Trump’s transition team eyes expansion of ankle monitors for illegal immigrants not in custody
EXCLUSIVE: The Trump transition team is considering a significant expansion of the way ankle-worn GPS monitors are used to track illegal immigrants who are not in federal immigration detention, Fox News Digital has learned. President-elect Trump has pledged to launch a mass deportation operation once sworn into office, and his transition team has already been engaged in planning to make that happen. Multiple sources familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital the priority for the incoming administration is the detention and deportation of illegal immigrants along with preventing them from entering the U.S. in the first place. However, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention capacity in the tens of thousands, compared to the millions who are not currently in detention, officials are also expected to ramp up the monitoring of those not in detention until they can be removed. ‘STANDING BY TO HELP:’ RED STATE REVEALS PLAN TO PURCHASE BORDER WALL MATERIALS TO STORE FOR TRUMP Under the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program, newly arrived illegal immigrants going through court proceedings are monitored by either an ankle-worn or wrist-worn device or use a cell phone app under which they are required to check in with ICE. According to ICE data as of November, just 187,747 individuals are being monitored by technology, including about 25,000 on the ankle monitors or wrist-worn devices. Typically, migrants are placed on ATD from their release at the border and earlier on in the lifecycle of their cases. The Trump administration is looking at ways to increase the number of illegal immigrants being monitored by an ankle or wrist monitor, while also sharply reducing the numbers of those not detained. Officials also want GPS tracking to be available for much longer than it is currently. Sources emphasized that if entries at the southern border are shut down, as the administration plans to make happen, it allows for more people in the interior to be moved to devices and for longer because the devices are no longer needed for new arrivals entering into the U.S. ‘LEGAL AUTHORITY’: SENATE DEMS DEMAND BIDEN EXTEND PROTECTIONS FOR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AHEAD OF TRUMP ADMIN Advocates of ATD and ICE have argued that compliance by those enrolled when monitored remains high, and it is cheaper than detention – $8 a day compared to $150 a day. But some immigration activists have slammed the ATD program as creating “digital prisons,” while some on the right have argued that the technology needs to be extended so that it can allow illegal immigrants to be tracked down and removed if they are given a final order of deportation. The increase in the use of GPS monitoring could also be accompanied by additional penalties for a lack of compliance, although it is still not clear what those penalties would be. CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS Increasing the number of non-detained immigrants on ATD has been a priority for Republicans. The Justice for Jocelyn Act, introduced this year by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, would require the government to enroll all illegal immigrants on the non-detained docket into continuous GPS monitoring. It would also require those enrolled to be home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. and would punish any noncompliance with an order that they be removed in absentia. A significant expansion of ICE capacity has been expected in the upcoming administration, given the promise of a mass deportation campaign. The GEO Group, which is the exclusive contractor for that technology, announced a $70 million investment Monday to increase its capabilities to deliver detention capacity, secure transport and electronic monitoring services to ICE.
