Iconic DC landmark unveils first Christmas tree as part of push to revive holiday spirit
FIRST ON FOX: The Kennedy Center will unveil its first-ever Christmas tree and lighting ceremony in December as the iconic cultural landmark under the Trump administration continues promoting Christmas-centered events and performances, Fox News Digital learned. The Kennedy Center, which serves as the national cultural center of the U.S. and located along the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., will unveil what officials say is its first ever Christmas tree with a lighting ceremony Dec. 17. “The Kennedy Center’s inaugural Christmas Tree Lighting is a milestone for America’s cultural center, one of Washington’s premier holiday attractions,” Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations, told Fox News Digital. “We are grateful to partner with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service to showcase a beautiful red spruce from the highest peaks of the Southern Appalachians and create new traditions for families and visitors this holiday season.” FOX NATION PATRIOT AWARDS TROPHIES FORGED FROM AMERICAN HISTORY WITH NAILS FROM GEORGE WASHINGTON’S CHURCH The tree is a towering 18-foot red spruce donated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and harvested from the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests in southern Virginia’s Appalachian Mountains. The tree lightening ceremony invites families and other visitors to take part in the event, which will include Christmas entertainment and remarks from Kennedy Center leadership and special guests, Fox News Digital learned. “The ceremony will mark a historic moment for America’s cultural center as it establishes a new holiday tradition in the nation’s capital,” the Kennedy Center said of the tree lighting ceremony in a press release provided to Fox News Digital. The Kennedy Center has long held Christmas events, but has come under fire from President Donald Trump and the administration for previously hosting left-wing performances, such as drag shows, at the venue at other times in the calendar year. This year’s schedule boasts a handful of Christmas events, including those focused on the birth of Jesus and other religious events, such as a Christmas concert including a live nativity. WHITE HOUSE OPENS SOUTH LAWN TO TRICK-OR-TREATERS FOR HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION WITH TRUMPS “We are proud to present a meaningful, faith-filled experience for families to immerse themselves in the Christmas story at America’s cultural center,” Daravi told The Christian Post of the upcoming Christmas show. “Tis the season to create cherished memories and celebrate the sacred alongside the festive.” Kennedy Center President and Ambassador Richard Grenell said early in his term as the cultural center’s chief that the center would promote traditional and Christ-focused holiday events. NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TO OPEN ALL OF ITS KENNEDY CENTER SHOWS WITH THE NATIONAL ANTHEM Grenell told Fox News Digital in February of this year that he would help usher in the “Golden Age of the Arts” with a stack of performances that attract visitors as the Kennedy Center faces a persistent uphill battle to become profitable amid years of running in the red. “How crazy is it to think that we’re going to celebrate Christ at Christmas with a big traditional production, to celebrate what we are all celebrating in the world during Christmastime, which is the birth of Christ?” Grenell said back in February while speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
China’s energy siege of Taiwan could cripple US supply chains, report warns
Instead of waging a bloody battle that could ignite a clash between nuclear-armed states, China may be betting it can conquer Taiwan without firing a shot — by choking off the island’s fuel and electricity until its government capitulates. China’s campaign wouldn’t start with missiles but with paperwork and patrol boats — “routine” inspections, new customs rules and cyber intrusions designed to quietly strangle Taiwan’s imports while giving Beijing plausible deniability, according to a new report by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). The report warns that a successful Chinese squeeze on Taiwan’s fuel would ripple far beyond Asia. With the island producing most of the world’s advanced semiconductors, any prolonged power outage could halt global electronics and defense manufacturing — hitting U.S. supply chains and markets almost immediately. “Beijing’s goal isn’t to invade