‘Truly providential’: Trump made promise to Marc Fogel’s mother moments before Butler assassination attempt
President Donald Trump met with Marc Fogel’s mother on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania, and vowed to bring her son home if elected, just before an assassination attempt nearly took his life. Rep. Mark Kelly, R-Pa., was there for the meeting between Trump and Malphine Fogel before the president took the stage. “The president survived the assassination attempt on July 13 in Butler, and he fulfilled his commitment to Mrs. Fogel that he would get her son home,” Kelly told Fox News Digital. “It is an incredible, providential story.” MOTHER OF FREED AMERICAN HOSTAGE MARC FOGEL THANKS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: ‘HE KEPT HIS PROMISE’ During the rally, after his meeting with Fogel’s mother, Trump was showing off a chart highlighting how illegal immigration skyrocketed under the Biden-Harris administration. As he turned toward the chart, he was hit by a bullet that pierced the upper part of his right ear by the now-deceased would-be-assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks. Trump credits the chart for saving his life. Kelly likened the situation to the classic movie “It’s a Wonderful Life.” “The theme of the movie was that George Bailey was very frustrated, but he was given a glimpse of life and what would have happened if he hadn’t been there – if he hadn’t been born,” Kelly recalled. “And if I go back to July 13, this is all providential.” “Mrs. Fogel has a chance to talk to the president, and she talks about what is happening to Marc. The president vows to get him home,” Kelly continued. “It is a take-off of ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ and the opportunity, or the dilemma, that if you were never born, what would the consequences have been?” “If President Trump did not survive the assassination attempt on July 13, Marc Fogel wouldn’t be home today,” Kelly said. Fogel, an American teacher from Western Pennsylvania, returned to the United States late Tuesday, after Trump secured his release. Fogel was arrested in 2021 at an airport in Russia for possession of medical marijuana and was sentenced to 14 years in a Russian prison. AMERICAN MARC FOGEL RELEASED FROM RUSSIAN CUSTODY Kelly told Fox News Digital that “it is all about faith.” “Having been there and witnessed it, I think to myself, ‘Oh my goodness, that tiny fraction of an inch, or whatever it was, is the difference between Marc Fogel being home and Marc Fogel not being home,’” he said. “Between making a promise to his mother and being able to keep it, as opposed to making a promise and never getting a chance to fulfill it.” Malphine Fogel recalled the Butler meeting with Trump on Fox News Channel’s “America Newsroom.” “I met with President Trump, and he was just as cordial as he could be,” she said. “He told me three different times, ‘If I get in,’ he said, ‘I’ll get him out’ and I really think he’s been instrumental.” Malphine Fogel told Fox News that “it was a total surprise” when she heard from her son from the Moscow airport. “So, that meant that (they) had taken him out of the prison to Moscow…. The last week or so, for some crazy reason, I had a better feeling about things, but I hadn’t heard from him in a week, so I thought that was odd and when he called… it was just a total shock,” she said. Meanwhile, Kelly told Fox News Digital, “There is a certain time in people’s lives where you realize you don’t have forever, you have right now, and you need to get it done.” “Politically, there is no one on either side of the aisle that could look at what happened with Marc Fogel and not somehow say, this is truly providential – this is not a political move,” Kelly said. “This doesn’t do anything for the president. He’s already elected. He did this to keep a promise to a mother in her mid 90s – the only thing she wanted to see before she died was her son one more time.” Kelly added: “This is a promise made. Promise kept. It is truly providential. It is. It is a wonderful life.”