Environmental group launches six-figure battleground state ad buy against Newsom’s ‘climate leadership’
An environmental group is calling out Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s climate leadership in a six-figure battleground state ad buy which claims his policies in California have “significantly undermined climate progress.” While running for governor in 2018, Newsom said he would shut down the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility in California – the location of the largest methane leak in U.S. history. “I’m fully committed to doing that,” Newsom told a reporter when asked if he would shut down the facility. “The question is how quickly can we do that, but my commitment is to make that happen. We need to be more aggressive than we have been.” Newsom added that he was “unequivocally” committed to shutting it down, but environmental groups are calling out the governor after allowing the facility to remain open six years later. Food & Water Action, the political and lobbying arm of Food & Water Watch advocating against climate change, announced on Monday a $100,000 ad buy against Newsom across four battleground states – Nevada, South Carolina, New Hampshire and Michigan. GAVIN NEWSOM GRILLED OVER HEFTY PRICE TAG TO HELP ‘TRUMP-PROOF’ CALIFORNIA: ‘TOTAL WASTE’ The ad buy specifically targets Newsom’s leadership on the climate, specifically for not following through on his campaign promise regarding the Aliso Canyon facility. CALIFORNIA REPARATIONS BILLS KILLED AS NEWSOM SOUGHT TO AVOID APPEARING ‘TOO PROGRESSIVE’ “Americans are looking for leadership to resist Trump’s assault on our climate. Someone who follows through and won’t back down,” the ad says. “Gov. Newsom promised to shut down Aliso Canyon, the site of the largest gas blowout in U.S. history. A public health disaster. But his public utilities commission is considering keeping it open indefinitely – just like the oil and gas industry wants. Climate leadership? We’re looking for it.” However, in a statement shared with Fox News Digital, Daniel Villaseñor, spokesperson for Newsom, said that “the Governor’s energy policy is ambitious, not reckless.” “We are committed to safely closing Aliso Canyon without harming working families with skyrocketing utility bills,” the spokesperson said. “No governor has done more to accelerate our transition to clean and renewable energy, but it would be irresponsible to close Aliso Canyon before demand for natural gas declines. That’s a recipe for precisely the same price spikes we’ve seen in the gasoline market.” Villaseñor added that Newsom “wants to see Aliso Canyon phased out, but not at the cost of enormous price increases for working families and our ability to keep the lights on.” The California Public Utilities Commission is planning to meet on Dec. 19 to discuss the future of the facility. The environmental group claims that Newsom is trying to appear as a climate change champion, but that his record in California suggests otherwise. “Governor Newsom wants to position himself as a national leader on climate and in opposing Trump, but he can’t be a credible national leader if his own house is not in order,” Mitch Jones, deputy director of Food & Water Action, said in a press release. “While Newsom has taken some important steps on oil drilling, other policies have significantly undermined climate progress. These include undermining rooftop solar, embracing industry-backed plans like dirty biogas and carbon capture, and failing so far to keep his promise to close Aliso Canyon,” Jones added. While there is still a push from environmental groups to shut down the facility, it remains California’s largest underground natural gas storage facility and its operation has helped the state avoid potential energy price increases, according to the Energy Information Administration. The ads were notably launched in battleground states amid months of speculation that Newsom could potentially launch a presidential bid in 2028. Newsom was a top surrogate for President Biden during his re-election bid, and was floated as a leading candidate to replace him at the top of the Democratic ticket before the president dropped out of the race. The governor’s second term in Sacramento will finish at the end of next year, right around the time the 2028 presidential election will start to heat up.
FBI should probe ‘potential’ Liz Cheney ‘witness tampering’ in Jan 6 matter, House Republicans say
