Donald Trump Poll News

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…

–  New York judge sets Trump sentencing for Jan. 10

– Carter appointees reshaped federal benches across the country

– Federal courts will not make criminal referrals to DOJ over separate ethics complaints against Justice Thomas

Johnson wins re-election to Speaker of the House in first round

Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., was re-elected to lead the House of Representatives on Friday.

The Louisiana Republican won along party lines during the first round of voting, a stark contrast to his predecessor’s drawn-out, 15-round battle in 2023.

It comes despite saber-rattling by some conservatives who threatened to withhold support from Johnson in protest of his handling of government funding and several other issues in the 118th Congress…Read more

New Year’s Day Terror

HORROR ON BOURBON: New Orleans truck-ramming attack: Terror suspect seen on eerie surveillance hour before Bourbon Street carnage…Read more

NEW YEAR’S NIGHTMARES: New Orleans terrorist, man in Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion shared more links in attacks just hours apart…Read more

‘TARGET’ FOR TERRORISM: New Orleans barricade oversight in ‘target area for terrorism’ during prime season raises concerns…Read more

PATH OF DESTRUCTION: 7 times ISIS has inspired terror attacks on US soil…Read more

JABBAR’S ‘WAR’: New Orleans terrorist chose Bourbon Street for maximum carnage: timeline…Read more

NEW YEAR’S ESCAPE: New Orleans revelers narrowly escape path of speeding truck in ‘tactic of choice among terrorists’…Read more

‘GLOBAL THREAT’: Diplomat says New Orleans terror attack injured Israeli reservists on leave from Hamas war…Read more

OLD TEXTS: Las Vegas suspect’s ex-girlfriend shares days-old texts of him bragging about Tesla Cybertruck…Read more

World Stage

GLOBAL THREAT: ISIS increasingly unopposed following US withdrawal from Afghanistan, collapse of Syria…Read more

‘MEDIEVAL CRIMES’: Iran executes over 1,000 prisoners in 2024, highest total in 30 years, report says…Read more

Trump Transition

‘HARDWORKING PATRIOTS’: Trump taps team to work with US Treasury nominee Scott Bessent…Read more

MASSIVE SUPPORT: Significant majority believe Trump will ‘control illegal immigration’…Read more

Capitol Hill

‘PUT ASIDE OUR PRIDE’: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene to vote for Johnson after seeking to oust him from speakership last year…Read more

‘AMERICA IS BACK’: Trump reacts to Johnson winning speaker vote….Read more

Across America 

SHAMPOO, ABORTION & TAXES: Shampoo rules and immigrant care: A look at some ‘draconian’ state laws, tax hikes taking effect in 2025…Read more

FIRST ON FOX: ‘Radical’ FBI practices on DEI ‘endangered’ Americans, Blackburn says in letter demanding answers from Wray…Read more

‘REPLY-ALL’ MOMENT: Washington State Democrats accidentally email their ‘radical’ tax plan to entire Senate…Read more

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

Republicans in the House of Representatives cheered the re-election of Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., during the first round of votes Friday, after successfully avoiding the lengthy speaker vote process former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., endured ahead of the 118th Congress in early 2023.

“Congratulations to my friend @SpeakerJohnson! We’re fired up and ready to work with President Trump to Make America Great Again!” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., wrote on X after the successful vote. 

Johnson was elected to serve as speaker again by a vote of 218-215-1, with Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., the only Republican who opposed Johnson’s election. 

‘LIVES DEPEND ON IT’: REPUBLICANS PUSH FOR PROMPT TRUMP CONFIRMATIONS IN WAKE OF NEW ORLEANS ATTACK

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said on X: “Congratulations to @SpeakerJohnson on his re-election to lead our conference through the 119th Congress. Under his leadership, House Republicans are ready to work with President @realDonaldTrump to fix our economy, secure our borders, unleash American energy, and lower taxes for hardworking families. The American people are counting on us, and the @HouseGOP will deliver.”

Initially, it looked like Johnson would fall short of the necessary votes to be elected on the first ballot after Republican representatives Keith Self of Texas and Ralph Norman of South Carolina first voted for different candidates. However, the two ultimately switched their votes for Johnson before the tally was officially closed. 

Several Republicans pointed out their ability to get it done on the first ballot after it took 15 ballots in 2023 to elect McCarthy. 

MIKE JOHNSON GETS PUBLIC GOP SENATE SUPPORT AHEAD OF TIGHT HOUSE SPEAKER VOTE

“Victory on the first ballot. As the Chairwoman of the unified House Republican Conference, I can say proudly, that we are ready to govern,” House GOP conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain, R-Mich., said on X. 

In his own post, Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., wrote, “First day. First ballot. Time to get to work on behalf of the American people.”

While Johnson was able to win re-election on the first ballot, it didn’t come without significant uncertainty. A number of Republicans, including members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, did not initially cast votes when their names were called, putting Johnson’s speakership at risk. 

HEALTHY LIVING, PARTY UNITY, AND ‘TIME TO SMELL THE ROSES’: CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS’ NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.; Michael Cloud, R-Texas; Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.; Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.; House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md.; Chip Roy, R-Texas; and Mike Waltz, R-Fla., did not vote at first during the roll call. 

After the initial roll call, each of the representatives voted in favor of Johnson, to the surprise of some. 

“Today, we voted for Mike Johnson for Speaker of the House because of our steadfast support of President Trump and to ensure the timely certification of his electors,” Harris wrote on X afterward.

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., a member and former chairman of the HFC, said on X, “While I maintain my reservations about Speaker Johnson’s leadership record, today I voted in support of President Trump’s Agenda.

BERNIE SANDERS PLANS TO SPEARHEAD LEGISLATION ON KEY TRUMP PROPOSAL

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“We will hold Speaker Johnson accountable to accomplish the Republican Agenda. He must: – Secure our southern border – Institute commonsense House rules – Cut unbridled federal spending – Eliminate harmful and costly regulations – Reverse insane Biden policies like Green New Deal handouts – Implement a Congressional stock trade ban. We have a mandate from the American People. These policies are necessary to save our Country.”

“Congratulations, @SpeakerJohnson. I look forward to working with you to accomplish the legislative goals of President Trump in the coming days,” Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., another HFC member, wrote on X.

Democratic lawmakers had mixed reactions to Republican Rep. Mike Johnson being re-elected as speaker of the House for the 119th Congress.

Lawmakers gathered on Capitol Hill Friday to vote for a speaker before the new Congress commenced. Johnson won the speaker race during the first round of voting, but not all GOP lawmakers were originally in support of his candidacy. 

During the first round, three Republicans voted for candidates other than Johnson. However, after a short meeting in the GOP cloakroom with Johnson, Republican holdouts Ralph Norman and Keith Self changed their vote for the first round, securing the speakership for Johnson.

While it remained uncertain whether the Republican holdouts would change their votes, Democrats began reacting on social media. 

MIKE JOHNSON RE-ELECTED HOUSE SPEAKER AS GOP MUTINY THREAT DISSOLVES

“The GOP Civil War is in full swing. And it’s only Day 1,” House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries wrote in a post on X shortly before two of the GOP holdouts changed their votes.

“Welp, it only took a few minutes for the GOP to run this train right off its tracks — not voting for their own Speaker of the House,” Rep. Melanie Stansbury, D-N.M., said in a post on social media. “Was hoping we could leave the dysfunction in 2024 and work for the American people! But we’re headed to a round two of Speaker votes.”