today, but to make Taiwan believe resistance is futile tomorrow. Its gray-zone campaign is a strategy of slow-motion strangulation — one that risks a sudden shock as Chinese ships and aircraft surge around the island,” report author Craig Singleton said. TAIWAN’S ENERGY DEPENDENCE IS ‘ACHILLES HEEL’ AMID IMMENSE THREAT BY CHINA The findings stem from a tabletop exercise conducted this summer by FDD and Taiwan’s Centre for Innovative Democracy and Sustainability at National Chengchi University. The simulation, called “Energy Siege,” tested how the Chinese Communist Party might escalate from bureaucratic interference to a full-blown energy quarantine. Teams representing China, Taiwan, the United States, Japan and other allies wargamed a monthslong campaign in which Beijing throttled Taiwan’s fuel imports through “gray-zone” tactics — administrative slowdowns, cyberattacks and disinformation — all while maintaining plausible deniability. The exercise found that a prolonged squeeze on Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) could cripple its electrical grid within weeks and trigger a global chip shock. The report warns that cyber operations and propaganda would be central to Beijing’s playbook. Chinese hackers have already doubled successful intrusions into Taiwan’s energy grid over the past year, and the exercise envisioned them embedding malware in LNG terminals and power-plant control systems to disrupt shipments and distribution. At the same time, Beijing would unleash a barrage of false narratives — rumors of blackouts, fuel hoarding and government incompetence — to erode public trust and fracture morale. “For Beijing, disinformation is not a sideshow but its primary weapon,” the report notes, describing a campaign designed to “control the narrative and sap its adversaries’ will.” HIGH STAKES ON THE HIGH SEAS AS US, CHINA TEST LIMITS OF MILITARY POWER Taiwan imports nearly all of its energy — half from natural gas and about 30% from coal — and holds only “a few weeks’ worth” of reserves. “Taiwan’s three main LNG terminals and the Taichung coal offloading port are clustered along the island’s west coast, within range of the CCP’s missiles as shipments are funneled through narrow Taiwan Strait lanes,” the report adds. That dependency makes Taiwan one of the world’s most energy-insecure economies. A blockade or “energy quarantine” could cut the island’s power generation in half within weeks — forcing leaders to decide whether to keep the lights on for hospitals or for chipmakers like TSMC and UMC, Singleton and co-author Mark Montgomery write. “Coercion, not combat, is Beijing’s preferred weapon,” Singleton said, adding that such a blockade would have “ripple effects that would reshape global markets and stability alike.” The report also calls for the United States to expand its own LNG export capacity — particularly through new projects in Alaska — to ensure it can supply Taiwan directly and make U.S. energy a core element of the island’s resilience. Taiwan produces around 60% of global semiconductor chips and 90% of the world’s most advanced chips, though TSMC is building a facility in Arizona to help offset that imbalance. “The choice to slowly shutter industrial capacity would eventually make Taiwan’s conundrum a global catastrophe when a plurality of the world’s supply of legacy chips and a supermajority of its advanced chips cease flowing,” the report says. The authors argue that Taiwan should build up its LNG reserves through greater U.S. supply and for the U.S. Navy to be ready to escort vessels delivering it. “Beijing believes pressure plus patience equals political collapse,” Montgomery said. “What unnerves China isn’t Taiwan’s defiance, but its people’s ability to withstand coercion.” Beijing’s information strategy, the report adds, would aim to quietly turn Taiwan’s population against its own government and allies — amplifying stories questioning President Lai Ching-te’s competence, spreading rumors of military fuel hoarding and blackouts, and circulating claims that the U.S., Japan and Australia would hesitate to intervene. China’s propaganda campaign could also reach the American public, the authors warn, through efforts to “seed questions across U.S. online ecosystems designed to wear down the American public’s commitment to continued convoy operations.” For now, the contest remains theoretical. But as China builds the tools to choke Taiwan’s energy supply and shape its narrative abroad, the line between peace and pressure is narrowing. The exercise suggests the first shot in the next Taiwan crisis may not be fired at all.
