Texas Weekly Online

Texas-trans-white
Menu
Menu

Year: 2026

Conservative group rolls out multimillion-dollar ad blitz backing ICE ‘patriots’

Conservative group rolls out multimillion-dollar ad blitz backing ICE ‘patriots’

FIRST ON FOX: American Sovereignty, a conservative nonprofit focused on border security and community safety, will launch a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign over the weekend to press for support for ICE. The ad spots aim to remind the public that ICE agents are family men and women who are part of the fabric of their communities on and off the job — and among those who put themselves in the most danger to protect the homeland. The two ads — which will run nationally, with an additional focus on the District of Columbia, North Carolina, Michigan and Georgia — are entitled “Criminals” and “Patriots.” NOEM PRAISES DHS OFFICERS ON LAW ENFORCEMENT APPRECIATION DAY AS ATTACKS ON FEDERAL AGENTS SPIKE NATIONWIDE The “Patriots” ad will highlight how ICE agents and staff are often neighbors down the block, family or friends, and people who should be able to do their jobs without being sabotaged by organized violent demonstrations and agitators. “They’re friends and neighbors. Sons, fathers. They’re Little League coaches and veterans. They’re people who love this country,” the narrator says as relevant imagery crosses the screen. ABC, NBC AND CBS DELIVERED 93% NEGATIVE COVERAGE ON ICE AFTER FATAL RENEE GOOD SHOOTING, STUDY FINDS A group is seen hiking, veterans are seen walking, and children carry flags as a drone captures imagery of a church-like building and a downtown square with a fluttering American flag. “These are Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. They are removing violent criminals from our streets and neighborhoods. It’s dangerous and difficult work, but ICE has one mission: to make America a safer place to live,” the ad continues. “And that’s what they’re doing. This is law enforcement. This is ICE.” MOTHER OF OFFICER KILLED BY ILLEGAL MIGRANT CRITICIZES MINNESOTA LEADERS’ ‘WARPED VIEW’ OF POLICE While “Patriots” strikes an uplifting tone, “Criminals” begins from the opposite perspective. “Immigration and Customs Enforcement has removed thousands of criminal illegal aliens from the U.S.,” the narrator says in “Criminals.” As he speaks, mugshots of several captured illegal immigrant criminals flash across the screen — denoted in large letters with their most serious convictions. “Kidnapping, child pornography, rape, child molestation…” the shots read as snippets from news articles describing violent crimes appear over their faces. “They entered the United States illegally and committed violent crimes against our mothers, children, and friends. Every day, Immigration and Customs Enforcement takes them off our streets — every removal makes us safer and America stronger. This is what ICE does. This is Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

Graham blocks Trump-backed spending plan, calls it a ‘bad deal’ as shutdown nears

Graham blocks Trump-backed spending plan, calls it a ‘bad deal’ as shutdown nears

The Senate has a deal to fund the government, but Republican anger over the nature of the deal, earmarks and what changes could come to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) derailed its progress Thursday night.  Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and President Donald Trump agreed to strip out the much-maligned DHS funding bill from a broader, six-bill funding package, and instead fund the agency with a two-week continuing resolution (CR), while lawmakers haggled over tweaks to the bill.  Even though there is a deal backed by the White House that has key Democratic buy-in, there will still be a partial government shutdown this weekend, given that the House must weigh in on the package.  TRUMP, SCHUMER REACH GOVERNMENT FUNDING DEAL, SACRIFICE DHS SPENDING BILL IN THE PROCESS Toward the end of the night, Republicans had blasted through hold after hold, amendment request after amendment request, but one lawmaker stood in the way: Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. Without his buy-in, the package couldn’t move forward. Graham told reporters as he walked into Thune’s office late Thursday night that the package was a “bad deal.”  He was angered by the treatment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Graham argued that ICE agents “are not infallible, but I appreciate what they’re doing. I’ve never been more offended than I am right now by what’s being said about these folks.” Graham was just one of many Senate Republicans who were not unified in their view of the deal or the underlying original package, which failed a key test vote Thursday afternoon — seven Republicans joined all Senate Democrats to spike it. Once the deal crystallized and Trump publicly announced his support of it, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and his leadership team went to work trying to quell resistance among their ranks Thursday night, but to no avail.  “Tomorrow’s another day, and hopefully people will be in a spirit to try and get this done tomorrow,” Thune told reporters as he left the Capitol Thursday night. SENATE GOP HOLDOUTS REFUSE TO BUDGE AS SHUTDOWN TALKS CONTINUE Typically, when a package like the Trump-backed proposal is rushed to the Senate floor, it goes through what’s known as the hotline process in the Senate. That allows lawmakers to weigh in with approval, concerns, requests for amendments, or in some cases outright block the package from moving forward.  Sources familiar with Senate Democrats’ planning told Fox News Digital that as of Thursday night, their side of the aisle had not started the process as they waited for Senate Republicans to figure out their next move. 7 REPUBLICANS JOIN DEMS TO BLOCK MAJOR GOVERNMENT FUNDING PACKAGE AS SHUTDOWN LOOMS Part of the DHS funding bill included a repeal of a controversial provision that allowed senators whose phone records were subpoenaed during former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s Arctic Frost probe to sue for up to $500,000 for each infraction. Graham has been a strong proponent of the provision, scuttling several attempts by Senate Democrats to repeal it over the last few months.  When asked if his hold was related to its expected repeal, Graham said no and noted that he reached an agreement with the Senate Ethics Committee that wouldn’t allow him to financially gain from a lawsuit. “We can find out a way forward, but not this way,” Graham said.