But the sentiment changed after Johnson won the gavel in just one round. One Democrat credited Johnson for securing the speakership in a single vote after it took Republican lawmakers four days to elect a speaker in January 2023.

GOP REBELS SWITCH VOTE TO JOHNSON AFTER TRUMP’S 11TH HOUR CALLS, PUSHING HIM OVER THE FINISH LINE

“To his credit Mike Johnson learned from the 15 round debacle of 2 years ago. Instead of trying to jam his conference with a quick second round he held the vote open while some backroom arm twisting & hand wringing took place. The result: 2 changed vote, enough to win the gavel,” Rep. Hank Johnson, R-Ga., said.

“This fight is over, but keep your popcorn close.”

“Hell has frozen over (literally – it’s snowing in DC)! With just one vote, we have a Speaker – for now!” Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas., said on X.

Democratic Rep. Morgan McGarvey of Kentucky said, “now that we have a Speaker, let’s get to work.”

After Johnson won the speakership vote, other Democrats congratulated him.

“Congratulations to Mike Johnson on earning re-election as Speaker of the House,” Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., posted on social media. “There are several vetted, bipartisan bills in the docket that he could immediately bring to the floor to help Americans: afford housing, pay for Rx drugs, secure the border.”

Democratic lawmakers voted unanimously for Representative-elect Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

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“215 @HouseDemocrats stand united behind our Leader @RepJeffries. First round. Every round,” Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., said in a post on X after the vote.

The House and Senate will meet on Monday in a Joint Session of Congress to certify the results of the 2024 presidential vote.

The Capitol riot and contretemps over certification of the 2020 presidential election converted the quadrennial, often sleepy affair of certifying the Electoral College into a full-blown national security event. Congressional security officials began erecting 10-foot-high fencing around the outer perimeter of the Capitol complex over the past few days. Some of the fences extend beyond the usual “Capitol Square” which includes the Capitol building itself. One such fence was all the way around the outer boundaries of the Russell Senate Park.

One of the great ironies in the American political system is that the person who lost the race for the presidency often presides over their own defeat. In this case, Vice President Harris. Harris remains the Vice President until January 20. That also means she continues as President of the Senate. 

Others have performed this onerous task of certifying their own defeat. Future President Richard Nixon was Vice President when he lost to President John F. Kennedy in 1960. Nixon then certified JFK as the winner in January 1961. Former Vice President Al Gore ceded his election to President George W. Bush after the disputed 2000 election and tumult over which candidate actually won Florida. Gore was then at the Capitol to seal Bush’s victory in January 2001.

TRUMP RECLAIMS INFLUENCE OF GOP AS REPUBLICANS FALL IN LINE BEHIND JOHNSON

Here’s what the 12th Amendment to the Constitution says about Congress signing off on the election results: “The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted.”

This dictates a Joint Session of Congress. This is where the House and Senate meet together, simultaneously, usually in the House chamber. The Speaker of the House presides alongside the President of the Senate: in this case, Vice President Harris.

But Harris kind of runs the show.

The House and Senate only meet in a Joint Session of Congress to receive the President for State of the Union and to certify the election outcome. And since the House successfully elected a Speaker on Friday afternoon, the House and Senate can convene the Joint Session. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., will co-preside over the session atop the dais in the House chamber.

Things are different compared to this exercise four years ago.

The relatively routine, almost ceremonial, certification of the Electoral College forever changed on January 6, 2021, following the Capitol riot.

JEFFRIES CLAIMS ‘NO ELECTION DENIERS’ AMONG DEMS DESPITE 2016 ‘ILLEGITIMATE’ REMARKS WHEN TRUMP WON

Capitol Police began restricting vehicular traffic on streets around the Capitol complex early Monday morning. Access to the House and Senate Office Buildings are limited to members, staff and visitors who are there are on official business. There will only be a few access points for pedestrians to the Capitol grounds. Official Capitol tours are suspended.

Johnson will call the House to order around 1 p.m. EST on Monday. House Sergeant at Arms Bill McFarland will announce the arrival of Harris and senators as they enter the House chamber. Members of the House Administration Committee and Senate Rules Committee will serve as “tellers” to assist in the tabulation of the electoral votes.

DEMOCRATS HAVE MIXED REACTION TO JOHNSON’S SPEAKER VICTORY: ‘HELL HAS FROZEN OVER’

Harris will declare that the House and Senate are meeting in the Joint Session and announce “that the certificates (of election) are authentic and correct in form.”

Starting with Alabama, it’s likely that one of the tellers will read the following:

“The certificate of the electoral vote of the State of Alabama seems to be regular in form and authentic. It appears therefore that Donald John Trump of the State of Florida received nine votes for President and JD Vance of the State of Ohio received nine votes for Vice President.”

And on we go.

In late 2022, lawmakers made several changes to the 1887 “Electoral Count Act.” Congress initially passed the Electoral Count Act in response to the disputed election of 1876. Multiple states sent competing slates of electors to Washington. Lawmakers determined there was no formality to tabulating the Electoral College results.

Democrat Samuel Tilden prevailed in the popular vote. But President Rutherford B. Hayes won the White House – after a special commission empaneled by Congress presented him with 20 electoral votes in dispute.

The 2022 Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act clarified the role of the Vice President in the Joint Session of Congress. President-elect Trump and other loyalists leaned on then-Vice President Pence to assert himself in the process. Many demanded that he accept alternative slates of electors from the states in question. The updated law states that the Vice President’s role is simply “ministerial.” The new statute says the Vice President lacks the power “to determine, accept, reject, or otherwise adjudicate or resolve disputes over the proper list of electors, the validity of electors, or the votes of electors.”

VP HARRIS MOCKED FOR FLUBBING OPENING LINE OF PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE: ‘WHAT AN EMBARASSMENT’

The new law also established an expedited judicial appellate process for litigation regarding electoral votes. Finally, the law altered how lawmakers themselves can contest a state’s slate of electors during the Joint Session.

The old system required one House member and one senator to sign a petition challenging an individual state’s electoral slate. In 2021, Republicans planned to challenge as many as six swing states. They ultimately questioned two.

In 2001, multiple members of the Congressional Black Caucus tried to challenge Florida’s slate of electors. But they had no Senate co-sponsor.

After Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., made her entreaty to question Florida’s electoral votes, Al Gore – again, presiding over his own loss – asked if the California Democrat had a Senate cohort.

Waters replied that she did not and “did not care.”

Gore then responded with a statesmanlike proclamation that salved the political wounds of the rancorous election he had just lost to President W. Bush.

“The chair will advise that rules do care,” pronounced Gore.

His takedown of Waters triggered an outpouring of bipartisan applause in the House chamber.

TRUMP CHEERS JOHNSON WINNING SPEAKER VOTE: ‘AMERICA IS BACK’

A question emerged about Ohio’s slate of electoral votes when Congress began certifying the 2004 election in January 2005. But this time, late Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, and former Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., joined forces to compel the House and Senate to debate and vote separately on Ohio’s electoral slate. But both the House and Senate rejected their petition.

The 2022 law made it tougher to challenge a state’s electoral certificates. Now it requires one-fifth of all House members and one-half of all Senate members to challenge what the states send in.

The outcome of the 2024 election is not in dispute. There’s no expectation of anyone forcing additional Congressional reviews of the Electoral College. And despite additional precautions, Capitol security officials are not anticipating rallies and certainly no violence, unlike 2021.