Shutdown chaos reignites debate over privatizing US air traffic control
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history delayed thousands of flights just weeks before the heavily traveled holiday season, reigniting debate over whether to privatize the U.S. air traffic control system, which proponents argue would shield the industry from future shutdown concerns. Calls to privatize air traffic control have lingered on the edges of aviation policy for decades, often flaring during outages or government shutdowns that lead to lengthy delays for travelers. Air traffic controllers in the U.S. are overwhelmingly employees of the government’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which is charged with overseeing civil aviation safety, including airport operations and certifications for personnel and aircraft. Fox News Digital spoke with Diana Furchtgott-Roth, an economist and former assistant secretary for research and technology in the Department of Transportation under the first Trump administration, who has long advocated for the privatization of the FAA’s air traffic control system, telling Fox News Digital there are “no downsides to privatizing.” “Privatization would enable more funds to flow into air traffic control,” Furchtgott-Roth, who serves as director of the Center for Energy, Climate and Environment at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, told Fox News Digital. “Right now the (air traffic control system) depends on Congress for funds. The delays started because the air traffic controllers were not getting paid. If it were private, then payments would not be disrupted by shutdowns. Also, more money would flow in as more people used air travel, just as when more people want to eat out, more restaurants open.” AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS ISSUE DESPERATE PLEA AS FAMILIES STRUGGLE WITHOUT PAYCHECKS Nations around the globe have privatized and corporatized versions of their own air traffic control systems — many of which are government-owned corporations or nonprofit entities that don’t rely on taxpayer funds for operations. Proponents of privatization frequently point to Canada as an example to replicate. Unions and U.S. lawmakers, however, have opposed previous moves to privatize while underscoring that the U.S. has the largest and most complex air traffic control network in the world, and that disturbing an already well-established machine would risk airline safety and shift power to airlines and private interests. Canada’s government oversaw its air-traffic services until 1996, when Nav Canada was launched and implemented. Nav Canada is a not-for-profit, self-financed corporation that relies on fees charged to users for funding. Proponents of privatization in the U.S. frequently point to Canada’s success in freeing air travel from its reliance on public funds, and its ability to quickly modernize air traffic control’s dated infrastructure as evidence to carry out a similar overhaul below the northern border. FLIGHT DELAYS WORSEN AS UNPAID AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS FEEL GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN PAIN Nav Canada is governed by a 15-member board that includes leaders from across the spectrum as it relates to aviation, including, “the Government of Canada, commercial air carriers, the general aviation sector and unionized air navigation service employees,” according to its website. Furchtgott-Roth said that if the U.S. were to privatize, it would operate similarly to Canada’s system, including relying on funds from user fees to operate — not federal funds. “Despite America being a bastion of capitalism, we are the only major Western country with a government ATC,” she said. She lamented that the current U.S. system’s main inefficiency is due to it being government-run, arguing the U.S. is dragging behind other Western nations. “There could be multiple ATC providers as long as they met government performance standards,” Furchtgott-Roth added of how a new private system in the U.S. could function. “There is concern about safety, but no one worries about flying to London because of a private ATC.” Debate over privatizing the FAA and air traffic control cropped up earlier in 2025 after a devastating plane crash in January over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. The collision killed 64 passengers and crew members on American Airlines flight 5342 and three crew on a Black Hawk Army helicopter. The crash unfolded just days after Trump was sworn in as the 47th president, and reignited criticism of the FAA and aviation industry that already had been rocked by air traffic staffing shortages and flight delays under the Biden administration. Trump has signed a series of executive orders and actions since January targeting the aviation industry and FAA, including ordering the agency to remove any diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for its hiring practices while arguing the Biden administration prioritized diversity over merit. FLIGHT REDUCTIONS LIKELY TO CONTINUE — OR WORSEN — IF SHUTDOWN PERSISTS, EXPERTS WARN Under Trump’s first term, he announced plans to privatize the air traffic control system by removing it from the FAA’s purview and designating control to a private corporation. The plan to privatize air traffic controllers failed in Congress, however. Unions and lawmakers under the first Trump administration pushed back against the proposal to privatize, arguing that the U.S.’ air traffic control is deeply complex and massive compared to other countries, and that privatizing