Former Rep. Liz Cheney is facing calls from GOP legislators that the FBI investigate her for “potential criminal witness tampering” related to her former role on the Jan. 6 House Select Committee, a report released Tuesday by the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight Chairman Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., details. “Based on the evidence obtained by this Subcommittee, numerous federal laws were likely broken by Liz Cheney, the former Vice Chair of the January 6 Select Committee, and these violations should be investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Evidence uncovered by the Subcommittee revealed that former Congresswoman Liz Cheney tampered with at least one witness, Cassidy Hutchinson, by secretly communicating with Hutchinson without Hutchinson’s attorney’s knowledge,” the report, which was provided to Fox Digital, found. The Jan. 6 committee was founded in July 2021 to investigate the breach of the U.S. Capitol earlier that year by supporters of Trump ahead of President Biden officially taking office on Jan. 20. The Jan. 6 committee’s investigation was carried out when Democrats held control of the House. The committee concluded its 18-month investigation last year, when Republicans regained control of the House and sent referrals to the Justice Department recommending Trump be criminally prosecuted for his involvement in the lead-up to supporters breaching the Capitol. The committee was composed of seven Democrats and two Republican lawmakers, Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, both of whom are no longer in office. Loudermilk’s subcommittee was tapped to investigate the J6 committee and its findings in January of 2023. ‘RIDICULOUS’: CHENEY RESPONDS TO TRUMP FLOATING JAIL TIME FOR J6 COMMITTEE MEMBERS The House Republicans’ report Tuesday specifically took issue with Cheney’s alleged “direct intervention” with Cassidy Hutchinson, who was considered the star witness of the investigation, including allegedly encouraging Hutchinson to hire “Select Committee-friendly attorneys to represent her,” as opposed to keeping her original legal representation. Hutchinson, who worked as an aide to Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, had claimed before the select committee that on Jan. 6, 2021, she was told Trump allegedly became “irate” and attempted to join supporters at the Capitol ahead of them breaching the government building. The incident reportedly unfolded after Trump delivered a speech at the Ellipse, which is a park just south of the White House fence. Hutchinson alleged she was told Trump attempted to grab the steering wheel of a Secret Service SUV before the driver reportedly told Trump to remove his hand and that they were headed to the White House, not the Capitol. Hutchinson’s account was directly refuted by Anthony Ornato, who served as White House deputy chief of staff for operations under Trump after decades in the Secret Service. Less than two weeks after firing her original attorney, and hiring “the attorneys Representative Cheney suggested — Hutchinson sat for her fourth transcribed interview with the Select Committee under unusual circumstances,” the report found. REP LOUDERMILK BLASTS JANUARY 6 COMMITTEE FOR TARGETING HIM: ‘THERE IS A WAR ON THE TRUTH IN THIS COUNTRY’ “Prior to this interview, nearly every interview the Select Committee conducted included approximately a dozen people—including committee staff members, committee counsel, often a Member of the Select Committee, the interviewee, and the interviewee’s legal representation. Most of the interviews were done in large conference rooms or over zoom, allowing space for all participants. Hutchinson’s fourth transcribed interview, however, was vastly different. It consisted of only four people: Representative Cheney, one attorney from the Select Committee, Hutchinson, and Hutchinson’s new counsel. Additionally, instead of the Select Committee conducting the interview in a conference room or virtually, Representative Cheney used her private hideaway inside of the United States Capitol Building,” the report states. The House Republican report continued that Hutchinson’s testimony to the Jan. 6 committee was crucial, arguing “it is unlikely the Select Committee could make its assertions about President Trump’s mood, attitude, and alleged culpability in the events of January 6” without her comments. “Hutchinson is mentioned by name in the Select Committee’s Final Report no fewer than 185 times. Inexplicably, the Select Committee discredited the multitude of legitimate witnesses who, under oath, repeatedly refuted Hutchinson’s testimony. These legitimate witnesses include senior government officials and federal agents.” DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE’LL PARDON JAN. 6 RIOTERS ON DAY ONE: ‘ACTING VERY QUICKLY’ Cheney, in comment provided to Fox News Digital on Tuesday afternoon, defended her former committee’s investigation, while arguing Loudermilk’s report “intentionally disregards the truth and the Select Committee’s tremendous weight of evidence.” “January 6th showed Donald Trump for who [he] really is – a cruel and vindictive man who allowed violent attacks to continue against our Capitol and law enforcement officers while he watched television and refused for hours to instruct his supporters to stand down and leave,” Cheney said in comment to Fox News Digital. “The January 6th Committee’s hearings and report featured scores of Republican witnesses, including many of the most senior officials from Trump’s own White House, campaign and Administration. All of this testimony was painstakingly set out in thousands of pages of transcripts, made public along with a highly detailed and meticulously sourced 800 page report. Now, Chairman Loudermilk’s “Interim Report” intentionally disregards the truth and