In 2021 – after the riot and two near fistfights on the House floor – Pence certified the outcome of the electoral vote just before 4 a.m. EST on January 7. This year’s exercise should be wrapped up in about an hour or so. Vice President Harris will announce that Donald Trump won the election “for a term beginning on the 20th day of January 2025.” She will then dissolve the Joint Session.

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And two weeks later at noon, U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts swears-in Donald John Trump on the West Front of the Capitol for his second term.

President-elect Donald Trump announced via Truth Social Friday night his picks for Deputy Special Presidential Envoy, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia, and spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State.

Trump’s former State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus will serve as Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace, Roman Pipko will serve as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia, and Tammy Bruce will serve as spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State.

Morgan Ortagus – Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for Middle East Peace

In a post Friday afternoon, Trump announced Ortagus will work under Steven Witkoff, a New York real estate tycoon selected for Middle East envoy in November.

“Morgan fought me for three years, but hopefully has learned her lesson,” Trump wrote in the post. “These things usually don’t work out, but she has strong Republican support, and I’m not doing this for me, I’m doing it for them. Let’s see what happens.”

TRUMP’S PICKS SO FAR: HERE’S WHO WILL BE ADVISING THE NEW PRESIDENT

He added she will “hopefully” be an asset to Witkoff.

“We seek to bring calm and prosperity to a very troubled region,” Trump wrote. “I expect great results, and soon!”

FORMER GEORGIA SENATOR KELLY LOEFFLER TO SERVE ON TRUMP’S INAUGURAL COMMITTEE

Ortagus, an active U.S. Navy Reserve intelligence officer, served as spokesperson at the Department of State from 2019 to 2021, where she was a member of Trump’s Abraham Accords team. 

THESE ARE THE TOP NAMES IN CONTENTION FOR DEFENSE SECRETARY UNDER TRUMP

Previously, she worked at the Department of the Treasury as a financial intelligence analyst and served as Deputy U.S. Treasury Attaché to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 2010 to 2011.

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She is also the founder of Polaris National Security and the host of “The Morgan Ortagus Show” on Sirius XM.

Roman Pipko – U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Estonia

Pipko, who was born and raised in Estonia, represented U.S. interests in the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Russian American Enterprise Fund. 

“Roman has represented American companies, negotiating projects in Mongolia, Africa, Russia, Western Europe, and his native Estonia, in cooperation with U.S. Government Agencies, and has worked with Foreign Governments on the enforcement of U.S. sanctions,” Trump wrote. “As a legal immigrant, he has lived the promise of America, and I trust that he will advance American interests in his new role.”

Pipko is a graduate of Columbia University and Yale Law School. 

Bruce will be joining Marco Rubio, nominee for United States Secretary of State, as State Department spokesperson.

Bruce, a political analyst, received her bachelor’s degree in political science at the University of Southern California. 

“After being a liberal activist in the 1990s, [she] saw the lies and fraud of the Radical Left, and quickly became one of the strongest Conservative voices on Radio and Television,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “As one of the longest serving News Contributors, Tammy has brought TRUTH to the American People for over two decades. I know she will. bring that same strength of conviction and fearless spirit to her new position as State Department Spokesperson.

Fox News recently learned Vice President-elect JD Vance went to George Washington Hospital Friday afternoon for a “planned” minor surgery. 

“The Vice President-elect is having long-planned, minor sinus surgery and will be back at work tomorrow,” Vance Spokesperson William Martin confirmed.

TRUMP GIVES JOHNSON ‘COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT’ AHEAD OF SPEAKERSHIP FIGHT

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

Vice President-elect Vance was on the hill before the operation as Vice President Kamala Harris swore in new senators.

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Democratic House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., claimed that there are “no election deniers” in the Democratic Party, despite previously claiming on social media that the 2016 presidential election was “illegitimate.”

After Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., was re-elected to the top House post for the 119th Congress on Friday, Jeffries addressed lawmakers.

“There are no election deniers on our side of the aisle,” Jeffries said while speaking on the House floor on Friday, prompting applause from the Democratic members in the chamber.

Despite claiming that members of his party don’t deny election results, Jeffries himself claimed on X, previously known as Twitter, that President-elect Trump’s 2016 election victory wasn’t legitimate.

MIKE JOHNSON RE-ELECTED HOUSE SPEAKER AS GOP MUTINY THREAT DISSOLVES

“The more we learn about 2016 election the more ILLEGITIMATE it becomes,” Jeffries wrote in February 2018. “America deserves to know whether we have a FAKE President in the Oval Office.”

Jeffries again made a similar claim several years later.

“Keep pouting. History will never accept you as a legitimate president,” Jeffries wrote to Trump in a 2020 post. A screenshot of the post was shared by Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska following the speaker’s vote on Friday.

GOP REBELS SWITCH VOTE TO JOHNSON AFTER TRUMP’S 11TH HOUR CALLS, PUSHING HIM OVER THE FINISH LINE

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who ran against Trump as the Democratic nominee in 2016, also said that Trump was an “illegitimate president” after his election win that year.

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“He knows he’s an illegitimate president,” Clinton said of Trump during a CBS News interview. “I believe he understands that the many varying tactics they used, from voter suppression and voter purging to hacking to the false stories — he knows that — there were just a bunch of different reasons why the election turned out like it did.”

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., did not attend Trump’s 2017 inauguration due to claims that his presidency was not legit.

“He was legally elected, but the Russian weighing-in on the election, the Russian attempt to hack the election and, frankly, the FBI’s weighing-in on the election, I think, makes his election illegitimate, puts an asterisk next to his name,” Nadler told CNN in 2017.

Additionally, several Democratic representatives challenged the results of the 2016 election in their states following Trump’s win.

President Biden awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration, to seven U.S. Army veterans for their heroism during the Korean and Vietnam Wars at the White House on Friday.

Private Bruno Orig, Private First Class Wataru Nakamura, Corporal Fred McGee, Private First Class Charles Johnson, retired General Richard Cavazos, Captain Hugh Nelson, Jr., and Specialist Fourth Class Kenneth David were all honored.

BIDEN TO AWARD MEDAL OF HONOR TO UNION SOLDIERS IN ‘ONE OF THE EARLIEST SPECIAL OPERATIONS’ IN ARMY HISTORY

“These are genuine to their core heroes. Heroes of different ranks, different positions, and even different generations. But heroes who all went above and beyond the call of duty. Heroes who all deserve our nation’s highest and oldest military recognition,” Biden said.

Five of the recipients were killed in battle, including Capt. Hugh Nelson Jr. who is the first-ever graduate from The Citadel Military College in South Carolina to receive the Medal of Honor. Nelson was previously awarded the U.S. Army’s Distinguished Service Cross.

28-year-old Captain Nelson served as a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam war under the 114th aviation company Air Mobile Light. On the fateful day of June 5th, 1966, near Moc Hoa, a rural district in Southern Vietnam, Nelson was the acting aircraft commander on a search and destroy reconnaissance mission. The armed UH-1B Huey helicopter he was flying was struck by hostile gunfire that made the aircraft virtually uncontrollable. Captain Nelson and his co-pilot were able to crash land the aircraft without lateral controls.