would risk efforts to modernize the system and would expose air travel to uncertainties as it related to private funding. Democratic lawmakers uniformly opposed the bill, while some Republicans also backed away from supporting the measure out of concern that a private entity could favor larger airports, affecting rural and small airports. “Establishing a private ATC board outside the purview of Congress with the unilateral power to collect fees and distribute service would threaten safety, accessibility, affordability and pilot generation — which is already in a critical state,” a group of five GOP senators wrote at the time opposing the measure. “Without proper and public oversight, this threat would be most readily felt in rural communities and the general aviation industry, which could experience reduction in ATC service.” AMERICANS COULD FACE AIRPORT CHAOS IF DEMS DON’T END SHUTDOWN, TRUMP OFFICIAL WARNS Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also has pushed back against privatizing the agency, telling the media in August that such plans were not on the table. “I could spend my time the next three
Majority of Democrats say ‘extremist political rhetoric’ contributed to Charlie Kirk assassination: poll
A majority of Democrats, Independents and Republicans agree that “extremist political rhetoric” contributed to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, according to a new poll. The survey from NBC News found that 54% of Democrats agree that extreme rhetoric from “some in the media and by political leaders” was a major factor in Kirk’s killing. An overwhelming majority of Republicans, 73%, expressed the same sentiment, while 53% of Independents agreed. Across all respondents, 61% of Americans said they believe rhetoric contributed to Kirk’s death. Meanwhile, 28% said they believed Kirk’s killing was caused more by the lone actions of a disturbed individual than the broader political climate. Another 4% said it was a combination of the two. EXPERTS WARN LEFTIST CELEBRATIONS OF CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH SIGNAL A DANGEROUS MAINSTREAM SHIFT IN POLITICS The poll marks the first time in 15 years of NBC News polling that majorities of all major American political groups agree that extreme rhetoric was a major factor in causing a violent incident. Polls going back to the 2011 shooting of former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., show a steady rise in Americans blaming political rhetoric for violence, rather than just a lone individual. In Giffords’ case, 71% of respondents blamed the lone attacker, while 24% blamed rhetoric. By the time of President Donald Trump‘s second assassination attempt, however, 37% blamed the attacker and 54% blamed rhetoric. FOLLOWING KIRK’S ASSASSINATION, LAWMAKERS REACT TO LETHAL POLITICAL CLIMATE: ‘VIOLENT WORDS PRECEDE VIOLENT ACTIONS’ Kirk’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, faces a capital punishment trial in Utah. Members of his family say he became politically extreme and moved further and further to the left in the year leading up to Kirk’s assassination. Robinson faces a slew of charges, including aggravated murder, which carries the potential the death penalty. He has not yet entered a plea. Judge Tony Graf granted a defense motion to allow Robinson to wear civilian clothes in court, citing his constitutional presumption of innocence, but denied a motion to allow him to appear without shackles. Robinson’s next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 16, 2026, when he is expected to make his first in-person appearance. Fox News’ Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
House Republicans say Dems twisting Epstein probe to smear Trump in new memo
Oversight Committee Republicans are accusing their Democratic counterparts of using the House’s ongoing investigation into Jeffrey Epstein to attack President Donald Trump rather than find closure for the late pedophile’s victims. Fox News Digital obtained a 10-page internal memo written by GOP committee staff for lawmakers on the panel that argued Democrats intentionally misrepresented information obtained by Republicans to create a narrative that was not there. “Unfortunately, during this investigation, Oversight Committee Democrats, led by Ranking Member Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), have intentionally mischaracterized witness testimony and selectively released information with targeted redactions in an effort to create another hoax involving President Trump,” the memo said. “When the Majority released the full set of documents, Democrats claimed that this transparency was meant to ‘disorient’ and ‘distract’ from the false narrative they had been attempting to construct about President Trump.” ‘SEPARATED FROM REALITY’: SENATE REPUBLICANS FUME AS DEMS USE EPSTEIN SAGA TO BLOCK TRUMP’S AGENDA The committee’s months-long investigation was launched by a bipartisan push for transparency but has since devolved into partisan fighting as both sides blame the other for focusing on the wrong things. Democrats have accused Republicans of using the probe to cover for Trump, who was known to have been an associate of Epstein’s but never tied to any wrongdoing. But the committee’s GOP majority, which has released thousands of pages of documents obtained from both the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Epstein’s own estate, has contended that it is dedicated to transparency for the victims and has accused Democrats of politicizing the probe. WHITE HOUSE SLAMS DEMS’ ‘BAD-FAITH’ EPSTEIN DOC RELEASE AS DEMAND FOR FILES