‘Dangerous’: US attacks on Yemen’s Houthis belie push for de-escalation
For months, top United States officials have repeatedly said that President Joe Biden does not want to see Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip escalate into a wider conflict in the Middle East. That was the central message US Secretary of State Antony Blinken conveyed this week as he made his fourth visit to the region since the war began. His trip came in the shadow of Israeli attacks in Lebanon and attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on vessels in the Red Sea. “The Red Sea — we want to avoid escalation there,” Blinken said in Cairo on Thursday, when asked about his efforts to prevent the conflict from spiralling. But only hours later, the US confirmed it had collaborated with the United Kingdom to launch “strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels”, in coordination with a handful of other countries. Experts and rights advocates warn that the attacks clash with the Biden administration’s stated goals of de-escalation and fail to address the root cause of the soaring tensions in the region: Israel’s military assault on Gaza. “It does run contrary to what the administration has been saying, but it was also inevitable,” said Hassan El-Tayyab, legislative director for Middle East policy at Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker advocacy group in Washington, DC. “Everybody watching this situation knew that it was a matter of time before the war in Gaza spilled out across the region. And we’re seeing that not only in the Red Sea, but we’re also seeing it in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq,” he told Al Jazeera. “Without that ceasefire in Gaza, it’s hard to see how this gets better. And I think the simmering pot is now boiling over, and it’s just going to get worse and worse as time goes on. It’s really a very dangerous moment.” Red Sea attacks On Friday, a senior US official told the Reuters news agency that more than 150 munitions had been used to hit nearly 30 locations linked to the Houthi armed group in Yemen. The Iran-aligned Houthis control large swaths of Yemen including the western coast overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which leads to the Red Sea. The group began firing missiles at Israel and attacking commercial ships shortly after the war on Gaza began in October. The group has said it is targeting Israel-linked vessels as part of an effort to pressure the Israeli government to end its Gaza bombardment and allow more humanitarian aid deliveries into the coastal Palestinian enclave. The attacks in the Red Sea — a key commercial thoroughfare through which about 12 percent of global trade transits — led shipping companies to suspend operations in the area and drew condemnation from the US and its allies. In mid-December, Washington launched a multinational force aimed at defending “freedom of navigation” in the Red Sea, and at the end of the month, US forces sank three Houthi boats, killing 10 fighters. During a news conference from Egypt’s capital on Thursday, Blinken condemned the Houthis and noted that the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution a day earlier urging the group to end its attacks. “We have a number of countries that have made clear that, if it doesn’t stop, there’ll have to be consequences, and unfortunately, it hasn’t stopped. But we want to make sure that it does, and we’re prepared to do that,” the top US diplomat said. Brian Finucane, a senior US programme adviser at the International Crisis Group think tank, said it was widely expected that the US would launch attacks against the Houthis in Yemen amid the escalating Red Sea confrontations. But Finucane — who previously worked at the US State Department, advising on the use of military force — told Al Jazeera that the Yemen strikes show that the Biden administration “has adopted a posture of self-deception and a self-defeating policy”. “On the one hand, they repeat in this mantra-like fashion their desire to avoid a wider regional war. On the other hand, we already have that wider regional war and the underlying cause … is the conflict in Gaza, which the US is fuelling through unconditional military support [for Israel],” he said. ‘Arsonist and firefighter’ Biden, who confirmed the strikes on Thursday, said his administration was sending “a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes”. “I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary,” the US president said in a statement, which did not mention the Israeli war in Gaza. Earlier this month, a senior administration official also rejected the Houthis’ claim that their attacks in the Red Sea are tied to Gaza, calling that rationale “illegitimate”. The war in Gaza has killed more than 23,700 Palestinians since October 7, prompting widespread international outcry and raising questions about the risk of genocide. According to Finucane, the US’s failure to “acknowledge reality” — that the Gaza war lies at the heart of current regional tensions — “will make it very difficult to craft effective policy”. And while the US said its overnight Yemen strikes were “intended to disrupt and degrade the Houthis’ capabilities”, Finucane questioned whether they would really stem the Red Sea attacks. The Houthis in Yemen have already withstood years of bombings in a war led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The group is currently in talks with Riyadh over a lasting ceasefire. “I think it’s really important to recognise that the US is simultaneously playing the role of arsonist and firefighter in the Middle East,” Finucane said. “It is pouring fuel on the fire in Gaza, while at the same time trying to tamp down the flare-ups elsewhere in the region — flare-ups that endanger US service members.” Gaza ceasefire key Shireen Al-Adeimi, a Yemeni American assistant professor