Europe must invoke ‘snapback’ sanctions on Iran, US lawmakers say, as Trump resumes ‘maximum pressure’
FIRST ON FOX: Europe must reinstate harsh United Nations sanctions on Iran, U.S. lawmakers insisted in a new resolution that accused Tehran of repeated violations of the 2015 nuclear deal brokered by the Obama administration. The bipartisan legislation calls on the U.K., France and Germany to invoke “snapback” sanctions on Iran through the UN Security Council immediately – and follow the U.S.’s lead under President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” executive order to isolate Iran over its nuclear activity. “Iran is the leading state sponsor of terrorism, and their actions have led to the murder of American servicemembers,” said Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., the number two Republican on Senate Foreign Relations Committee and lead sponsor of the bill, which has 11 cosponsors in the Senate. “Iran’s possession of a nuclear weapon would threaten our security and the security of our allies. Snapback sanctions are key to ensuring that President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign is successful.” IRAN’S COVERT NUCLEAR AGENCY FOUND OPERATING OUT OF TOP SPACE PROGRAM LAUNCH SITES Reps. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., issued companion legislation in the House. Under the 2015 Iran deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran evaded U.N., U.S. and E.U. sanctions in exchange for promises not to pursue a nuclear weapon. But Iran eventually cut off independent inspectors’ access to its sites and resumed nuclear activities. A “snapback” provision of the agreement said that any of the nations privy to the deal – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, U.S. or Germany – could demand the export controls, travel bans and asset freezes be reimposed. But the U.S. pulled out of the nuclear deal entirely under President Donald Trump’s first administration and imposed its own “maximum pressure” sanctions regime. The Biden administration subsequently issued sanctions waivers and toyed with the idea of returning to a nuclear deal with Iran, but ultimately those efforts faltered. Tenney urged the European nations to invoke the snapback sanctions before the deal expires in October 2025. “Invoking snapback sanctions will restore all the UN sanctions on Iran that were lifted by the Obama administration’s failed Iran nuclear deal,” she said. Iran is “dramatically” accelerating enrichment of uranium to up to 60% purity, below the 90% needed for a nuclear weapon, according to U.N. nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi. Western states have said there is no civilian use for 60% uranium. TRUMP REINSTATES ‘MAXIMUM PRESSURE’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST IRAN Britain, France and Germany told the U.N. Security Council in December they were ready to trigger the snapback of all international sanctions on Iran if necessary. Trump himself said he was “torn” over a recent executive order that triggered harsh sanctions on Iran’s oil sector, adding that he was “unhappy to do it.” “Hopefully, we’re not going to have to use it very much,” Trump told reporters. But he reiterated, “We’re not going to let them get a nuclear weapon.” Trump suggested first trying a “verified nuclear peace agreement” over military escalation. “I would much rather do a deal that’s not gonna hurt them,” the president told Fox News on Monday, adding that “I’d love to make a deal with them without bombing them.” Iran viewed the president’s remarks as a threat and took negotiations off the table. ”No problem will be solved by negotiating with America,” said Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khameni, citing past “experience.” He called for the country to further develop its military capabilities. “We cannot be satisfied,” Khamenei said. “Say that we previously set a limit for the accuracy of our missiles, but we now feel this limit is no longer enough. We have to go forward.” “Today, our defensive power is well known, our enemies are afraid of this. This is very important for our country,” he said.
Texas House committee assignments extend power of experienced GOP leaders
Republicans chair all committees, as promised, while Democrats will lead half of the newly created subcommittees.
U.S. claims migrants held at Guantanamo are “worst of the worst.” Their families say otherwise.
The Trump administration has flown about 100 immigrants from El Paso to Guantanamo Bay. ProPublica and The Texas Tribune identified nearly a dozen of them and spoke to relatives of three of them.
Trump’s nominee for small business chief primed for final vote after clearing procedural hurdle
President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Small Business Administration, former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, passed a key procedural vote in the Senate on Thursday, clearing the path for her final confirmation vote. The Senate’s vote this afternoon to invoke cloture ended the debate on the Georgia Republican’s nomination, as she now moves on to the confirmation stage. The final cloture vote was 51-43 in favor of invoking cloture. “Like President Trump, Senator Loeffler left behind a successful career in the private sector to advance the America First agenda,” Loeffler spokeswoman Caitlin O’Dea told Fox News on Jan. 28. TRUMP’S COMMERCE NOMINEE PASSES KEY HURDLE “Should she be confirmed, she will continue the practice of donating her federal salary to charities and nonprofits across the country — and put her full focus on working to make the Small Business Administration a gateway to the American Dream for entrepreneurs across the country.” Loeffler, whose net worth is estimated at roughly $1 billion, previously donated her annual Senate salary of $174,000 between 2019 and 2021 to more than 40 Georgia charities and nonprofits. Those organizations included food banks, faith groups and organizations opposed to abortion, foster care/adoption groups as well as organizations promoting health care, agriculture, education, law enforcement and disaster relief. Loeffler previously worked at several top financial firms, including Intercontinental Exchange. Her husband, Jeffrey Sprecher, whom she met at ICE, is the current chairman of the New York Stock Exchange. Loeffler also previously bought a minority stake in the WNBA Atlanta Dream, but is reportedly no longer associated with the team. Loeffler also sparred with Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass, during her confirmation hearing over the Trump administration’s announcement that it would freeze federal funds and grants. TRUMP LANDS KEY TULSI GABBARD CONFIRMATION FOLLOWING UPHILL SENATE BATTLE After Trump fired SBA inspector general Hannibal Ware in January, Markey — the top Democrat on the Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee – expressed anger and called for a pause on Loeffler’s confirmation consideration. Markey said the process should be halted “either until Inspector General Ware is reinstated or until a qualified and impartial nominee to replace him is confirmed by the Senate.” Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, the committee’s chairwoman, called Loeffler the “perfect person for the job” in an Osceola Sentinel-Tribune column. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Throughout her career, she rose through the ranks at multiple companies due to her determination and grit. She also started many businesses and knows what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur,” said Ernst. “Most importantly, she knows what it means to be overrun by Washington’s bureaucratic overreach — and that the government must instead get out of the way so businesses can thrive.” Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Deidre Heavey contributed to this report
There will be another open Democratic Senate seat in 2026 midterms
Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota announced Thursday she won’t seek re-election in 2026, forcing the Democratic Party to defend another open seat in next year’s midterm and making more difficult their goal of regaining the Senate majority. “I’ve decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 2026,” Smith said in a social media post. “This job has been the honor of a lifetime. For the rest of my term, I’ll work as hard as I can for Minnesotans and our country. Thank you so much, Minnesota.” Smith was appointed to the Senate in 2018 to succeed former Sen. Al Franken after his resignation over sexual misconduct allegations. She won a special election later that year to serve out Franken’s term and was re-elected in 2020 to a full six-year term. TOP POLITICAL HANDICAPPER REVEALS DEMOCRATS CHANCES OF WINNING BACK THE SENATE MAJORITY Senate Republicans vowed to try and flip Smith’s seat in blue-leaning Minnesota. “Minnesota is in play, and we play to win. Minnesotans deserve a senator who will fight for lower taxes, economic opportunity and safer communities,” National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Sen. Tim Scott said in a statement to Fox News. But the Senate Democrats’ campaign arm quickly pledged to keep the seat in party hands. FIRST ON FOX: SENATE GOP CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHTS ‘TEAM EFFORT’ “No Republican has won a Minnesota Senate race in over 20 years, and Democrats will continue to hold this seat in 2026,” Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) spokesperson David Bergstein emphasized in a statement to Fox News. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, the top Democrat in the chamber, praised Smith as “a remarkable senator — smart, compassionate, and tireless in her commitment to Minnesota and the country.” “While I will deeply miss her leadership and friendship in the Senate, I have no doubt that her legacy of service will continue to inspire. We have a strong bench in Minnesota, and I’m confident that we’ll keep her seat blue,” Schumer predicted. Smith became the second Democrat in the Senate to announce she would forgo running for re-election in the midterms, following Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan, a key Midwestern battleground state. SENATE REPUBLICANS JUMP OUT TO FAST START IN THIS KEY CAMPAIGN METRIC Senate Republicans enjoyed a favorable map in the 2024 cycle as they flipped four seats from blue to red and won a 53-47 majority in the chamber. The party in power – which is clearly the Republicans right now – traditionally faces political headwinds in the midterm elections. And while an early read of the 2026 map shows the GOP will be forced to play defense in some states, they’ll also go on offense in others. Besides the open seat in Michigan, the GOP will target first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff in battleground Georgia and longtime Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in swing state New Hampshire. Now the Democrats will have to pay attention to Minnesota, which the Cook Report, a top nonpartisan political handicapper, this week rated as “Likely Democrat,” as it unveiled its first read on the battle for the Senate majority in the 2026 cycle. However, Democrats aim to go on offense in blue-leaning Maine, where GOP Sen. Susan Collins is up for re-election, as well as in battleground North Carolina, where Republican Sen. Thom Tillis is also up in 2026. TRUMP-BACKED 2024 GOP SENATE NOMINEE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND STATE MOVING TOWARD ANOTHER RUN IN 2026 Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who served as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate on the Democrats’ 2024 national ticket, took to social media soon after Smith’s news. “Tina has always done the work to improve people’s lives: lowering the price of insulin, improving access to mental health services, passing historic climate legislation, and our party’s champion for reproductive freedom. Minnesotans will miss having her in the Senate,” Walz wrote. There is speculation Walz, who is eligible to run for re-election in 2026 for a third four-year term as Minnesota governor, may now have an interest in his state’s open Senate seat. Smith, in a video announcement she posted on social media, noted that Democrats “have a deep bench of political talent in Minnesota. A group of leaders that are more than ready to pick up the work and carry it forward. And I’m excited to make room for them to move forward.” Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan moved toward launching a campaign, saying in a social media post, “I love Minnesota, and my intention is to run for United States Senate and continue to serve the people of this state. I’ll make a formal announcement later this month.” There’s also speculation that Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a member of the so-called Squad, may make a move to run for the Senate. Fox News’ Julia Johnson and Chad Pergram contributed to this report
Domestic violence is up in Texas. Survivors and supporters hope lawmakers will take action.