‘WE BELIEVE IN DONALD TRUMP’: MORE THAN A DOZEN MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS ENDORSE FORMER PRESIDENT

But they crash landed right in the middle of enemy positions. The crash destroyed all the weapons on board. Nelson was the first of his crew to gain consciousness. He quickly saw the enemy was surrounding the crash site. Ignoring his own injuries and enemy fire from 30-feet away, Nelson sprang into action and began evacuating his three wounded crew mates—the crew chief, the door gunner, and co-pilot. The crew chief was pinned down in the cargo compartment and the door gunner was trapped in the Huey. With his bare hands, Nelson ripped off one of the helicopter doors to evacuate himself and his crew while insurgents were firing rounds from 30-feet away. Nelson used his own body as a human shield as he lifted the door gunner to the ground and was killed by the gunfire after being shot between six and 20 times while doing so.

Because of Nelson’s sacrifice, the wounded specialist was able to signal support with a smoke grenade. Supporting aircraft responded immediately, preventing the insurgents from advancing on the downed aircraft and successfully rescued the three wounded crew members and Captain Nelson’s remains.

Nelson’s daughter Debra McKnight accepted the award on her father’s behalf at the White House ceremony. She was just 5-years-old and her little brother, Hugh Nelson III, was 6-months-old when their father left for Fort Bragg, now named Fort Liberty, to start his tour in Vietnam. The Army notified Nelson’s family that he was killed in battle just one day before his infant son’s first birthday.

BIDEN AWARDS LIZ CHENEY, JAN 6 COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN A MEDAL: US ‘IS BETTER BECAUSE OF THEIR DEDICATION’

“Nelson’s conscious decision to sacrifice his own life for that of his comrades saved the lives of his three fellow crew members that fateful day,” his Medal of Honor citation reads. “Nelson’s distinctive accomplishments are in keeping with the highest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon him, his unit and the United States Army.”

Captain Nelson graduated from The Citadel in 1959. Before the fateful battle he served three years in Taiwan. His co-captain who was rescued was Captain Bailey Jones. Jones also graduated from the Citadel, in the class of 1964.

Top Army ROTC Cadet at the Citadel, Tomas Fitzpatrick, attended the ceremony on Friday.

“The sacrifice of Captain Hugh Nelson is a powerful reminder of the values we uphold at The Citadel — honor, duty and respect. As someone who plans to enlist in the U.S. Army after graduation, we all strive to lead with the same bravery and commitment,” Fitzpatrick said. Fitzpatrick will be joining the Army infantry after graduation in May. The Citadel’s Army ROTC department is one of the largest commissioning sources in the country. 120 Army 2nd lieutenants were commissioned in 2024 alone.

“Captain Hugh Reavis Nelson, Jr. exemplified the highest values of courage, selflessness and leadership that we instill in every Citadel cadet. Nelson’s service to his comrades and country remains an enduring inspiration for us all,” Citadel President Gen. Glenn Walters said in a statement. 

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“To learn these stories of Americans like Bruno and Wataru, and Fred, and Charlie, Richard, Hugh, Ken, Americans who have not only fought for our nation but who embodied the very best our nation has to offer. Let me also say this today we award these individuals a medal of honor. We can’t stop here because as a nation, it’s up to us to give this medal meaning, to keep fighting, to keep fighting for one another, for each other, to keep defending everything these heroes fought for and many of them died for,” Biden said. 

President-elect Trump successfully rallied House Republicans on Friday to re-elect House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. — overcoming deep intraparty divisions and quieting concerns over Trump’s ability to unify the party following the spectacular collapse of a government spending bill late last month.

That bill, which saw 38 Republican defectors and threatened a partial government shutdown, touched off fears that Trump’s once-ironclad grip on the Republican Party could be waning — concerns that were quickly put to rest Friday evening after Trump managed to secure the majority votes for a House speaker whose party holds just a razor-thin majority in the chamber and who faced vehement opposition from House Freedom Caucus members.

Three Republicans originally voted against Johnson and seven other members remained silent. Republicans’ razor-thin majority allowed Johnson just one GOP defector, and after the first round of voting, it was unclear if, or how, the party could overcome the odds.

MIKE JOHNSON RE-ELECTED HOUSE SPEAKER AS GOP MUTINY THREAT DISSOLVES

In the end, all but one holdout changed their vote, with many crediting Trump directly as a sign of his continued influence in the party. 

At least two of the Republican holdouts who reversed course to back Johnson as speaker said they did so after multiple conversations with Trump.

Trump spoke by phone with both Reps. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., and Keith Self, R-Texas, after they had initially voted for people other than Johnson for speaker.

Self, one of the two holdouts who changed his “no” vote on Johnson to a “yes” vote, told reporters on Friday that he came to the decision after multiple phone conversations with the president-elect.

“This was all about how we make the Trump agenda successful,” Self told reporters of his decision to back Johnson. “We have to be strong as a Republican conference in order to make the Trump agenda as successful as possible. That’s what this was all about.”

Norman also later confirmed to reporters that he spoke with Trump. “He just made his point about how Mike is the only one who could get elected,” Norman said. He added that Trump did not change his vote but rather a “commitment that things are going to change” from Johnson.

Sources told Fox News on Friday that the president-elect was in “constant communication” with House Republicans throughout the process.

The eleven Republican members of the House Freedom Caucus, who had sparred with Johnson over various provisions in the government spending bill late last month, did not mince words. In a letter Friday night, members said their decision to back Johnson was solely due to their support for the president-elect.

The letter, authored by Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md., and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said they supported Johnson “because of our steadfast support of President Trump, and to ensure the timely certification of his electors.” 

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“We did this despite our sincere reservations regarding the Speaker’s track record over the past 15 months,” the letter said. “Now, Speaker Johnson must prove he will not fail to enact President Trump’s bold agenda.”

Johnson, for his part, thanked Trump directly in a post on X.

“Thank you, President Trump! Today is a new day in America. Congressional Republicans must stay united to quickly deliver President Trump’s America First agenda,” he said. “Let’s get it done.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., narrowly held onto the gavel in a nail-biter vote on Friday afternoon. 

Republicans eager to swear in President-elect Trump later this month and capitalize on their control of the House, Senate and White House avoided the same fate of the past two drawn-out speaker elections. 

After some wrangling by both Trump and Johnson, ultimately Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was the lone Republican to defy leadership and vote against Johnson. 

Here’s a look at the top moments of the first vote of the 119th Congress:

1. Five Republicans refuse to vote; three vote against Johnson

Johnson appeared to be on a path to defeat when five Republicans sat silently as their clerk called their names for a vote. Three others — Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Ralph Norman of South Carolina and Keith Self of Texas — voted against Johnson. 

Massie voted for House Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.; Norman voted for Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; and Self voted for Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. 

At the end of the vote, the names of those who refused to vote on first mention were called again. Reps. Andy Harris, R-Md.; Andy Biggs, R-Ariz.; Andrew Clyde, R-Ga.; Michael Cloud, R-Texas; and Chip Roy, R-Texas, ultimately voted for Johnson. 

GOP REBELS SWITCH VOTE TO JOHNSON AFTER TRUMP’S 11TH HOUR CALLS, PUSHING HIM OVER THE FINISH LINE

2. Trump calls two GOP defectors 

Trump then got on the phone with both Norman and Self and urged them to switch their vote for Johnson, both congressmen confirmed to Fox News Digital. 

Two people who spoke with Fox News Digital said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., connected Trump with Self and Norman by phone after they voted against Johnson.