Prosecutors in Peru seek 34-year sentence for ex-President Castillo
Former President Pedro Castillo is accused of ‘carrying out a coup’ after he attempted to dissolve Congress in 2022. Peru’s prosecutor’s office has formally requested 34 years in prison for former President Pedro Castillo, who was dramatically removed from office and arrested after his attempt to dissolve Congress in late 2022. Castillo, whose removal sparked off months of deadly protests that hit the key mining sector in the copper-rich country, remains in pre-trial detention. On Friday, the public prosecution office wrote on social media that it sought the jail term for “crimes of rebellion, abuse of authority and serious disturbance of public peace”. In the request presented to the court, Castillo is accused of “carrying out a coup d’etat”. Castillo, a former teacher from rural Peru, elected in 2012, was the first leader of the Andean nation with no ties to the elites and was hailed as the country’s first poor president. Once he took up the position, the leftist leader was locked in a power struggle with the opposition-led Congress and was accused by the attorney general of leading a criminal organisation involving his family and allies that handed out public contracts for money. Before his removal in December 2022, Castillo said the plan to “temporarily” dissolve Congress was to “reestablish the rule of law and democracy” in the country. However, opposition politicians said the decision went against Peru’s constitution, and Congress voted overwhelmingly to remove him from the country’s top position. Castillo has argued that he was the victim of a political conspiracy between the right-wing opposition and the attorney general. “I never took up arms,” he has told court hearings since his arrest. Castillo was replaced by his vice president, Dina Boluarte, who faced protests as some called for her to step down and hold an early election. A crackdown by security forces killed about 50 people, according to an estimate by Human Rights Watch, which accused Peruvian authorities of extrajudicial and arbitrary killings. While Boluarte is facing a probe over the deaths of the protesters, she maintains immunity until her term ends in 2026. Adblock test (Why?)
Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler says we need ‘many illegal immigrants’ in the country to pick vegetables
Rep. Jerry Nadler on Thursday argued the U.S. needs “many illegal immigrants” in the country to pick vegetables and keep them from rotting. The New York Democrat made the remark during a House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement hearing about the “Impact of Illegal Immigration on Social Services.” “We need immigrants in this country,” Nadler said. “Forget the fact that our vegetables would rot in the ground if they weren’t being picked by many immigrants — many illegal immigrants. “The fact is the birth rate in this country is way below replacement level, which means our population is going to start shrinking,” he added. “And the ratio of people on Social Security and Medicare is going to increase relative to the number of people supporting them.” TEXAS SEIZES CONTROL OF PARK, BLOCKS BORDER PATROL FROM ENTERING, AS PART OF ANTI-ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION EFFORTS Nadler’s comments drew the attention of social media users. “Yes, all the millions of illegals from 150+ countries spanning the globe are going to Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, New York, etc. to work in the fields,” Stephen Miller, who served as a senior adviser to former President Trump, said on X. “What a tired, vapid, exhausted and stupid cliche. Just utter nonsense.” BIDEN LAWSUIT OVER TEXAS IMMIGRATION LAW LATEST ATTEMPT TO STIFLE STATE’S MOVES TO STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION Nadler is not the only Democrat who has made this argument. In 2022, California Rep. Nancy Pelosi said farmers need illegal immigrants “to pick the crops” in Florida. Last year, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz said vegetables in her state would start “rotting” due to an anti-illegal immigrant law. The illegal immigration crisis experienced a record-breaking month in December, with over 300,000 encounters at the southern border. The influx has continued to strain communities as migrants are bussed from the southern border to the north. Groups of migrants have been transported by bus and plane in an act of protest from southern states, most prominently Texas. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began sending them to New York City and other sanctuary jurisdictions last year. Abbott’s office has said it has sent around 27,000 migrants to New York City since then and has done so to relieve pressure on the border communities.