Reported domestic violence incidents have risen 26% since 2019.
Texas could sell 100 miles of border to feds, DPS has same powers as ICE, Abbott says
Abbott is in Washington this week to lobby Congress for $11 billion to compensate Texas for money spent on his Operation Lone Star, to secure the border during the Biden Administration.
Trump temporarily thwarted in DOGE mission to end USAID
A D.C. federal judge sided with USAID workers Thursday, granting their request to extend a restraining order that prevents the Trump administration from effectively shutting down the foreign aid agency. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, said he would extend by one week the temporary restraining order, with plans to issue a final decision on a request to block President Donald Trump’s action on Feb. 21. His new order instructs the government to reinstate any USAID employees put on administrative leave and forbids the Trump administration from implementing any new administrative leave on USAID employees. The hearing Thursday centered on the level of “irreparable harm” alleged against Trump’s executive action in court. Nichols asked plaintiff’s attorneys detailed questions about the impact of a stop work order that placed virtually every USAID employee on leave. LAWSUIT TRACKER: NEW RESISTANCE BATTLING TRUMP’S SECOND TERM THROUGH ONSLAUGHT OF LAWSUITS TAKING AIM AT EOS Karla Gilbride, representing the American Foreign Service Association and the American Federation of Government Employees, told the judge that USAID employees had suffered harm both due to their own safety concerns and concerns for their well-being. “These are not a few isolated incidents, this is an unprecedented dismantling of a congressionally created agency,” she said. Plaintiffs “are being harmed by actions that are unconstitutional… This is a coordinated and unconstitutional effort to dismantle the agency.” Meanwhile, the Justice Department attorney, Eric Hamilton told Nichols that the USAID grievances are a matter of “personnel nature,” arguing that they should be handled via the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals process, rather than the federal court system. HOUSE COMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON ‘THE USAID BETRAYAL’ Hamilton also pushed back on the claims of “irreparable harm,” telling Nichols that the government is “committed to their safety.” “98% of those placed on administrative leave were in the US and the remaining were in developed nations like the UK,” Hamilton said. He pointed to a Wednesday night ruling from U.S. District Judge George O’Toole in Massachusetts allowing the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program – colloquially known as the “fork in the road” resignation offer – to stand, arguing that this action is similar. Last week, Nichols granted a request from U.S. Agency for International Development employees to temporarily block the Trump administration’s order, which would have placed some 2,200 USAID employees on leave as of last Friday, and given all employees living abroad just 30 days to return to U.S. soil at government expense. The order also temporarily reinstated some 500 employees that had been placed on administrative leave by Trump. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Nichols said in his decision last week that, barring court intervention, the abrupt order would cause “irreparable harm” to employees affected by the withdrawal orders. He had paused the Trump administration’s plans through Friday, Feb. 14, which Nichols said would allow for “expedited” arguments to help the court determine the legality of the actions.