Mace would not comment, but Fox News Digital saw her and Johnson share a hug on the House floor after they and others were in the side room with the holdouts.

Mace was also seen in intense talks with Norman off the House floor earlier.

Massie was irreconcilable — he’d long had his mind made up that Johnson was not the right person for the job. But Johnson could only afford to lose one vote and hold on to the gavel.

Johnson, too, huddled with Self and Norman. House leaders did not formally end the vote while figuring out a path forward.

3. Self and Norman change their vote 

About an hour after voting for others, the pair of defectors switched their votes, granting Johnson his wish. 

Self said he switched his vote in order to help further “the Trump agenda.” 

MIKE JOHNSON RE-ELECTED HOUSE SPEAKER AS GOP MUTINY THREAT DISSOLVES

“The Trump agenda is most important. Trump agenda is most important, and we need to shore up processes in the House to make sure we have the strongest negotiating team for the reconciliation package that will come. So again, this was all about making the Trump agenda more successful,” said Self. 

Norman said he spoke with Trump, but was ultimately persuaded to change his mind due to the promises he got from Johnson to make “real change.” 

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Trump “just made his point about how Mike is the only one who could get elected,” Norman said. 

He said Johnson didn’t offer him a quid pro quo but “a commitment that things are going to change.” 

Fox News’ Liz Elkind contributed to this report. 

EXCLUSIVE: President-elect Donald Trump slammed Judge Juan Merchan for denying his request to dismiss the charges against him in New York v. Trump, telling Fox News Digital Democrats “just want to see if they can get a pound of flesh because every case has failed.”

Merchan denied Trump’s request to toss his guilty verdict in New York v. Trump, brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and set his sentencing for Jan. 10—just ten days before he is sworn in as 47th President of the United States. 

NEW YORK JUDGE SETS TRUMP SENTENCING DAYS BEFORE INAUGURATION

Merchan said there would be no imposition of a sentence including incarceration, jail time, a fine, or probation, but rather, likely, a sentence of an “unconditional discharge,” which means there would be no punishment imposed. 

“Every major legal pundit, including Andy McCarthy, Jonathan Turley, Gregg Jarrett, and Eli Honig, has stated strongly there was no case, there is no case and this was just a witch hunt,” Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview Friday. “The judge is corrupt and I am still under a gag order, I am not allowed to speak about the thing he least wants me to talk about.”

Trump said Merchan is “a totally conflicted judge who is doing the work for the Democrat Party because every other case has failed.” 

“I did absolutely nothing wrong,” Trump continued. “This is a political witch hunt by Biden and the DOJ.”

He added: “They want to see if they can get a pound of flesh because every case has failed including deranged Jack Smith’s, who is on his way back to the Hague after having lost every case.” 

Trump told Fox News Digital that “nobody has ever gone through what I go through—this is a disgrace.” 

The president-elect went on to call Merchan “the most conflicted judge in the history of jurisprudence.” 

“There has never been a judge as conflicted as this one,” Trump said. “There was no case. He created a case out of nothing because he wanted my political opponent to win.” 

Merchan imposed a gag order over Trump during the trial and has refused to lift that order. 

TRUMP CLAIMS DEMS MAY TRY TO IMPEDE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS FOR HIS NOMINEES

Merchan’s gag order bars Trump from making or directing others to make public statements about witnesses with regard to their potential participation or about counsel in the case—other than Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg—or about court staff, DA staff, or family members of staff. 

One issue Trump has been barred from speaking about relates to Merchan’s daughter, Loren Merchan, who sits as the president for Authentic Campaigns—a company that has done political work for top Democrat clients like President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. 

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan launched an investigation into Loren Merchan’s work for the Democrat-affiliated firm. Loren Merchan received more than $7 million in compensation from her work for Vice President Harris in 2020. 

Meanwhile, cases brought against Trump in all other jurisdictions have been dismissed or are paused indefinitely. 

A federal judge in Florida this summer dismissed the case brought against Trump by now-former Special Counsel Jack Smith related to his alleged improper retention of classified records. The judge, Jude Aileen Cannon of the Southern District of Florida, dismissed the charges, ruling that Smith was unlawfully appointed as special counsel. 

Smith’s case against Trump related to alleged 2020 election interference was also dismissed last month, and he closed his office. 

Trump had pleaded not guilty to all charges across both of Smith’s cases against him. 

And last month, a Georgia court of appeals disqualified Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her team from prosecuting Trump in her 2020 election interference case. 

JORDAN INVESTIGATES DAUGHTER OF JUDGE IN NY V. TRUMP CASE OVER HER WORK FOR KAMALA HARRIS, DEMOCRATS

The court did not toss Trump’s indictment entirely, but Willis and the assistant DAs working in her office now have “no authority to proceed.”

“There is no way such corrupt people can lead a case and then it gets taken over by somebody else,” Trump told Fox News Digital last month, reacting to the ruling. “It was a corrupt case, so how could it be taken over by someone else?” 

“The case has to be thrown out because it was started corruptly by an incompetent prosecutor who received millions of dollars through her boyfriend—who received it from her—and then they went on cruises all the time,” Trump said, referring to Willis’ relationship with a former prosecutor on her team, Nathan Wade. 

“Therefore, the case is entirely dead,” Trump said. “Everybody should receive an apology, including those wonderful patriots who have been caught up in this for years.” 

Meanwhile, Trump spokesman and incoming White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital that the order by Merchan “is a direct violation of the Supreme Court’s Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence.”   

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“This lawless case should have never been brought and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed,” Cheung told Fox News Digital. “President Trump must be allowed to continue the Presidential Transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts.” 

Cheung added: “There should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead.”

President-elect Trump’s bid to toss his conviction in his New York criminal hush money case was denied on Friday.

New York Judge Juan Merchan rejected Trump’s request to vacate the verdict in the case based on the Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision.

Merchan noted that he is still reviewing the other motions filed by Trump to dismiss the case.

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Sentencing will be January 10 at 9:30 a.m, with the president-elect having the option to appear in person or virtually. 

FIRST ON FOX: President-elect Trump reacted to Mike Johnson’s re-election as speaker of the House, telling Fox News Digital the process brought House Republicans “even closer together,” and said it is a continuation of “Make America Great Again.”

Johnson was re-elected speaker of the House Friday. 

Sources told Fox News Digital that the president-elect was in “constant communication” with House Republicans throughout the process. In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Trump said it was “a great honor to have helped.” 

“It is all a great continuation of ‘Make America Great Again,’” Trump said.

MIKE JOHNSON RE-ELECTED HOUSE SPEAKER AS GOP MUTINY THREAT DISSOLVES

“Mike Johnson will do a fabulous job as speaker,” Trump said. “House Republican membership was fantastic.”

“This process has brought them even closer together,” he said. “It is all a reflection of the great presidential election of 2024 where we won all seven swing states, the popular vote and everything else there is to win.”

“We will all be working together with total benefit going to the people of our nation,” he said. “Our country will be run with strength and common sense again.”

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He added: “America is back.”

Washington state Democrats appeared to have accidentally emailed their sweeping revenue plans and internal talking points on tax hikes to the entirety of the upper chamber’s members in Olympia, Fox News has learned.

Property tax hikes and a new double-digit tax on firearms are among proposals Washington state Democrats are considering, according to materials originally disseminated to all members by Washington Senate Deputy Floor Leader Noel Frame, D-Seattle, in late December and later obtained by Fox News Digital. 

