing and internal blame even after its wide election losses.

So, it was in this context that she appeared on NewsNation’s “Morning in America” show over the weekend and offered what she described as “restrained support” for Hegseth, Li told Fox News Digital on Monday. The two share Princeton University as their alma mater and both appeared at the same time on “Fox & Friends” this fall.

Asked about his nomination on Sunday, Li told host Markie Martin, “I actually think he’s a pretty good guy.”

Lindy Li speaks on “Fox & Friends Weekend” after the 2024 elections. (Fox News)

“Maybe you’re looking for someone to oppose the nomination, but I actually have personal interactions with [Hegseth],” she said, adding that, “because I’ve been on Fox and Friends – I’ve met Pete, he’s my fellow Princetonian.”

Li repeatedly declined to answer questions about Hegseth’s path to confirmation amid allegations of alcohol abuse and sexual misconduct. Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing.

Still, the torrent of criticism continued, ranging from party leaders to public voices within the party who urged her on social media and in text messages reviewed by Fox News Digital to resign or be “fired,” to which Li scoffed because she, in her current capacity, is not on any DNC payroll. (As a Democrat strategist and fundraiser, she has raised millions of dollars for both President Biden and Harris in their respective presidential campaigns, and she appeared on TV countless times. Her family has also donated buildings, including a Philadelphia-area church.)

Still, Li said, the criticism caused her to question, to some degree, her allegiance to the very party for which she’s raised millions of dollars during the 2024 election cycle alone.

“I’m not just some random donor. I am one of the biggest, if not the biggest, Asian-American fundraiser on the Democratic side,” she said.

TRUMP TRANSITION SIGNS AGREEMENT FOR FBI BACKGROUND CHECKS

Democrat presidential nominee Vice President Harris speaks at a rally in Houston on Oct. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Instead, Li said she sees the fallout over the fairly innocuous comment as a “microcosm of what is wrong with the Democratic Party” by “permitting no dissent, no criticism.”

She said this bolsters the contention held by certain factions within the Democratic Party: the leadership has learned the wrong lessons after their losses in the 2024 House, Senate and presidential races. Instead of engaging in an open dialogue with the public about their missteps, they have become more resolute on intraparty blame and finger-pointing.

Li described a “vindictive” effort by some leadership to discount her support and the millions she has raised on behalf of their party.

She also took aim at some Democrat leaders’ decisions to reinforce the idea of identity politics, a strategy embraced most prominently by outgoing Democratic National Committee Chair Jaime Harrison.

Harrison, whose leadership role ends in February, has sharply dismissed critics within the party who have urged them to take a different path forward after their resounding losses in 2024.

He also used a speech last week to push back on the notion that Democrats need to abandon “identity politics,” despite criticism that embracing these issues may have prompted their losses in key swing states.

Li said she and others think that’s part of the problem.

“Harrison is asking us to double down on identity politics. And I think that’s a counterproductive strategy,” Li said in the interview.

SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH REQUIRED TO SUBMIT TRUMP FINDINGS TO DOJ BEFORE LEAVING. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Vice President Harris and President Biden (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin/File)

“It’s just insane,” she said. “If you want an explanation for why they lost, this is it,” Li added, taking aim at what she described as the Democratic Party’s “purity tests” and the “purging” of Democrats regarded as out of step or failing to toe the party line.

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In the meantime, Li said she is not facing a shortage of options as she weighs what a future role in the Democratic Party could look like, or if she even wants to stay with it.

“I think I’m too big to fully exile from the party,” Li said of her contributions to the DNC. “The leadership knows that.” 

“People on Trump’s team have already reached out to me to see if I’d be willing to switch,” Li added. “So, I’m not an orphan, you know? And I know people are actively trying to recruit me.”

President-elect Donald Trump says that he wants to work with Democrats on a “plan” to help illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. as minors and were protected from deportation under an Obama-era order — echoing a similar push he attempted in 2019.

Trump was asked in an interview with NBC News on Sunday about “dreamers,” an activist-preferred term for illegal immigrants who arrived as children, and whether they would be included in his plan for mass deportations. 

“Dreamers are going to come later, and we have to do something about the Dreamers, because these are people that have been brought here at a very young age, and many of these are middle-aged people now, they don’t even speak the language of their country, and yes, we’re going to do something about them,” Trump said.

FIREBRAND GOP LAWMAKERS DEMANDS MAYORKAS PRESERVE BORDER CRISIS RECORDS FOR TRUMP ADMIN: ‘UNDO THE DAMAGE DONE’ 

President-elect Donald Trump sits down with Kristen Welker on Sunday for an interview on “Meet the Press.” (Screenshot/NBC)

“I will work with the Democrats on a plan, and if we can come up with a plan, but the Democrats have made it very, very difficult to do anything. Republicans are very open to the Dreamers. The Dreamers, we’re talking many years ago. They were brought into this country many years ago, some of them are no longer young people, and in many cases, they become successful,” Trump continued. “They have great jobs. In some cases, they have small businesses. In some cases, they might have large businesses, and we’re going to have to do something with them.”

When asked if he wanted them to be able to stay, he said, “I do. I want to be able to work something out.”

“I think we can work with the Democrats and work something out,” he said.

Then-President Barack Obama signed the executive order, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), in 2012, which shielded more than 800,000 illegal immigrants from being deported and gave them the ability to work in the U.S.

The Trump administration pushed unsuccessfully to end DACA, being blocked by the Supreme Court. It remains before the courts with a lawsuit challenging the legality of the policy under review in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

DEM SENATOR URGES BIDEN TO EXTEND PROTECTIONS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BEFORE TRUMP ADMIN: ‘NOBODY IS SAFE’

ICE agents conduct an enforcement operation in the U.S. interior on June 2, 2022. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

However, as the Trump administration pushed to end DACA, Trump proposed an additional three years of protection for DACA recipients and others in exchange for money to build a wall along the southern border. Democrats rejected that deal as “hostage taking.”

Immigration activists have pushed for the passage of the DREAM Act, which has been introduced multiple times. That legislation would go much further than DACA and grant a pathway to citizenship for what advocates estimate to be 2 million illegal immigrants.

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Trump has promised to launch a mass deportation campaign when he enters office in January, where he will also have a Republican House and Senate. Ahead of that, some Democrats have been calling on President Biden to extend existing protections for some illegal immigrants — including DACA recipients.

Immigration activists were unimpressed by Trump’s comments. Bruna Sollod, senior political director of United We Dream, said in response to Trump’s comments, “Actions speak louder than words, and Donald Trump’s track record in attacking DACA, fueling depraved disinformation and violence, and scapegoating immigrants extend back to his very first day in office to today.”

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Sollod said that Trump should “immediately call on his allies in Texas to drop the lawsuit against DACA and stop his mass detention and deportation agenda now.”