the Select Committee’s tremendous weight of evidence, and instead fabricates lies and defamatory allegations in an attempt to cover up what Donald Trump did. Their allegations do not reflect a review of the actual evidence, and are a malicious and cowardly assault on the truth. No reputable lawyer, legislator or judge would take this seriously.” The Democratic former chair of the committee, Rep. Bennie Thompson, also slammed Loudermilk’s report in comment to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. HOUSE GOP REPORT ALLEGES JAN 6 COMMITTEE ‘DELETED RECORDS AND HID EVIDENCE’ “Representative Loudermilk has failed to discredit the work of the January 6th Select Committee. His so-called ‘report’ is filled with baseless, conclusory allegations rather than facts. That’s because there’s no escaping the reality that Donald Trump bears the responsibility for the deadly January 6th attack no matter how much Mr. Loudermilk would love to
Trump calls for end to border wall auctions: ‘Almost criminal act’
President-elect Donald Trump blasted the Biden administration for selling off unused border wall materials at a discounted rate, which he called “almost a criminal act.” Trump said the auctions would cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars to re-purchase the large steel bollards and concrete. He called on President Biden to “please stop selling the wall” and suggested his team would obtain a restraining order to halt the sales. The president-elect also said he is working with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other Texas leaders to re-acquire the materials. “What they’re doing is really an act, it’s almost a criminal act,” he said. “They know we’re going to use it and if we don’t have it, we’re going to have to rebuild it, and it’ll cost double what it cost years ago, and that’s hundreds of millions of dollars because you’re talking about a lot of, a lot of wall.” ON CLEARANCE: WHY IS THE BIDEN ADMIN SELLING OFF BORDER WALL MATERIAL? This comes a week after videos released by the Daily Wire showed large portions of border wall materials being carted off from the border to be sold at auction. The Daily Wire reported that a whistleblower at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection claimed the administration’s goal was to sell off all the unused border wall materials along three stations of Arizona’s border with Mexico in Tucson, Nogales and Three Points by Christmas. A representative for U.S. Customs and Border Protection told Fox News Digital that construction and management of the border wall is handled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. An official at the Department of Defense told Fox News Digital that the materials currently being sold through online auctions were already sold off by the federal government earlier this year, with a large percentage of the materials being sold to a government surplus retailer called Gov Planet. The Defense official said the materials no longer belong to the U.S. government, and the Defense Department has no legal authority to recall the material or stop further resale of it. TOM COTTON DEMANDS DOD RECORDS ON BORDER-WALL MATERIAL SALES BE PRESERVED Meanwhile, a local leader for Yuma County, which is on the far western side of Arizona, further confirmed with Fox News Digital that the Biden administration’s sales of unused border materials have continued at a regular pace since beginning in 2021. Jonathan Lines, a Yuma County supervisor, told Fox News Digital that the equipment dealer Iron Planet has been partnering with the federal government to sell the materials over the last three years. He explained that though auctions for the pieces start at $5, they typically end up being sold for between $8,000 and $10,000. Despite this, Lines pushed back on reports that the Biden administration is increasing its sales of border wall materials in attempts to get rid of the materials before the Trump inauguration, calling these “sensationalism.” “They sell it consistently, every week or every other week there are sections of the wall that go up for sale,” he explained. TEXAS SHERIFF FRUSTRATED WITH BIDEN ADMIN FOR SELLING BORDER WALL PARTS Border wall materials were listed by Gov Planet last week at $5 as the minimum opening bid for 20 tons of steel bollards on an online auction site that advertised multiple lots. Trump, who has made government efficiency a top priority for his second administration, took particular issue with the financial waste of the auctions. “The people that are buying it or trying to buy it are trying to make a deal with us to sell it back at hundreds of times more, hundreds of times more than we paid,” he said. “Just think about how ridiculous it is, and this is just people that don’t want this country to succeed. And this has nothing to do with Democrat or Republican, this has to do with common sense. We won on common sense, and this is maybe one of the most egregious examples I’ve seen.” “So, I’m asking today, Joe Biden, to please stop selling the wall,” he went on. “It’s something that people can’t even believe is happening. So, hopefully, Joe will be able to stop it.”