A document entitled “2025 Revenue Options” and a PowerPoint presentation describing how to talk to constituents in defense of the plan were included in the messages.

The document lists proposed figures for an 11% tax on ammunition and firearms, reclassifying storage unit rentals as a retail transaction and a lift on the property tax levy lid for certain Washingtonians.

A PowerPoint slide, highlighted by Seattle radio host Jason Rantz, described the “Best way to talk taxes” – with a chart of do’s and don’ts for lawmakers.

DEMOCRAT ATTORNEYS GENERAL PREPARE FOR LEGAL BATTLES WITH TRUMP

Do say: “Pay what they owe” – but Don’t say: “Tax the rich” or “pay their fair share” because “taxes aren’t a punishment” the graph read.

It also suggested using the terms “funding” “providing” and “ensuring” when describing the apparent benefits of tax hikes, rather than the term “investing in [X].”

“Avoid centering the tax or talking in vague terms about ‘the economy’ or ‘education’.”

One of the new proposals is that of a “capital assets ownership tax.”

It is described as similar to property taxes, but instead would extend the real estate-type tax to holdings in stocks, bonds and other financial instruments.

“We can ensure that extremely wealthy Washingtonians are taxed on their assets just like middle-class families are already taxed on theirs,” the slide reads.

Another line directs lawmakers to proverbially “identify the villain” that is blocking “progress” and lay out “how we can take action to solve the issue.”

“We have an upside-down tax code that benefits big corporations and the wealthiest few, that was written 100 years ago and desperately needs an update for the 21st century. If we ensure Washington’s wealthiest pay what they truly owe in taxes, the rest of us will have what we need — like affordable health care, housing, and food.”

FLASHBACK: NYPD WARNS ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS THAT A ‘SEATTLE-STYLE OCCUPATION ZONE’ WON’T BE TOLERATED

Rantz said in a column for MyNorthwest.com that the plans accidentally shared present a “direct contradiction” to promises from Democrats during the election cycle and lay out 10 total new taxes on residents.

“These proposals come at a time when the state has seen years of record revenue,” Rantz said, going on to claim some of the “tax schemes” may also be unconstitutional.

He added that capital gains taxes actually discourage growth and potentially lead to reduced job opportunities for the same workers pro-tax Democrats claim to want to help.

One example he presented was the departure of Amazon founder Jeffrey Bezos from Washington state. Upon establishing his new Florida residency, one of America’s richest men saved about $1 billion in taxes that also no longer go toward funding the Evergreen State’s programs.

Rantz added that the Washington state Democratic electorate often decries the affordability crisis but then goes on to re-elect the same politicians that exacerbate it.

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Additionally, as Democratic Gov.-elect Robert Ferguson is set to take office later this month, State Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn, slammed outgoing Gov. Jay Inslee’s 2025 budget proposal.

“This budget is not a serious proposal,” said Couture, the House budget panel’s top Republican.

“Our state has a spending problem, not a revenue problem,” he said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Frame for comment but did not hear back by publication time.

Separate ethics complaints filed by members of Congress and an advocacy group against Justices Clarence Thomas and Ketanji Brown Jackson will not be referred to the Justice Department, federal court officials announced.

The U.S. Judicial Conference said Thomas has agreed to follow update guidelines on listing free private travel and gifts from friends, following previous reporting on undisclosed hospitality.

For her part, Jackson has amended her financial disclosures following complaints about her husband’s consulting income as a physician.

Democratic senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), along with Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), had asked for an investigation by the judiciary itself into undisclosed hospitality provided to Thomas by billionaire friend Harland Crow. ProPublica had reported on several instances of private travel and lodging over the years.

SUPREME COURT CHEIF JUSTICE ROBERTS ISSUES WARNING ON ‘JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE’ WEEKS BEFORE TRUMP’S INAUGURATION

Judge Robert Conrad—who heads the judicial conference policymaking body said in letters to the lawmakers that Thomas had filed amended financial disclosures “that address several issues identified in your letter.” 

And Conrad said that it was not clear whether the judiciary itself could make criminal referrals against a sitting Supreme Court member.

“Because the Judicial Conference does not superintend the Supreme Court and because any effort to grant the Conference such authority would raise serious constitutional questions, one would expect Congress at a minimum to state any such directive clearly. But no such express directive appears in this provision,” Conrad said.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SPENT OVER $100 MILLION ON DEI EDUCATION PROGRAMS OVER LAST FOUR YEARS

Conrad noted that Whitehouse and Wyden had separately asked Attorney General Merrick Garland to name a special counsel to investigate Trump. Garland has not acted yet on that request.

Whitehouse in a statement criticized the Judicial Conference’s decision.

“By all appearances, the judicial branch is shirking its statutory duty to hold a Supreme Court justice accountable for ethics violations,” said Whitehouse.

The complaint filed against Jackson came from Citizens for Renewing America, led by Russ Vought, who was nominated by President-elect Trump to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).

Questions over ethics– including unreported private travel by some justices, have led the court to adopt its first code of ethics last year.

But compliance is left to each of the nine justices, leading to concerns the court is not taking its own ethics enforcement standards seriously.

A two-year investigation by Senate Democrats released last week found additional luxury travel by Justice Thomas in 2021 was not noted on his annual financial disclosure form. 

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Fix the Court, a group which advocates for greater judicial transparency, urged Congress to act. 

“The Conference’s letters further underscore the need for Congress to create a new and transparent mechanism to investigate the justices for ethics violations since the Conference is unwilling to act upon the one method we had presumed existed to do that,” said Executive Director Gabe Roth.

On his way out the door, then-North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper commuted the sentences of 15 individuals on the Tarheel State’s death row.

Cooper, a Democrat whose name has been floated as one of the party’s topline names for the 2028 presidential contest, acted similarly to outgoing President Biden – who caught heat last week for commuting sentences for almost all federal death row inmates.

“These reviews are among the most difficult decisions a governor can make and the death penalty is the most severe sentence that the state can impose,” Cooper said in a statement.

“After thorough review, reflection, and prayer, I concluded that the death sentence imposed on these 15 people should be commuted, while ensuring they will spend the rest of their lives in prison.”

NC TO OVERRIDE DEM VETO OVER COOPERATION WITH ICE AS TRUMP HINTS AT AGENCY REFORM

No executions have occurred in North Carolina since 2006 due to ongoing litigation.

One of the inmates who saw his sentence commuted to life was felony murder inmate Hasson Bacote. Bacote had originally filed suit in 2010 challenging his death sentence under North Carolina’s Racial Justice Act – which reportedly allows defendants to challenge sentences if they can determine racial bias. 

Bacote, who is Black, had been convicted of shooting an 18-year-old by a White-majority Johnston County jury.

Rayford Burke, an Iredell County murder convict who received a commutation, also reportedly sought relief under the Racial Justice Act, according to WCNC.

Another commutation recipient, Christopher Roseboro, has been in prison for about 30 years. In 1994, Roseboro was indicted on first-degree rape and other charges stemming from allegations he and another man robbed an elderly neighbor who was later found dead along with evidence she had been sexually assaulted.

The co-defendant, Roger Bell, is already serving a life sentence.

A Union County man, Darrell Strickland, was convicted of manslaughter following a tragic Jan. 1, 1995 argument. He also saw his sentence commuted to life without parole.