GOP senator vows to block Trump’s Fed chair pick unless Powell probe is dropped

GOP senator vows to block Trump’s Fed chair pick unless Powell probe is dropped

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he will oppose Trump’s next pick to chair the Federal Reserve until the administration ends its probe of the current one. Tillis, who hasn’t shied away from clashing with the Trump administration — and who won’t be pursuing re-election — announced he would block the confirmation of Kevin Warsh in a post to X on Friday morning. “Kevin Warsh is a qualified nominee with a deep understanding of monetary policy,” Tillis wrote. “However, the Department of Justice continues to pursue a criminal investigation into Chairman Jerome Powell based on committee testimony that no reasonable person could construe as possessing criminal intent.” JEANINE PIRRO FIRES BACK AT FED CHAIR POWELL, SAYS ‘NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW’ AMID CENTRAL BANK PROBE “I will oppose the confirmation of any Federal Reserve nominee, including for the position of Chairman, until the DOJ’s inquiry into Chairman Powell is fully and transparently resolved.” Powell, who has led the Fed since Trump nominated him to the post in 2017, is under investigation by the DOJ for his management of a $2.5 billion renovation of the Fed’s headquarters and statements he made under oath before the Senate about its construction. The Trump administration is investigating whether Powell knowingly misled lawmakers about the project’s length and expenses. Although the investigation formally has nothing to do with Powell’s responsibilities as Fed chair, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has interpreted the probe as a way for Trump to put pressure on Powell to cut interest rates. THUNE WARNS DOJ’S PROBE OF FED CHAIR POWELL ‘BETTER BE REAL’ AND ‘SERIOUS’ AMID POLITICAL BACKLASH Trump has repeatedly called for such a change and Powell has resisted so far, citing a need for the agency to protect its independent operations. The Fed maintains U.S. financial stability by governing the U.S. money supply and credit conditions to keep inflation under control and maximize employment — a mission Powell has said needs to be separate from the political goals of any given administration. Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., a top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, believes there’s a clear connection between the DOJ probe and frustrations Trump has over Powell’s refusal to slash rates. “Look, there are lots of federal buildings being built. Trump doesn’t have an opinion on how efficiently they’re being built. Nobody believes that this is about testimony before the Senate committee,” Sherman said earlier in January when the DOJ announced its investigation. “It’s simply outrageous,” he added. At the time, Tillis similarly condemned the DOJ probe and promised to block any new nomination for the Fed chair position until the administration dropped that probe. “Protecting the independence of the Federal Reserve from political interference or legal intimidation is non-negotiable. My position has not changed,” Tillis said.

Trump confirms what Tulsi Gabbard was doing at Georgia election center

Trump confirms what Tulsi Gabbard was doing at Georgia election center

President Donald Trump indicated Thursday night that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was in Georgia this week for election security-related reasons. At the premiere of first lady Melania Trump’s movie “MELANIA” at The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., the president was asked what Gabbard was doing at an election center in Georgia. Gabbard was at an election facility in Fulton County where the FBI executed a search warrant on Wednesday. FBI AGENTS SEARCH ELECTION HUB IN FULTON COUNTY, GEORGIA “She’s working very hard on trying to keep the election safe. And she’s done a very good job,” Trump said.  “And they, as you know, they got into the votes, you got a signed judge’s order in Georgia,” the president added. “And you’re going to see some interesting things happening. They’ve been trying to get there for a long time.” The Wall Street Journal has reported that according to White House officials, Gabbard has been probing the 2020 White House contest results for months. TRUMP MOUNTAIN? GEORGIA LAWMAKER INTRODUCES RESOLUTION TO RENAME ATLANTA-AREA LANDMARK AFTER PRESIDENT Democrat Joe Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential contest. But Trump has claimed that the 2020 election was tainted by fraud and that he actually won. “Tulsi Gabbard’s job is to keep us safe from foreign adversaries. Instead, she’s spending her time raiding the Fulton County, Georgia election center to feed Donald Trump’s delusion. Trump LOST the 2020 election,” Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., declared in a Thursday post on X. GABBARD SLAMS DEMOCRATS’ ‘HOSTILITY TOWARDS GOD,’ CONDEMNS ANTI-ICE AGITATORS WHO STORMED CHURCH  “Director Gabbard recognizes that election security is essential for the integrity of our republic and our nation’s security. As DNI, she has a vital role in identifying vulnerabilities in our critical infrastructure and protecting against exploitation,” an Office of the Director of National Intelligence spokesperson noted, as Fox News has previously reported. “We know through intelligence and public reporting that electronic voting systems have been and are vulnerable to exploitation. President Trump’s directive to secure our elections was clear, and DNI Gabbard has and will continue to take actions within her authorities, alongside our interagency partners, to support ensuring the integrity of our elections,” the DNI spokesperson asserted.  Fox News Digital’s Breanne Deppisch, Ashley Oliver and Alec Schemmel and Fox News’ David Spunt contributed to this report.