Georgia Republicans considering Medicaid expansion risk backlash from primary voters
The prospect — albeit still dim — that Georgia could fully expand Medicaid has prompted Democrats and patient advocates to turn up the pressure on Republicans in the state legislature to act. But political experts, advocates and policy analysts say GOP lawmakers face significant headwinds to approving a plan they have long derided as wasteful, and that could ultimately doom the effort. “There’s reason to be a little more optimistic than one year or two years ago, but there’s not a groundswell of support and willingness to change the status quo on the part of the Republican members of the legislature,” said Harry Heiman, a health policy professor at Georgia State University. GOV. KEMP TOUTS GEORGIA VICTORIES, FIRES SHOTS AT WASHINGTON DC The biggest obstacle is Georgia Pathways, the state’s limited Medicaid expansion that includes the nation’s only work requirement for Medicaid recipients, said Laura Colbert, executive director of the advocacy group Georgians for a Healthy Future. Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has championed the program, which launched in July. Though it is off to a rocky start, with just under 2,350 people enrolled as of mid-December, the Kemp administration has sought to extend it past its September 2025 expiration date. “Governor Kemp has put a lot of political capital into Pathways,” Colbert said. Colbert said she was optimistic that Georgia lawmakers would eventually approve a fuller expansion of coverage for low-income adults, but not necessarily this year. Kyle Wingfield, president of the conservative Georgia Public Policy Foundation, said he, too, was skeptical Kemp would be willing to retreat from Pathways. He also warned that Republican lawmakers could face backlash for any Medicaid deal from Republican primary voters. Expanding Medicaid to low-income adults who make up to 138% of the federal poverty level, with the federal government picking up 90% of the cost, was a key part of the Affordable Care Act. Georgia is among 10 states that have not done it. Wingfield said he thinks Republicans in Washington, and to a lesser extent in Georgia, have accepted that the Affordable Care Act is here to stay, but that acceptance may not be shared by rank-and-file GOP primary voters. “When it comes to the voters in a Republican primary, I don’t think I’d want to be the one finding that out,” he said. INVESTIGATE GEORGIA DA FANI WILLIS BEFORE TRUMP TRIAL But Brian Robinson, a Republican political consultant who counts the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals and House GOP caucus among his clients, says he thinks Republicans face little risk from primary opponents if they vote for Medicaid. “The political issue of the danger has faded over the time,” Robinson said. “We’ve had some mini-expansions in Georgia and there’s been no blowback on Republicans. In fact they’ve proudly touted it for groups like new mothers.” Republicans in Georgia also risk alienating the conservative organization Americans for Prosperity with a vote to expand Medicaid coverage. The group is opposed to expansion, even as part of a deal that would repeal permitting requirements for hospitals and health services, said Tony West, the group’s Georgia State Director. That sort of deal has emerged as a possible compromise between Republicans and Democrats. West wants lawmakers to focus solely on repealing the permitting requirements and leave Medicaid expansion by the wayside. “I think we’re taking our eye off the ball,” he said. Conversely, Wingfield raised the possibility that some Democrats could balk at a deal, noting that Medicaid expansion has been a key political issue for the party in Georgia. “What do they gain from taking one of their signature issues off the table and letting the Republicans claim a large share of the credit for it?” he asked. At least for now, Democrats in the General Assembly don’t appear concerned about losing their ability to hammer the GOP on Medicaid. The Democratic caucus organized a lengthy hearing Wednesday focused on the economic and health benefits of expansion that featured health care providers, advocates and policy experts. In opening remarks, Democratic state Rep. Michelle Au, a doctor, noted Georgia had one of the highest rates of uninsured residents in the country and some of its worst health outcomes. “As we start this 2024 legislative session, it is my hope that all options are on the table,” she said.
Vermont House passes ‘safe’ injection site bill as state grapples with opioid death surge
As Vermont grapples with rising opioid overdose deaths, the House has passed a bill that would allow for the creation of overdose prevention centers in the state that would include safe injection sites — places where people can use heroin and other narcotics under the supervision of trained staff and be revived if they take too much. The legislation, approved by the House on Thursday after emotional testimony, now goes to the state Senate. Vermont has had consecutive record high numbers of opioid overdose deaths in recent years. In 2022, there were 243 such deaths, more than the record 217 in 2021, said Rep. Taylor Small, a Progressive-Democrat from Winooski and a member of the House Human Services Committee. As of the end of September of 2023, the state had 180 in nine months last year. VERMONT LEGISLATURE RECONVENES FOR NEW SESSION “We are at a crisis point. We have been in an overdose death crisis for too long. And in a year where public safety seems to be at the forefront of our priorities, it is clear that we need to expand our approach to address this crisis,” Small told colleagues on Wednesday. The drugs bought and sold in Vermont are becoming increasingly dangerous and deadly, Small said, referring to fentanyl, the animal tranquilizer xylazine and gabapentin. Rep. Emilie Kornheiser, a Democrat from Brattleboro, said one of her favorite things about living in a small community is watching the town’s kids grow up. “In the last 10 years, I’ve watched those children die,” she said, her voice cracking. “I’ve also grieved the deaths of my friends’ precious children, of my own loved ones, of clients. And we can’t go on like this. I want my community to stay alive, and I want us in this body to do everything we can to make that happen.” Supporters say such centers save lives and connect people with addiction treatment, mental health services and medical care. But some Vermont lawmakers who opposed the bill said such centers would allow illegal drug use and enable drug users. They also raised concerns about minors using drugs at them. Republican Gov. Phil Scott has said he is opposed to the idea and vetoed similar legislation two years ago.