PA LAWMAKERS DEMAND SCRANTON STRIP ‘BIDEN EXPY’ NAME, CALLING IT A ‘SCAR’ FOLLOWING ‘KIDS-4-CASH’ SCANDAL

Vincent Wooten, a Pitt County man sentenced for the 1993 murder of Edward Wilson, also saw his sentence commuted, according to the Greenville Daily Reflector.

Wooten, then 20, saw evidence presented at his trial alleging he shot Wilson with a modified-to-automatic AR-15 rifle after a safe, filled with cocaine and cash, was stolen from the mother of Wooten’s girlfriend.

Another commuted convict, Guy T. LeGrande, had been sent to prison following a murder-for-hire incident. LeGrande was later diagnosed with a mental disorder, according to Mother Jones, and had previously claimed to be able to communicate with Oprah Winfrey through a television.

Cooper’s commutations follow Biden’s flurry of orders reclassifying death sentences to life without parole for 37 convicts.

“President Biden has dedicated his career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system,” the White House said in a December statement.

“He believes that America must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level, except in cases of terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder – which is why today’s actions apply to all but those cases.”

A man sentenced to death for a 2003 Tennessee shooting said he was surprised Biden commuted so many convicts’ terms.

“I resolved not to squander this act of mercy, this grace of life. I resolved to be part of Biden’s legacy—by the way I contribute to the betterment of society and prisons,” Rejon Taylor told Newsweek. 

“Biden doesn’t realize this now, but his act of mercy will resound through me, bearing fruit that will outlive his time on this earth.”

Some of Biden’s other commutations, including a Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, judge jailed in a “kids-for-cash” scandal where juveniles were aggressively prosecuted and sent to for-profit prisons, have sparked bipartisan outrage.

Cooper’s 77 total pardons and commutations over his two terms, however, are dwarfed by the nearly 700 from fellow Democratic Gov. James B. Hunt Jr., who served four terms in two non-consecutive eight-year periods, according to NC Newsline.

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Only three men remain on federal death row after Biden’s actions: Robert Gregory Bowers, Dzhokar Anzorovich Tsarnaev and Dylann Storm Roof. Bowers was convicted in the 2018 Pennsylvania synagogue shooting, Roof massacred several Black churchgoers in South Carolina and Tsarnaev – along with his now-deceased brother Tamerlan — masterminded the Boston Marathon bombing.

Then-North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat, was sworn into the governor’s office to succeed Cooper in Raleigh on Wednesday.

The FBI has remained silent on whether it will fire or discipline the agent who initially told the media and public that the shocking New Year’s Day attack in New Orleans was “not a terrorist event,” before the agency quickly backtracked and reported the attack was in fact under investigation as a terror incident. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI’s press office and press secretary on Thursday and Friday, inquiring whether New Orleans field office FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan would face termination or disciplinary action over her initial claim the attack was not connected to terrorism, but did not receive replies. Fox Digital also called the FBI press office on Friday morning but could not leave a message regarding the inquiry as the voicemail box was full. 

After chaos unfolded on Bourbon Street early Wednesday morning as New Year’s revelers celebrated the holiday, Duncan spoke during a press conference, declaring the attack was not connected to terrorism. 

“We’ll be taking over the investigative lead for this event. This is not a terrorist event,” Duncan said during the presser. 

FLASHBACK: BIDEN DOWNPLAYS ISIS THREAT TO US, REPEATEDLY SAYS WHITE SUPREMACY ‘MOST LETHAL’ DANGER

During that same press conference, however, the mayor of New Orleans told the media and public that the city did in fact suffer a terror attack. 

“Know that the city of New Orleans was impacted by a terrorist attack. It’s all still under investigation,” Mayor LaToya Cantrell, a Democrat who has served in the role since 2018, said at the presser. 

On Thursday, the FBI responded to Fox Digital’s request for comment regarding criticisms surrounding Duncan’s initial assessment that the attack was not connected to terrorism, detailing to Fox Digital that, on the day of the attack, the FBI released three different statements that all said that the FBI was investigating the incident as an act of terrorism. 

THE 6 BIGGEST FBI SCANDALS UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

“This morning, an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others. The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased. The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism,” the FBI said in one of the statements provided to Fox Digital. 

Duncan also said in subsequent press conferences that the attack is being investigated as an act of terror. 

The FBI confirmed this week that the suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, had an ISIS flag in his truck at the time of the attack. The FBI added Thursday that Jabbar had been “inspired” by ISIS but that they have not found any evidence that he was directed by ISIS to carry out the rampage. 

Jabbar, a 42-year-old Army veteran from Texas, was killed after exchanging gunfire with police after plowing a truck through crowds of people. 

‘WHEN THEY FAIL, AMERICANS DIE’: TRUMP SOURCE BLASTS FBI, URGES SWIFT CONFIRMATION OF KASH PATEL AS DIRECTOR

Conservative lawmakers, Trump allies and voters have slammed the FBI for its handling of the investigation, including Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn, arguing that the FBI has put a heightened focus on DEI practices rather than fighting crime. 

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“The FBI has a no-fail mission. There is no room for error. When they fail, Americans die. It’s a necessity that Kash Patel gets confirmed ASAP,” a source close to President-elect Donald Trump added in criticism to Fox News Digital on Thursday morning.

FIRST ON FOX: Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray on Friday demanding answers regarding the top federal law enforcement agency’s “radical” DEI practices following the shocking New Year’s Day terrorist attack in New Orleans.

“While the facts surrounding this unconscionable attack continue to emerge, what we know is deeply troubling: the suspect was in possession of weapons, improvised explosive devices, and an ISIS flag. This horrific incident constitutes a blatant act of terror on the American homeland, and the people of our country deserve to know whether federal law enforcement agencies can sufficiently prevent and respond to such incidents,” Blackburn wrote in her letter to Wray on Friday, which was exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital. 

“To that end, I am deeply concerned that—under your leadership—the Bureau has prioritized Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives over its core mission of protecting the American people,” the Tennessee senator continued. 

Chaos broke out on New Orleans’s famed Bourbon Street just after 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day, when a truck plowed through crowds of revelers celebrating the holiday. At least 14 people were killed and 30 others injured. 

FLASHBACK: BIDEN DOWNPLAYS ISIS THREAT TO US, REPEATEDLY SAYS WHITE SUPREMACY ‘MOST LETHAL’ DANGER

The suspect, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a twice-divorced Army veteran from Texas, was armed with a Glock and a .308 rifle during the attack. He was killed after opening fire on police. 

After the attack unfolded on Wednesday morning, Blackburn took to social media to call for the confirmation of President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, and to admonish current leadership at the agency for allegedly putting a greater focus on DEI practices than “fighting criminals and terrorists.“

In her letter to Wray on Friday, Blackburn cited a recent report from a group of retired FBI agents who found “law enforcement and intelligence capabilities of the FBI are degrading because the FBI is no longer hiring ‘the best and the brightest’ candidates,” as well as the hiring of a Chief Diversity Officer at the FBI in 2021, as well as the New Orleans field office hosting a “Diversity Agent Recruiting Event” in July as evidence of the agency’s heightened focus on DEI. 

“Most recently, in a striking example of tone deafness, the New Orleans FBI Field office thought it important to brag on X about how many bracelets its agents had collected. Your decision to prioritize politics, pop culture, or almost anything else over your mission to protect the public has put Americans in harm’s way, and the January 1 terror attack was the inevitable consequence,” Blackburn wrote in her letter. 