Bipartisan letter warns Gabbard new UK order for backdoor Apple data could jeopardize Americans
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., penned a letter to newly sworn-in Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, warning that the United Kingdom’s reported new order demanding backdoor Apple data jeopardizes Americans. The letter, obtained by Fox News Digital, referenced recent press reports that the U.K.’s home secretary “served Apple with a secret order last month, directing the company to weaken the security of its iCloud backup service to facilitate government spying.” The directive reportedly requires the company to weaken the encryption of its iCloud backup service, giving the U.K. government the “blanket capability” to access customers’ encrypted files. Reports further state that the order was issued under the U.K.’s Investigatory Powers Act 2016, commonly known as the “Snoopers’ Charter,” which does not require a judge’s approval. “Apple is reportedly gagged from acknowledging that it received such an order, and the company faces criminal penalties that prevent it from even confirming to the U.S. Congress the accuracy of these press reports,” Wyden and Biggs note. TULSI GABBARD SWORN IN AT WHITE HOUSE HOURS AFTER SENATE CONFIRMATION The United Kingdom has been increasingly cracking down on British citizens for opposition commentary, especially online posts and memes opposing mass migration. As riots broke out in the U.K. last August after a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event left three girls dead and others wounded, London’s Metropolitan Police chief warned that officials could also extradite and jail U.S. citizens for online posts about the unrest. The letter, however, described the threat of China, Russia and other adversaries spying on Americans. Wyden, who sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee, and Biggs, who chairs a House Judiciary subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, asked Gabbard to “act decisively to protect the security of Americans’ communications from dangerous, shortsighted efforts by the United Kingdom (U.K.) that will undermine Americans’ privacy rights and expose them to espionage by China, Russia and other adversaries.” The Washington Post was among the outlets to report about the U.K. order. “These reported actions seriously threaten the privacy and security of both the American people and the U.S. government,” Wyden and Biggs wrote. “Apple does not make different versions of its encryption software for each market; Apple customers in the U.K. use the same software as Americans. If Apple is forced to build a backdoor in its products, that backdoor will end up in Americans’ phones, tablets, and computers, undermining the security of Americans’ data, as well as of the countless federal, state and local government agencies that entrust sensitive data to Apple products.” The letter also references a Chinese hacking operation known as “Salt Typhoon.” Last year, the Biden White House admitted the Chinese hacked at least nine U.S. telecommunications companies. “The Salt Typhoon hack of U.S. telephone carriers’ wiretapping systems last year – in which President Trump and Vice President Vance’s calls were tapped by China – provides a perfect example of the dangers of surveillance backdoors,” the letter says. “They will inevitably be compromised by sophisticated foreign adversaries and exploited in ways harmful to U.S. national security. As the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the FBI confirmed last November, People’s Republic of China (PRC)-affiliated actors were involved in ‘copying of certain information that was subject to U.S. law enforcement requests pursuant to court orders.’” TRUMP LANDS KEY TULSI GABBARD CONFIRMATION FOLLOWING UPHILL SENATE BATTLE “While the U.K has been a trusted ally, the U.S. government must not permit what is effectively a foreign cyberattack waged through political means. If the U.K. does not immediately reverse this dangerous effort, we urge you to reevaluate U.S.-U.K. cybersecurity arrangements and programs as well as U.S. intelligence sharing with the U.K.,” the letter says. Citing a December 2023 report by the U.K. Parliament’s intelligence oversight committee, the letter states that the U.K. benefits greatly from a “mutual presumption towards unrestricted sharing of [Signals Intelligence]” between the U.S. and U.K. and that “[t]he weight of advantage in the partnership with the [National Security Agency] is overwhelmingly in [the U.K.’s] favour.” “The bilateral U.S.-U.K. relationship must be built on trust. If the U.K. is secretly undermining one of the foundations of U.S. cybersecurity, that trust has been profoundly breached,” Wyden and Biggs wrote. At her confirmation hearing, Gabbard stated that “backdoors lead down a dangerous path that can undermine Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights and civil liberties.” In written responses to senators’ questions, she also said, “mandating mechanisms to bypass encryption or privacy technologies undermines user security, privacy, and trust and poses significant risks of exploitation by malicious actors.” “We urge you to put those words into action by giving the U.K. an ultimatum: back down from this dangerous attack on U.S. cybersecurity, or face serious consequences,” Wyden and Biggs wrote. The letter asks Gabbard specifically whether the Trump administration was made aware of the reported order, either by the U.K. or Apple, prior to the press reports and, if so, when and by whom. They also ask what the Trump administration’s understanding is of U.K. law “and the bilateral CLOUD Act agreement with regard to an exception to gag orders for notice to the U.S. government.” Wyden and Biggs asked what the Trump administration’s understanding is “of its obligation to inform Congress and the American public about foreign government demands for U.S. companies to weaken the security of their products, pursuant to the CLOUD Act?” The letter asked that unclassified answers be provided by March 3. Fox News Digital reached out to Apple and the White House regarding the letter, but neither immediately responded.