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Year: 2024

‘Secure our border’: Massive police org calls on Trump, Rand Paul to swiftly confirm Noem to DHS

‘Secure our border’: Massive police org calls on Trump, Rand Paul to swiftly confirm Noem to DHS

First on Fox – The Fraternal Order of Police sent letters to both President-elect Trump and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., outlining their staunch support of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as secretary of homeland security, in what insiders say is the first in what will be a long list of law enforcement endorsements.  “Governor Noem has been a longtime ally of the FOP during both her tenure in the House of Representatives and as Governor of South Dakota. The South Dakota State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Governor Noem for her re-election campaign in 2022, citing her belief in the rule of law and commitment to public safety,” Fraternal Order of Police national president Patrick Yoes wrote in a November letter to Trump, which was obtained by Fox News Digital.  “Once confirmed, the FOP will work with Governor Noem to secure our border, stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States, as well as support all the critical missions of the DHS – which has more law enforcement officers than any other Federal Department – in defending our homeland and keeping the American public safe,” Yoes continued.  The FOP is the largest organization of sworn law enforcement officers, boasting roughly 377,000 members across the nation, with Yoes calling on both Trump and the Senate to swiftly confirm Noem in order for police and law enforcement officers to crack down on crimes ranging from illegal immigration to deadly fentanyl pouring over the border.  TRUMP SELECTS SOUTH DAKOTA GOV KRISTI NOEM TO RUN DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY The DHS oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. GOV KRISTI NOEM REFLECTS ON TRUMP WIN, SAYS DEMOCRATS ‘TRY TO PUT WOMEN IN A BOX’ In his separate letter to Paul, Yoes called on the upcoming chairman of the committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs – who will preside over Noem’s confirmation – to swiftly confirm Noem in the Senate, while arguing that under the Trump administration, DHS will be allowed “the opportunity to take bold actions towards protecting our communities.” “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employs more law enforcement than any other Federal department, and as such we ask the Committee to expeditiously review and confirm nominees as soon as possible to ensure a seamless transition. We especially encourage the committee to hold the earliest possible hearing on Governor Kristi L. Noem to be the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The FOP supports her nomination, and we look forward to working with her to secure our border,” Yoes wrote.  Paul has already publicly said he would “expeditiously move President Trump’s critical nominees, including Governor Kristi Noem, in time for Inauguration Day.” WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT KRISTI NOEM, THE ‘BORDER HAWK’ NOMINATED BY TRUMP TO LEAD DHS Washington, D.C., insiders told Fox News Digital that the FOP’s unwavering support of Noem is just the first in what is anticipated to be a long list of law enforcement support behind the nomination.  Trump, who ran in part on a platform of ending the immigration crisis at the southern border and cracking down on the deadly drug epidemic ravaging communities across the nation, announced his nomination of Noem just days after his massive win over Vice President Kamala Harris last month.  EX-TRUMP OFFICIAL PREDICTS ‘ENTIRE MINDSET CHANGE’ AT SOUTHERN BORDER, HAILS ‘FANTASTIC’ PICK TO LEAD DHS  “She was the first Governor to send National Guard Soldiers to help Texas fight the Biden Border Crisis, and they were sent a total of eight times,” Trump’s announcement on Nov. 12 read.  “She will work closely with ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan to secure the Border, and will guarantee that our American Homeland is secure from our adversaries,” Trump added.  Noem has served as governor of the Mount Rushmore State since 2019, and notably gained national attention and praise from conservatives during the pandemic when she bucked lockdown orders and mask mandates common in liberal states such as California and New York.  Republican state leaders and others praised Trump’s pick of Noem to lead DHS, citing her tough stance on illegal immigration that has rocked the nation since 2021, including Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott dubbing her a “border hawk.”  “On behalf of the more than 377,000 members of the Fraternal Order of Police, I commend you on your selection of Governor Noem to lead the DHS, and we look forward to resuming our partnership with you and your Administration,” Yoes wrote in his letters to both Trump and Paul. 