THE 6 BIGGEST FBI SCANDALS UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION

“Put simply, your focus on woke DEI initiatives at the FBI has endangered our national security and the lives of all Americans. Americans now feel increasingly unsafe because of incidents like the January 1 terror attack, and the FBI’s prioritization of diversity over competence shows that their concerns are well founded. Fortunately, the American people have spoken, and President Trump will soon bring law and order back to our nation,” Blackburn continued. 

‘WHEN THEY FAIL, AMERICANS DIE’: TRUMP SOURCE BLASTS FBI, URGES SWIFT CONFIRMATION OF KASH PATEL AS DIRECTOR

The FBI took the lead on the case Wednesday, first landing in hot water with Trump allies and voters, including for initially reporting to the public that the attack was not an instance of terrorism.

“We’ll be taking over the investigative lead for this event. This is not a terrorist event,” said New Orleans field office FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alethea Duncan during a Wednesday morning press conference. 

During that same press conference, however, the Democratic mayor of New Orleans contradicted Duncan’s comment and minced no words in detailing that the city faced an act of terror. 

When asked about Duncan’s comment, the FBI directed Fox News Digital on Thursday to three press releases published the day before, detailing that the attack was being investigated as a terror incident. The press releases also detailed that an ISIS flag was found in the suspect’s truck. 

“This morning, an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others. The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased. The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism,” the FBI said in one of its three statements provided to Fox Digital. 

BIDEN BLASTED FOR CALLING ‘WHITE SUPREMACY’ ‘MOST DANGEROUS TERRORIST THREAT’ AT COLLEGE SPEECH: ‘PURE EVIL’

Blackburn continued in her letter to Wray with five questions surrounding the FBI’s DEI hiring practices, including: How many FBI employees have been hired based on the Bureau’s DEI initiatives; how the DEI initiatives are funded and if any of the FBI’s funds were reallocated to such initiatives; as well as how many individuals were hired during the New Orleans field office’s Diversity Agent Recruiting Event in July. 

NEW ORLEANS ATTACK: INVESTIGATION CONTINUES FOR POTENTIAL LINKS BETWEEN BOURBON STREET AND TRUMP HOTEL BOMBING

“Has the Bureau recently terminated the employment of any FBI agents who assist the FBI’s National Security Branch counterterrorism and intelligence components?” Blackburn asked in her final questions. “In the online posting about the July 17 event, FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Lyonel Myrthil is quoted as stating that “the diversity of our staff is the most valuable resource we have in . . . keeping Americans safe.” Do you agree with that statement?”

Wray announced that he would step down from the FBI at the end of President Biden’s term this month, after Trump nominated Kash Patel to the role. Wray was first nominated under the first Trump administration and was in the midst of a 10-year term that would not have ended until 2027. 

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“Until the President-Elect’s nominee to lead the FBI is confirmed, the American people deserve to know the full extent to which your radical DEI agenda has compromised our national security,” Blackburn wrote to Wray, calling on him to answer her questions by Jan. 10.

A strong majority of Americans believe that President-elect Donald Trump will control illegal immigration, as the president-elect eyes a historic mass deportation campaign and additional border security measures when he takes office this month.

A Gallup poll released Thursday found that 68% of Americans predict that Trump will control illegal immigration. Just 28% of those polled said he would not.

Trump made tackling illegal immigration the cornerstone of his presidential bid, as the country reeled from a historic migrant crisis at the southern border.

TRUMP SAYS HE’S NOT CHANGED HIS MIND ON H-1B VISAS AS DEBATE RAGES WITHIN MAGA COALITION

“We’re going to fix our borders. We’re going to fix everything about our country,” he said after winning the election in November.

Trump has promised to launch the “largest domestic deportation operation in American history.”

The former president has also promised to invoke the Alien Enemies Act to “remove all known or suspected Gang Members, drug dealers, or Cartel Members from the United States” and shift law enforcement to immigration enforcement. He has also promised to resume construction of a wall at the southern border. Construction started in his first administration but was largely stopped by the Biden administration.

Fox Digital has previously reported on plans to increase the use of ankle monitors among those unable to be detained and the possibility of expanding immigration detention near major metropolitan areas. Trump has appointed former acting ICE Director Tom Homan as border czar and nominated South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be the next Homeland Security secretary.

DEMS URGE BIDEN TO EXTEND CONTROVERSIAL IMMIGRANT PROGRAM; TRUMP SAYS HE’LL CUT IT 

Other issues which those polled believe Trump will find success with include reducing unemployment (60%), keeping the U.S. safe from terrorism (60%), improving the economy (58%) and keeping the country out of war (55%).

Majorities also believe that Trump will cut taxes, reduce the crime rate and “increase respect for the United States abroad.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS

Those polled were less convinced, however, that Trump will improve healthcare (40%), improve the environment (35%) and heal political divisions in the country (33%).

A Fox News Poll in December found that a majority of voters were excited about the incoming administration. At least half said they were hopeful (54%) or relieved (50%), and just under half feel excited (48%).

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The survey found the economy remains the most important issue (34%), with immigration and border security a distant second (21%). No other issue reached double digits, including abortion (7%), which was a top issue all year.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who unsuccessfully sought to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson from the speakership last year, said that she will vote on Friday for Johnson to retain the gavel.

Last year, the congresswoman lambasted Johnson as “the Uniparty Speaker,” asserting that he “is exactly what is wrong with the Republican establishment” and had “done nothing for conservatives and given everything to Joe Biden and Democrats.”

But she now plans to vote on Friday for Johnson to remain in the leadership post.

“Let’s put aside our pride, let’s put aside our egos, and let’s put aside the infighting,” she said in a video, adding that it is time for the GOP to join together and “do whatever it takes to make sure that we deliver the mandate that the American people told us to do.”

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Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who supported the effort to oust Johnson last year, has declared that he will not support the speaker’s bid to remain in the role.

“You can pull all my fingernails out, you can shove bamboo up in them, you can start cutting off my fingers, I am not voting for Mike Johnson tomorrow,” Massie declared during an appearance on “The Matt Gaetz Show.”

President-elect Donald Trump endorsed Johnson for the job earlier this week.

REP. VICTORIA SPARTZ DEMANDS ‘ASSURANCES’ SPEAKER JOHNSON ‘WON’T SELL US OUT TO THE SWAMP’ 

“Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement,” Trump declared in a Truth Social post.

Johnson’s path to victory is precarious, and could be derailed if another Republican opts to join Massie in opposing Johnson’s bid.

Fox News Senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram has explained, “The winning candidate must secure an outright majority of all Members voting for a candidate by name.”

MIKE JOHNSON’S SPEAKERSHIP TO BE PUT TO ANOTHER TEST IN 1ST VOTE OF NEW CONGRESS

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Pergram described a possible scenario in which just two Republicans could prevent Johnson from reaching the threshold necessary to win. 

“So let’s say there are 434 members and all vote for someone by name. The magic number is 218. If Johnson gets the votes of all 219 Republicans, he wins. If Johnson gets 218 votes, he also wins. But 217? No dice,” Pergram noted.

During an interview on Fox Business’ “Kudlow,” Johnson indicated that he believes he’ll win the gavel in the first round of voting and is “hopeful for that.”