INTENSIFIES “The Democrats have uncovered nothing new, have released no document not provided at the request of Republicans, and have only succeeded in reinforcing what the American people already knew: President Trump knew Jeffrey Epstein decades ago, President Trump ended the relationship with Epstein, and President Trump did not participate or know about the nature of Epstein’s evil,” the memo said. “Committee Democrats have overpromised and underdelivered, and now they paw through every new document production looking for a single term: Trump.” Documents released by the committee so far appear to neither concretely prove nor disprove that Trump was aware of Epstein’s crimes, but the president himself has consistently denied any improper links. In their memo, Republicans pointed to former Attorney General Bill Barr’s deposition where he appeared to clear Trump of wrongdoing, at least in his knowledge of the probe. But they accuse Garcia of intentionally twisting the facts by claiming Barr had “limited knowledge” of the case. The memo also accused Democrats of having “selectively leaked” three emails earlier this month out of roughly 23,000 documents handed over by the Epstein estate in a bid to portray Trump in a negative light. The GOP memo accused Democrats of having “made their own redactions to deceive the media and American people,” including the name of late Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, “who stated that she never witnessed wrongdoing by President Trump,” the memo said. “Democrats also redacted ‘she was the one that accused prince andrew’ [sic] in another Epstein email. By making this redaction, Democrats took away important context in the email that named Virginia Guiffre [sic], who worked at Mar-a-Lago, made allegations against Prince Andrew, and was recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell in the parking lot,” the memo said. “This changes the meaning in Epstein’s email where he states, ‘of course he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop.’” TRUMP CALLS ON HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO VOTE TO RELEASE EPSTEIN FILES: ‘WE HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE’ The GOP memo also pointed out that Democrats leaked pages of Epstein’s infamous “birthday book” that included Trump but did not publish a message purportedly written by former President Bill Clinton. It also accused Democrats of failing to help the committee bring in the Clintons for questioning, despite both being issued subpoenas earlier this year. The only figures who have testified so far have been tied to Trump. “Democrats are not concerned with transparency or justice,” the memo said. “The evidence the Oversight Committee has gathered does not implicate President Trump in any way. Democrats must stop playing games in this investigation.” The memo is dated Sunday, two days before the House is expected to vote on a bipartisan bill demanding the DOJ release all of its files related to Epstein. House GOP leaders had previously been against the effort, arguing the bill as written could lead to the release of information that could harm Epstein’s victims, while also claiming it was unnecessary given the Oversight Committee’s investigation. But a mechanism known as a discharge petition, led by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is allowing the majority of House lawmakers to override leadership’s wishes and force a vote on the bill. Trump encouraged Republicans to vote in favor of it in a Truth Social post Sunday night, telling the GOP, “We have nothing to hide, and it’s time to move on from this Democrat Hoax.” Fox News Digital reached out to the committee’s Democratic minority for a response.
Supreme Court agrees to review Trump admin effort to limit immigrant asylum processing claims at border
The Supreme Court agreed to review an effort by the Trump administration to limit asylum processing claims from immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in an order issued Thursday. The key issue in the case, Noem v. Al Otro Lado, is over what constitutes “arrival in the United States” within the meaning of federal immigration law. The law provides that an alien who “arrives” may apply for asylum and must be inspected by an immigration officer. The legal question, however, is over whether an immigrant “arrives” to begin the process for the asylum claim when meeting immigration officers on the U.S. side of the border or while still on the Mexican side. The Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court after a federal appeals court said someone “arrives” when they present themselves to an immigration official “at the border,” even if that meeting occurs on Mexican soil. SUPREME COURT PREPARES TO CONFRONT MONUMENTAL CASE OVER TRUMP EXECUTIVE POWER AND TARIFF AUTHORITY The lower court had ruled that “metering,” or turning away or delaying asylum-seekers because the port was deemed full, was unlawful. The U.S. provided protection to 54,350 asylum seekers during 2023, according to data compiled by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). BORDER CROSSINGS PLUMMET TO HISTORIC LOWS; TRUMP’S ENFORCEMENT POLICIES YIELD BIG RESULTS That figure included 22,300 individuals who were granted asylum by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services within DHS and 32,050 individuals who were granted asylum defensively by the U.S. Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review. The Supreme Court will hear arguments next year with a ruling expected by early summer. This is a developing story; check back for updates.