Electoral College vote moves Trump another step toward officially becoming president
CONCORD, N.H. – Presidential electors are gathering at state capitals across the country on Tuesday to cast their electoral votes in the 2024 election, a key step in formalizing President-elect Trump’s White House victory last month over Vice President Kamala Harris. At the New Hampshire Statehouse, the state’s four electors cast ballots on behalf of Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, in a largely ceremonial vote. Harris edged Trump by roughly three percentage points to carry New Hampshire, the only swing state in New England. REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIR REVEALS WHAT ROLE TRUMP WILL PLAY IN 2026 MIDTERM ELECTIONS “This is the formal vote for President and Vice President of the United States,” New Hampshire Secretary of State Dave Scanlan, who presided over the procedure, said. “Every state in the country right now is going through this process.” New Hampshire was one of four states, along with Indiana, Tennessee and Vermont, to lead off Tuesday’s Electoral College voting. HEAD HERE FOR THE LATEST FOX NEWS RESULTS FROM THE 2024 ELECTIONS When Americans cast their ballots in a White House election, they’re technically voting for state electors committed to supporting their choice for president and vice president. The electors are expected to vote in accordance with the outcome of the popular vote in their state. The electoral votes from the states will be certified on Jan. 6 during a joint session of Congress. And Trump will be inaugurated as president two weeks later, on Jan. 20. The political parties in each state choose their slate of electors ahead of the general election. Trump convincingly won the presidential election, winning the popular vote for the first time in three tries, and carrying all seven of the crucial battleground states that were heavily contested. The former and future president ended up winning the electoral vote, 312 to 226, over Harris.
Biden administration pressuring African country to adopt lax abortion laws in exchange for foreign aid: report
President Biden’s administration is pressuring the government of Sierra Leone to adopt more permissive abortion policies in exchange for foreign assistance, according to a Monday report. The African nation currently bans abortion in most circumstances, but legislation before the country’s parliament would decriminalize the practice. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government-run funding allocator, is reportedly threatening to withhold hundreds of millions in foreign assistance funding if the abortion law does not pass, a former senior U.S. government official who has worked in the region told the Daily Signal. The MCC CEO Alice Albright signed an agreement with Sierra Leon’s finance minister, Sheku Bangura, in late September. The agreement would see the country receive $480 million in foreign assistance so long as the country meets the MCC’s “rigorous standards for good governance, fighting corruption and respecting democratic rights.” The organization evaluates Sierra Leone’s compliance with the standards on an ongoing basis. The organization denied any effort to influence Sierra Leone’s abortion policies in a statement to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. “The Millennium Challenge Corporation is unaware of any Sierra Leonean abortion legislation and has never made any requests to the Government of Sierra Leone regarding abortion policies. Any such legislation would be an internal matter for Sierra Leone with no U.S. government developments fund made contingent on its passage,” the organization said in a statement. BIDEN POLITICAL APPOINTEES TO HIV COUNCIL HAVE ‘WOKE’ PASTS TIED TO DRAG QUEEN STORY HOUR, PLANNED PARENTHOOD The office of Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who chairs the MCC’s board of directors, did not respond to a request for comment. Footage circulating on social media shows raucous pro-life protesters demonstrating inside Sierra Leone’s parliament as lawmakers debated the legislation Tuesday. Pro-life activists in the country claim that President Julius Maada Bio fired his attorney general last week because the official refused to push for the abortion law in parliament. Bio appointed Alpha Sesay as the new AG this week. Sesay is a recent former employee of USAID and has advocated for the new abortion law on social media. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., condemned reports of the pressure campaign in a Monday statement. “It is deeply disturbing, but not terribly surprising, that we are hearing reports that the Biden administration is threatening to withhold foreign assistance to Sierra Leone unless legislators there pass the deceptively named ‘Safe Motherhood Act’ legislation that would legalize abortion in Sierra Leone, a country that currently protects unborn life,” he told the Signal. Smith has previously accused the Biden administration of “hijacking” a Bush-era program delivering AIDS relief to Africa to promote its abortion agenda. HIV INFECTIONS HAVE DROPPED IN RECENT YEARS, CDC SAYS, BUT AGENCY CALLS FOR GREATER EQUITY PEPFAR, the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, was launched in 2003 under President George W. Bush and has invested over $100 billion fighting AIDS across the world while saving 25 million lives and preventing millions of infections, the State Department says. PEPFAR was up for re-authorization in Congress last year. “President Biden has hijacked PEPFAR, the $6 billion a year foreign aid program designed to mitigate HIV/AIDS in many targeted — mostly African — countries in order to promote abortion on demand,” Smith told colleagues in a 2023 statement. Smith said two groups, Population Services International (PSI) and Village Reach, have received $96.5 million and $10.1 million, respectively, over the last few years from PEPFAR under Biden, and both groups have a track record of pushing abortion. “PSI proudly proclaims it provides abortion and lobbies to eliminate pro-life laws,” Smith said. “PSI provides comprehensive abortion and post-abortion care services in nearly 20 countries throughout the world.” Fox News’ Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report
Biden clemency for convicted fraudsters met with outrage: ‘Slap in the face’
President Biden made history last week when he granted clemency to more than 1,500 people with a sweeping list of commutations and pardons. However, the move was met with fierce backlash from critics pointing out various names on the clemency list included individuals who cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars through their fraudulent actions. Among those covered in what the Biden White House is calling the largest single-day act of clemency by a U.S. president was Rita Crundwell, a former comptroller in Dixon, Illinois. Crundwell was convicted and sentenced to nearly 20 years behind bars for using her position to steal nearly $54 million from the small town best known for the boyhood home of Ronald Reagan. Also on the list was former New York law partner Paul M. Daugerdas, who was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his role in a multibillion-dollar tax fraud scheme described by prosecutors as one of the largest criminal tax fraud cases in U.S. history, as well as Toyosi Alatishe, who abused his position as a caretaker for patients with severe mental deficiencies and physical disabilities by using their personal information to file fraudulent tax returns. BIDEN CLEMENCY ANNOUNCEMENT GETS MIXED REVIEWS ON CAPITOL HILL: ‘WHERE’S THE BAR?’ In response to Biden’s decision to grant clemency to Crundwell, Republican Illinois state Sen. Andrew Chesney called the move “nothing short of a slap in the face to the people of Dixon.” “Her crimes did not only affect the taxpayers of Dixon, but they also had a rippling effect across the region and state, as communities became subject to stricter, more tedious regulations,” Chesney said in a statement following the commutation of Crundwell’s sentence. “First, it was the pardoning of his son, and now Biden is apparently extending clemency to anyone with political connections, including corrupt government employees. It’s sickening.” Illinois Republican Rep. Darin LaHood echoed Chesney’s remarks about the commutation being a “slap in the face” to those impacted by Crundwell’s crime, adding that “while many families in Dixon were living paycheck to paycheck, [Crundwell] took advantage of their trust in government and used her access to live an unearned life of luxury.” In addition to schemes that defrauded public funds, many of the commutations Biden handed out went to white-collar criminals accused of defrauding their clients out of millions of dollars. Meanwhile, Biden also commuted the sentence of Michael Conahan, a former judge who imposed harsh sentences against juveniles in exchange for $2.8 million in illegal payments in what became known as a “kids for cash” scandal. “I want to see [Conahan’s] name removed because that’s just… another slap in the face, another injustice, on top of all of the grief that everybody in this community has already endured,” said Sandy Fonzo, whose son Edward committed suicide after being sent to a juvenile detention center for eight months after getting caught drinking underage. MOTHER RIPS BIDEN FOR COMMUTING SENTENCE FOR ‘KIDS-FOR-CASH’ JUDGE: ‘DEEPLY UPSETTING’ The administration commuted sentences for inmates who were on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic and who “have successfully reintegrated into their families and communities,” according to the announcement. This includes verification that the person’s primary or a prior offense was not violent, a sex offense, or terrorism-related; ensured a low or minimum recidivism risk; and confirmed that the person was not engaged in violent or gang-related activity while incarcerated. All were on good behavior, and the decisions were not made on an individual basis. Between 2017 and 2021, then-President Trump granted just 143 pardons and 93 sentence commutations – amounting to just 2% of the clemency applications that his administration received, according to available Justice Department data.