Pro-Trump impeachment Republican Sen Bill Cassidy targeted for ouster Freedom Caucus founding member

Pro-Trump impeachment Republican Sen Bill Cassidy targeted for ouster Freedom Caucus founding member

Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming announced a bid to unseat Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Republican who voted to convict following the House impeachment vote against former President Donald Trump in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Fleming, a former U.S. congressman, was one of the founders of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, according to a press release about his Senate bid. “Senator Cassidy has failed the people of Louisiana,” Fleming said, according to the press release.  “I will fight to bring real, conservative solutions to the U.S. Senate, I will not cut-and-run on these conservative principles, and I will stand and work with President Trump like I have many times before,” he declared. Fox News Digital attempted to request comment from the senator. LOUISIANA LAWMAKERS WEIGHING CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT WOULD SEND MORE JUVENILE OFFENDERS TO ADULT JAILS Fleming held posts in Trump’s prior administration. “I cannot fully express the deep sense of pride I have, having served President Trump in the West Wing of the White House as he was literally fighting for his political life against those who were attacking him and turning their backs on him,” Fleming noted, “but the opportunity to stand with him for the principles of America First is why I seek to serve the citizens of Louisiana in the United States Senate.” Trump endorsed Cassidy for re-election in 2020, before the lawmaker became one of the Senate Republicans who voted to convict after the House impeachment vote against Trump in early 2021. That Senate vote took place after Trump had already departed from office, and the number of senators who voted to convict failed to reach the threshold necessary for a conviction. CASSIDY INTRODUCES BILL TO STOP FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS FROM GOING TO HEALTHCARE FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS Trump lambasted Sen. Cassidy in posts on Truth Social earlier this year. “One of the worst Senators in the United States Senate is, without question, Bill Cassidy, A TOTAL FLAKE, Republican though he may be,” Trump declared on April 1. “Bill Cassidy is now shunned in his own State as a disloyal lightweight, and it’s a beautiful thing to watch,” Trump declared in another post. FEDERAL COURTS ARE DECLARING WAR ON AMERICAN OIL WORKERS: SEN. BILL CASSIDY Cassidy’s current U.S. Senate term ends in early 2027. Fleming previously ran unsuccessfully for Senate in 2016.

Iowa sues Biden administration to verify status of 2,000 registered voters who may be noncitizens

Iowa sues Biden administration to verify status of 2,000 registered voters who may be noncitizens

Iowa is suing the Biden administration over its alleged refusal to provide access to the citizenship status information of more than 2,000 registered voters whose status was questioned ahead of the 2024 election. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird and Secretary of State Paul Pate filed the lawsuit on Tuesday, which claims U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) “would not hand over” its “list of noncitizens illegally registered to vote in Iowa.” Federal authorities’ “failure meant that the State had to rely on the best — imperfect — data it had available to ensure that no Iowan’s vote was canceled by an illegal, noncitizen vote,” Pate and Bird said in a joint statement. Along with USCIS, the lawsuit names the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as defendants. IOWA REP. MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS BEATS DEM CHALLENGER IN STATE’S 1ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Fox News Digital reached out to DHS for comment but did not immediately hear back. The complaint details how state election officials checked voter rolls against a list of people who identified themselves as noncitizens with the state’s Department of Transportation. The vast majority of the 2,176 names had subsequently registered to vote or voted, meaning that some of those people could have become naturalized citizens in the lapsed time. Pate told county elections officials during the state’s early voting to challenge the ballots cast by any of the individuals named on the list and have them cast a provisional ballot instead. Pro-voting groups sued Pate over the move, though days later a judge ruled against them and allowed those named on Pate’s list to cast provisional ballots. MISSOURI LAW REQUIRING PHOTO ID TO VOTE REMAINS INTACT: ‘HUGE WIN FOR ELECTION SECURITY’ At least 500 of the identified individuals proved their citizenship status and had their votes counted, the Des Moines Register reported, citing preliminary information collected from 97 of the state’s 99 counties. Another 74 ballots were rejected, according to the Register, mostly because those people did not return to prove their citizenship status. Most of the people on Pate’s list did not vote in the 2024 election, according to the Register’s data from county auditors. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Former Dem congressman who lost by 109 votes in 2020 confirmed to lifetime judicial seat