War Department refocuses on AI, hypersonics and directed energy in major strategy overhaul
EXCLUSIVE – The War Department is narrowing its research and development strategy to six “Critical Technology Areas” officials say will speed up innovation and strengthen America’s military edge. Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering Emil Michael said the plan will deliver faster, more focused results to the warfighter by merging overlapping programs and steering funding toward technologies that will shape future conflicts. “As the Department of War’s Chief Technology Officer, I am statutorily charged with the mission of advancing technology and innovation for the armed forces,” Michael wrote in a Nov. 13 memorandum to senior Pentagon and combatant command leadership. “The previous list of fourteen CTAs did not provide the focus that the threat environment of today requires.” The six areas — Applied Artificial Intelligence, Biomanufacturing, Contested Logistics Technologies, Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance, Scaled Directed Energy and Scaled Hypersonics — will be advanced through rapid “sprints” designed to move emerging technologies from prototype to production. ARMY SECRETARY REVEALS HOW RANGERS BYPASS PENTAGON RED TAPE TO COUNTER EXPLODING DRONE THREAT Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the streamlined approach will keep the United States ahead of its rivals. “Our nation’s military has always been the tip of the spear,” Hegseth said. “Under Secretary Emil Michael’s six Critical Technology Areas will ensure that our warriors never enter a fair fight and have the best systems in their hands for maximum lethality.” The initiative also aligns with President Donald Trump’s Artificial Intelligence Action Plan, which directs the War Department to become an “AI-First” organization. Officials say the shift will reshape how intelligence is processed, how logistics are managed and how weapons systems are deployed. “In alignment with President Trump’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Action Plan, the Department of War must become an ‘AI-First’ organization,” Michael wrote. “When adopted rapidly, AI will fundamentally transform the Department from the enterprise-level, to intelligence synthesis and to warfighting.” WAR DEPARTMENT PUSHES BACK ON ‘FALSE’ NARRATIVE OF INTERNAL STRATEGY SPLIT Michael’s plan emphasizes resilience and self-sufficiency on the battlefield. Biomanufacturing will create bio-based materials to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, while Contested Logistics Technologies will help U.S. forces sustain operations in contested or denied environments. The goal, he said, is to ensure troops can fight and resupply even when traditional lines are cut. Each new technology area is meant to reinforce that capability. “Future warfare will likely be characterized by contested environments in which the Joint Force is challenged to surge, operate into and within the operational theater, and resupply, reconstitute, and recover forces,” Michael wrote. “This CTA will enable the demonstration, validation, and scaling of novel approaches and technologies.” HEGSETH SHREDS SOVIET-STYLE BUREAUCRACY AND ‘FIVE-YEAR PLANS’ GOVERNING PENTAGON Other priorities include quantum computing for secure battlefield communications, scaled directed energy systems such as high-energy lasers and high-power microwave weapons, and the expansion of hypersonic capabilities for both offensive and defensive missions. Each effort depends on close coordination between the Pentagon, private industry and allied militaries to ensure the technologies reach the field quickly. “Executing these sprints will require unprecedented coordination between the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering, military departments, combatant commands and other Office of the Secretary of War components,” Michael said. “I am committed to working with you and our partners inside and outside of the Department on these efforts.”
Pence group blasts Trump’s drug pricing plan as ‘socialist’ in new ad campaign
FIRST ON FOX: A conservative group founded by ex-Vice President Mike Pence is taking aim at a key policy being used by President Donald Trump’s White House. Advancing American Freedom (AAF) is rolling out a six-figure digital ad campaign Monday criticizing Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) drug pricing as “socialist price controls,” according to AAF President Tim Chapman. The 30-second advertisement begins, “China is America’s biggest economic competitor. They want, and often steal, what America has — our innovations, our manufacturing capabilities, our high-skilled, high-wage jobs.” “If politicians in Washington start to place price controls on our most innovative products, like prescription drugs, we’ll be handing over American jobs and life-saving research to China on a silver platter,” the ad continued. WATCH: PARODY DRUG AD SPOTLIGHTS RFK’S CRACKDOWN ON MISLEADING PHARMACEUTICAL MARKETING It ended with a call to action: “Tell Congress to say ‘no’ to China by saying ‘no’ to MFN price controls.” And while pressuring the GOP majority on Capitol Hill is the campaign’s main goal, it appears to be a response to Trump rolling out such a policy several times in recent months. Earlier this month, Trump unveiled agreements between the federal government and two top drug companies aimed at lowering the cost of popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, among others. TRUMP-ALIGNED LEGAL GROUP PROBES BIDEN-ERA ORGAN TRANSPLANT PROGRAM OVER ETHICAL CONCERNS The partnership with Eli Lilly & Co. and Novo Nordisk will make prices for drugs aimed at helping Americans with obesity, diabetes and heart disease fall by hundreds of dollars, Trump said. It would also lower prices for Medicare and Medicaid patients who rely on such drugs. A White House fact sheet said MFN drug pricing would also apply to “all new medicines that they bring to market.” It’s one of several similar announcements by Trump in recent months that are aimed at lowering the soaring costs of prescription drugs in the U.S. DR. MAKARY, DR OZ: PEOPLE TALK ABOUT LOWERING HEALTHCARE COSTS, BUT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS DOING IT The new lower prices will be available at a website called TrumpRx. Most health insurance plans already help Americans pay less than the list price of prescriptions, but many do not cover the aforementioned drugs — including when used solely for weight loss. The president called the move “a triumph for American patients that will save lives and improve the health of millions and millions of Americans” in an announcement at the White House. But a memo released by AAF in September warned that Trump’s drug policies could “mean significant reductions in American research and development” in the pharmaceutical sphere. Chapman told Fox News Digital of the latest ad buy, “More regulations and red tape will result in fewer cures and life-saving drugs coming to market, ultimately costing American lives.” “Advancing American Freedom strongly supports the power of free markets. To deliver lower prices for Americans, we need fewer government regulations, not more,” he said. It’s not the first time this year that Pence’s group has broken from Trump. AAF also criticized Trump’s use of tariffs as well as his more recent call to end the filibuster in the Senate. The White House pushed back on AAF’s characterization when reached by Fox News Digital. “Anyone calling President Trump’s historic drug pricing deals ‘price controls’ is either too stupid or dishonest to be taken seriously. Despite being just four percent of the world’s population, Americans have covered nearly 75 percent of global pharmaceutical research costs by paying several times more for drugs than our peers in other wealthy countries pay,” White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fox News Digital. “President Trump’s deals are equalizing this burden by making other wealthy countries shoulder their fair share for the pharmaceutical innovation that’s saving lives — thereby restoring the free market principles that Mike Pence supposedly supports.”