AOC loses bid to be top Democrat on powerful House Oversight Committee
Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was defeated in her bid to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, losing to Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia. Connolly bested Ocasio-Cortez with 131 to 84 votes in what is seen as a blow for progressives who backed Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the progressive “Squad.” “I thank my colleagues for their support and the confidence they’ve placed in me to lead House Democrats on the Oversight Committee,” Connolly said in a statement after being elected by the House Democratic Caucus.. Connolly called out “the Republican playbook,” in which he accused Republicans of using “debunked conspiracy theories” and enabling “the worst abuses of the Trump Administration.” ‘THERE’S ALWAYS CONSEQUENCES’: GOP REBELS PLOT MUTINY AGAINST JOHNSON OVER GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN DRAMA “This will be trench warfare.” Connolly said. “Now is not the time to be timid. I promise the American people that our Committee Democrats will be a beacon of truth and prepared from day one to counter Republican gaslighting.” TOP REPUBLICAN TOUTS ‘REAL MOTIVATION’ BEHIND HOUSE DOGE CAUCUS’ MISSION BEFORE FIRST MEETING Connolly said Democrats will be “disciplined” and “laser focused” on the kitchen table issues that are affecting the American people. “We will stand up for our democracy and for truth,” he said. “And we will protect the tremendous and historic progress we have made as House Democrats.” This is a breaking news story; check back for updates. Fox News’ Chad Pergram and Tyler Olson contributed to this report.
Majority of Americans optimistic about Trump agenda, poll finds, despite tariff concern
A majority of Americans say they are optimistic about the polices President-elect Trump will pursue in his incoming administration, according to a new poll from Monmouth University. The poll found that 53% of Americans are either very or somewhat optimistic about Trump’s second term. That is a slight rise from the weeks prior to his first term, when just 50% of Americans said they were optimistic. The only segment of Americans who are less optimistic about Trump’s second term than they were about his first are Democrats, with just 10% saying they look forward to the next four years. “It should come as no surprise there is a stark partisan divide on the Trump agenda. The real question is how these policies will affect American families, especially among those who voted for Trump in 2024,” Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute, said in a statement. The poll also found that Trump’s least popular policy is his tariff agenda, with 47% of respondents saying they expect tariffs will hurt their family and just 23% saying they expected it to help. One of Trump’s most popular polices is his plan to eliminate income tax for certain wages, with 48% of respondents saying the plan would help their family, compared to just 15% who say it would hurt. FORMER POLLSTER ANN SELZER HITS BACK AT CRITICISMS OVER IOWA POLL: ‘THEY ARE ACCUSING ME OF A CRIME’ Monmouth conducted the poll from Dec. 5-10, surveying 1,006 U.S. adults via phone interviews and online surveys. The poll advertises a margin of error of 3.9%. The poll comes as Trump is cruising toward his second inauguration and has begun targeting perceived enemies in the media. Trump on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against the Des Moines register and pollster Ann Selzer. The lawsuit claims the plaintiffs committed “brazen election interference” and fraud by publishing a final 2024 presidential poll showing Vice President Kamala Harris leading him in Iowa. Trump ultimately won the state by 13 points. SHOCK POLL HAS HARRIS LEADING TRUMP IN IOWA WITH 3-POINT SHIFT TOWARD VICE PRESIDENT IN RED STATE The lawsuit was filed Monday night in Polk County, Iowa under the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act and related provisions. It says it seeks “accountability for brazen election interference committed by” the Des Moines Register (DMR) and Selzer “in favor of now-defeated former Democrat candidate Kamala Harris through use of a leaked and manipulated Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll conducted by Selzer and S&C and published by DMR and Gannett in the Des Moines Register on Nov. 2, 2024.” The lawsuit is also against the parent company of the Des Moines Register, Gannett, which also owns other publications, including USA Today. Trump attorneys said Selzer had “prided herself on a mainstream reputation for accuracy despite several far less publicized egregious polling misses in favor of Democrats” and said she “would have the public believe it was merely a coincidence that one of the worst polling misses of her career came just days before the most consequential election in memory, was leaked and happened to go against the Republican candidate.” “The Harris Poll was no ‘miss’ but rather an attempt to influence the outcome of the 2024 Presidential Election,” the lawsuit states, adding that “defendants and their cohorts in the Democrat Party hoped that the Harris Poll would create a false narrative of inevitability for Harris in the final week of the 2024 Presidential Election.” “Instead, the November 5 election was a monumental victory for President Trump in both the Electoral College and the Popular Vote, an overwhelming mandate for his America First principles, and the consignment of the radical socialist agenda to the dustbin of history.” The lawsuit notes that Selzer, after more than 35 years in the industry, “retired in disgrace from polling less than two weeks after this embarrassing rout.” Fox News’ Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