Former Dem congressman who lost by 109 votes in 2020 confirmed to lifetime judicial seat

Anthony J. Brindisi, a former Democratic member of Congress who serves on the New York State Court of Claims in Utica, will serve as a judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. The Democratic-led U.S. Senate voted 50-49 in favor of Brindisi, who was tapped by President Joe Biden in July. He will succeed the nation’s oldest active district court judge, 87-year-old David Hurd. Brandisi is the first former member of Congress to join the federal bench in over two decades, overcoming Republican opposition to positions he took on legislation supporting immigrants and LGBTQ rights. He was the target of various lines of questioning in which he attempted to frame himself as a jurist rather than a politician.  FETTERMAN SAYS DEMS SHOULDN’T ‘FREAK OUT’ OVER EVERYTHING TRUMP DOES: ‘IT’S GOING TO BE 4 YEARS’ “On the bench, are you a politician or a judge?” Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn asked him during a hearing last month.  “I’m a judge, senator,” Brindisi responded.  Brandisi, 46, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018. He served one term. After losing his seat to Republican challenger Claudia Tenney in the 2020 election, he returned to his former law firm, Utica-based Brindisi, Murad & Brindisi Pearlman, before becoming a state court judge starting in 2022. TRUMP ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT TASK FORCE HOLDS FINAL HEARING; SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR TO TESTIFY President-elect Trump accused Democrats of attempting to “stack the Courts” with radical appointees and urged Republicans to “Show Up and Hold the Line.”  “No more Judges confirmed before Inauguration Day!” Trump posted on Truth Social. The last time a former member of Congress joined the bench was in 2002, when the Senate confirmed now-Senior U.S. District Judge Bill Martini in New Jersey after he earlier served as a Republican member of the House. Brindisi said the role of a judge was different from his past lawmaking work and that he wanted parties to feel he was a “fair and impartial judge,” Reuters reports.  FOX News’ Hayley Chi-Sing, Chris Pandolfo, Jake Gibosn, Kelly Phares, Julia Johnson and Reuters contributed to this report. 

Hunter Biden pardon will be ‘dark mark’ on Biden legacy: historian

Hunter Biden pardon will be ‘dark mark’ on Biden legacy: historian

President Biden’s decision to go back on his word and pardon his son will be a permanent stain on his legacy, a presidential historian said Thursday. Douglas Brinkley, a professor at Rice University argued to USA Today that there is “nothing positive” about Biden’s decision. The pardon has already drawn criticism from Republicans and even Biden’s allies in Congress. “The problem that President Biden has legacy-wise is he said he wouldn’t pardon his son,” Brinkley said. “He gave his word, crossed his heart, and then, alas, he ended up doing it. It will strike some people as unfair and other people will say it’s a father doing what he had to.” He added that the pardon will only serve to be a “dark mark” on Biden’s term moving forward. PRESIDENT BIDEN’S PARDON OF SON HUNTER A POLITICAL GIFT FOR TRUMP GOING FORWARD Brinkley also noted the trouble Hunter has caused for his father’s presidency since gaining office. Investigations into the first son have resounded through Congress and the media, providing a counterpoint to then-ongoing criminal investigations into President-elect Trump. SPECIAL COUNSEL, IRS WHISTLEBLOWERS SAY DON’T BUY BIDEN’S ‘SPIN’ ABOUT HUNTER BIDEN LEGAL SAGA “Hunter Biden’s been an albatross around his father’s neck for the entire presidency,” Brinkley said. Brinkley goes on to argue that Trump’s victory in November may have been the deciding factor, with Biden fearing that the incoming administration would target his son with more investigations. Nevertheless, the move won him no allies. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, typically a staunch ally of the president, said he was “disappointed” in the decision and that he “cannot support it.” Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., who chairs the Congressional Democratic Caucus, also said he was “disappointed” in the decision Wednesday. He went on to note that Biden had gone back on his word. Biden had vowed multiple times that he would not intervene in his son’s case, first in June when his son was convicted on three felony firearm charges, and then in September after Hunter pleaded guilty to federal charges of tax evasion. “I am not going to do anything,” Biden said this summer. “I will abide by the jury’s decision.”