Maine Rep Laurel Libby won’t seek re-election, partners with Sentinel Action Fund in $4M boost for Sen Collins
EXCLUSIVE: Maine state Rep. Laurel Libby, a Republican, announced on Monday she will not seek re-election in 2026, instead partnering with The Sentinel Action Fund, a conservative super PAC, to support U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and other Republicans in the state as part of the launch of a new network of organizations. “From Fort Kent to Wells, there’s no doubt that Maine is a uniquely beautiful state — but its true strength is its people who are hardworking, independent, and full of grit,” Libby told FOX News Digital. “Everywhere I go, Mainers tell me they’re frustrated with the challenges our state faces but uncertain how to make a difference. I’m launching Lead Maine to help bridge that gap and empower more Mainers with the tools to shape our state’s direction and ensure we have strong leaders at all levels of government, from the Senate with Susan Collins down to the state and local levels.” Libby’s organizations will aim to educate and mobilize grassroots Maine residents and push for the state to be more conservative in which residents, families and businesses can thrive, according to the lawmaker’s press release obtained by FOX News Digital. Among the organizations will be a 501(c)4 nonprofit and a state PAC, with an overarching communication network, according to the release. Each organization will be dedicated to a different part of the political process to ensure conservatives can use various tools to engage and mobilize Maine residents. MAINE REP LAUREL LIBBY OPENS UP ON FIGHTING ‘CIVIL RIGHTS’ SUPREME COURT CASE AMID TRANS ATHLETE BATTLE “Maine needs a long-term, durable campaign infrastructure that grows our conservative grassroots movement and sets Republicans up for success in 2026 and beyond,” Libby told FOX News Digital. “Lead Maine and its affiliated organizations are committed to building exactly that by educating and mobilizing citizens to drive meaningful societal and electoral change at both the state and national levels.” Libby is also partnering with The Sentinel Action Fund to create the Lead Maine Committee, a federal super PAC in which a conservative grassroots network will be used to reach voters in an effort to turn out support for Collins’ re-election next year, as well as other Republicans in future elections. The partnership will invest more than $4 million to support Collins’ re-election, according to a press release from The Sentinel Action Fund that was obtained by FOX News Digital. The Sentinel Action Fund’s backing of Collins represents the group’s first endorsement for the 2026 midterm election cycle. In 2024, the super PAC endorsed and supported U.S. Sens. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., and Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, in their races. “2024 showed us the power and importance of a strong ground game and GOTV operation that communicates with voters early and often,” Sentinel Action Fund President Jessica Anderson told FOX News Digital. “With the midterm elections only 350 days away, we’re hitting the ground running in Maine as we announce Sentinel Action Fund’s new partnership with Laurel Libby and the Lead Maine Committee. We are thrilled to work alongside Laurel Libby, who has proven her dedication to standing up to Janet Mills and the radicalized Maine Democrats. She is a true leader for Mainers, and we look forward to a strong partnership to ensure Senator Susan Collins is re-elected in 2026.” Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, announced last month she would challenge Collins for her Senate seat. DELETED POSTS URGING VIOLENCE HAUNT DEMOCRATIC SENATE HOPEFUL IN MAINE RACE “Maine deserves to have common-sense representation in Congress, and with a strong candidate, effective ground game operation, and an energized grassroots network, we can build and turnout the coalition of voters needed to win,” Anderson continued. “Sentinel Action Fund is pleased to announce our endorsement of Senator Susan Collins, and with it this important partnership with Laurel Libby and the Lead Maine Committee which will support Senator Collins’s re-election. Laurel’s grassroots experience and leadership in the state will make her an invaluable partner to our efforts to turn out voters early and on Election Day.” Anderson said the partnership and investment come ahead of a “pivotal midterm election cycle” and that Maine’s Senate seat will “play a critical role in securing and expanding the Republican Senate majority and protecting it is an essential step toward