‘There’s always consequences’: GOP rebels plot mutiny against Johnson over government shutdown drama
House GOP hardliners are furious with how congressional leaders are handling the ongoing government funding talks, with some even suggesting they could withhold support from House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to head their conference again over his handling of the matter. Negotiators are working on a short-term extension of current government funding levels known as a continuing resolution (CR). A bill must pass the House and Senate by the end of Friday, Dec. 20 to avoid a partial government shutdown just before the holidays. “The speaker definitely has some ‘no’ votes and some people considering their options,” one GOP lawmaker granted anonymity to speak candidly told Fox News Digital on Tuesday. That lawmaker also accused Johnson of using President-elect Donald Trump’s own support for the Louisiana Republican as cover. MIKE JOHNSON WINS REPUBLICAN SUPPORT TO BE HOUSE SPEAKER AGAIN Johnson won unanimous support to be speaker again in House Republicans’ closed-door elections earlier this year, hours after Trump told lawmakers he supported him. He needs almost the same level of support in early January, when the entire House votes to elect a new speaker. With just a slim majority, Johnson can only afford to lose a few members of the House GOP to still win the gavel. Former House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry, R-Pa., was asked by Fox News on Monday night if, depending on Johnson’s handling of the CR, some Republicans could initially vote against him on Jan. 3. “I think that’s potentially a possibility,” Perry said. REPUBLICANS GIVE DETAILS FROM CLOSED-DOOR MEETINGS WITH DOGE DUO Another Republican said they would consider opposing Johnson’s speakership bid in January if it were not for Trump’s backing. “Everything’s got consequences,” Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., said when asked if Johnson’s handling of the CR would impact the January vote. Several Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital said they felt blindsided by what they viewed as last-minute additions to the CR, which they anticipated would be relatively free of unrelated policy riders. Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., was furious about health care provisions included in discussions in recent days that would lessen the power of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs). He said Johnson indicated that the CR would be a “clean” funding extension without added policies. “We talked with the speaker up until this weekend, the only discussion was ‘How long is this clean CR going to be?’ And suddenly we find out – I heard rumors over the weekend – they’re negotiating with a health care package that included PBM stuff,” Burlison said. “I think it’s absolutely disgusting to bring forward a several-thousand-page bill that nobody’s read, even today, nobody’s even seen it, and then they expect us to vote on it without any debate.” DANIEL PENNY TO BE TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told reporters, “Swamp is going to swamp, right?” “Fourteen hundred pages. Still haven’t seen the text. Multiple subject matters. Important health care legislation in the context of extenders piled on the back of a three-month CR with about $110 billion unpaid for,” Roy said. “This is not the way to do business.” Roy has also spoken out against a rumored provision expanding ethanol sales. “E15 should not be in this disastrous CR/Supplemental, among most of the things being discussed – including a PBM bill that Pharma is dancing in the streets over… Call me crazy, but we should reduce the deficit and not pass stupid policies,” Roy wrote on X. The legislative text for the CR was originally expected to come out on Sunday, but as of late Tuesday morning, negotiations were close to an end but still ongoing. It is putting lawmakers perilously close to their Friday shutdown deadline. Johnson dismissed any concerns about his job during his weekly press conference Tuesday. “I’m not worried about the speaker vote,” he said. “We’re governing. Everybody knows we have difficult circumstances. We’re doing the very best we can under those circumstances.” Johnson also maintained he wanted to give lawmakers 72 hours to read the bill before a vote – meaning it would come Friday earliest if released today. However, even rank-and-file lawmakers who are not threatening Johnson’s job said there are frustrations about the situation. Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., whose district has a significant agricultural sector, said some lawmakers were concerned that farm policy provisions in the CR would hinder Congress’ negotiation for a new Farm Bill, comprehensive legislation setting food and agricultural policy that is set to expire this year. The CR is expected to include a one-year extension of the current Farm Bill, plus added subsidies. “I think there are members that just wish we were being a bit more comprehensive and deliberate in passing a Farm Bill,” Fitzgerald said. “There’s been very little back-and-forth with members on specific issues.” Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.