achieving a 60-seat majority,” adding that she looks forward to ensuring Collins retains her seat in the Senate. Libby added that Mainers “have a powerful voice, and with a strong network of support, we can work together to uphold the common-sense values and policies that will protect liberty and foster economic prosperity for generations to come.” “I’m excited to build a team that will empower Mainers to take part in shaping the future of our state,” she said. “A key part of this effort will be the Lead Maine Committee’s partnership with The Sentinel Action Fund to mobilize voters and ensure Senator Susan Collins is re-elected in 2026. Defending this seat, and expanding conservative influence in the Maine Legislature, are critical to protecting our values from the far-Left policies of Janet Mills and her accomplices.” Libby, a critic of policies allowing transgender athletes in girls’ sports, made headlines earlier this year when she made a social media post on her government account that identified a transgender high school athlete by publishing the individual’s name and photos. The Maine House of Representatives censured her over the post, leading Libby to file a lawsuit against House leadership, arguing the censure was a violation of her First Amendment rights and disenfranchised her constituents. VETERAN WHO SERVED IN MIDDLE EASTERN WARS LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN AGAINST SEN. SUSAN COLLINS Lower courts initially denied her requests for an injunction, but the U.S. Supreme Court later ordered the restoration of her voting privileges while her lawsuit made its way through the appeals court. The Maine House in June fully restored Libby’s speaking and voting rights for the remainder of the legislative session. “I understand firsthand just how radical Maine Democrats have become,” Libby told FOX News Digital. “Protecting
Trump set to host Saudi Arabia’s powerful crown prince at the White House this week
President Donald Trump is set to host Saudi Arabia’s ambitious and influential Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House this week for high-level talks aimed at deepening economic and defense ties. “We’re more than meeting,” Trump said on Friday en route to Florida for the weekend. “We’re honoring Saudi Arabia, the crown prince.” While not formally a state visit, the plans include a welcome ceremony with military bands, a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office and a black-tie dinner in the evening. TRUMP’S GRAND PEACE STRATEGY IS BEARING FRUIT, IN MIDDLE EAST AND AROUND THE WORLD Prince Mohammed bin Salman serves as the kingdom’s powerful understudy to his 89-year-old father, King Salman. Widely regarded as Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, he manages nearly all daily affairs of state and frequently represents the kingdom in international summits and diplomatic meetings. Tuesday’s meetings will mark Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s first visit to the White House in more than seven years. Trump said last week that he plans to discuss strengthening ties with the Saudi leader and hopes the kingdom will move toward formally recognizing Israel. “The Abraham Accords will be a part we’re going to be discussing,” Trump told reporters Friday. “I hope that Saudi Arabia will be joining the Abraham Accords fairly soon.” Such a move would build on Trump’s signature foreign-policy initiative, the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations during his presidency. The crown prince last visited the White House in 2018, just months before Jamal Khashoggi, a dissident journalist and critic of the kingdom, was murdered at a Saudi consulate in Turkey. WHITE HOUSE DECLASSIFIES JAMAL KHASHOGGI REPORT BLAMING SAUDI CROWN PRINCE FOR JOURNALIST’S DEATH A subsequent CIA assessment concluded the prince had likely ordered the killing, though he has consistently denied involvement. Even so, Trump’s relationship with the crown prince appeared largely undeterred during his first term. Trump last met the crown prince during his first state visit of his second term to Riyadh in May, where he was welcomed with a fighter jet escort, an honor guard wielding golden swords and a parade of Arabian horses flanking his limousine. The Trump administration is also expected to finalize an agreement with bin Salman to allow Riyadh to purchase F-35 stealth fighter jets, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing a White House official. The two leaders are expected to sign several other economic and defense agreements during the crown prince’s visit to the White House on Tuesday, the report added.