Haley cancels in-person campaign stops, all but two DeSantis events also scrapped due to Iowa blizzard
The temperatures were in the mid-teens, the winds were howling, and eight inches of snow had already covered the roads, with more coming down on Friday morning. But the blast of winter weather didn’t stop Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis from holding an early morning campaign event in suburban Des Moines, with three days to go until the Iowa caucuses lead off the Republican presidential nominating calendar. “I’m really impressed that so many people came out, given the weather,” DeSantis said to the crowd who came out to hear him and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds — who’s backing him — addressed the crowd at a meeting of the Northside Conservatives Club. NEW POLL SUGGESTS HALEY’S MOVED INTO SECOND PLACE IN FINAL DAYS AHEAD OF IOWA CAUCUSES And minutes later, DeSantis said in a Fox News Digital interview that “we want people to be safe” in the tough weather conditions. But he pledged, “I’m going to show up” and emphasized that with the clock ticking toward the caucuses, “I’m going to use every minute I can to be able to win votes.” WAS THE CANDIDATE WHO SKIPPED OUT ON THIS WEEK’S IOWA DEBATE THE WINNER OF THE COMBATIVE SHOWDOWN? While the weather didn’t sidetrack DeSantis’ first campaign stop of the day, his remaining four stops in northern, central and eastern Iowa, which were being organized by Never Back Down, his aligned super PAC, were postponed. Due to the rough road conditions across the Hawkeye State, the campaign of former ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley canceled their in-person events on Friday and instead were holding tele-town halls. “I’m sorry I’m not in Fort Dodge, but it was important for me to talk to you,” Haley emphasized at the top of one of her events. WHAT NIKKI HALEY TOLD FOX NEWS ABOUT CHRIS CHRISTIE’S HOT MIC MOMENT Asked if Haley should have hit the campaign trail regardless of the weather, DeSantis told Fox News “that’s for her to decide.” “I believe in interacting with the voters,” he emphasized. “And anytime I get a chance to do that, I do it. And I think it helps us. We end up converting people.” DeSantis did head over to his campaign headquarters in suburban Des Moines in the afternoon to speak with volunteers who were making calls to urge supporters to attend Monday’s caucuses. HALEY KNOCKS MEDIA OVER EXPECTATIONS BUT PREDICTS ‘BIG SHOWING’ IN IOWA The latest polls in Iowa indicate that DeSantis and Haley are battling for a distant second place behind former President Donald Trump, who remains the commanding front-runner in the caucus and in national surveys, as he makes his third straight White House run. Haley, who’s soared in recent months, now has second place all to herself and is closing the gap with Trump in New Hampshire, which holds the first primary and second overall contest in the GOP nominating calendar eight days after Iowa votes. Asked whether he’s heading on to New Hampshire regardless of his finish in Iowa, DeSantis reiterated “We’re going to be in New Hampshire. Yeah.” And he teased that “we’ll announce some town halls.” DeSantis in recent weeks has seemingly upped his criticism of Trump in his stump speeches and in interviews. DeSantis pointed toward Dr. Anthony Fauci as he told the crowd, “The former president was out here the other day doing a town hall, and he said he had nothing to do with Fauci. And he said I was the one that was involved with Fauci. That is gaslighting. That is revisionist history. He elevated Fauci.” Fauci, who for nearly four decades served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was the public face of the White House efforts to battle the coronavirus during the Trump presidency. He later served as top medical adviser to President Biden before retiring. DeSantis, who soared in popularity among conservatives nationwide for his vocal pushback against COVID restrictions from the federal government, has long targeted Fauci. Minutes later, in his interview, DeSantis argued that Trump “tries to gaslight and tries to blame me on it, even though he’s on tape in 2020 praising Florida for being open and praising Florida for being free, because he knows it’s a vulnerability for him. . . . He’s just not willing to admit that he made a mistake on that.” Responding, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, in a statement to Fox News, charged that “Ron DeSantis and his entire campaign is just one giant gaslight of the American people. That’s why he keeps falling further and further, as his political career is dead.” Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
House Republicans will move forward to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress
House Republicans will move forward to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for refusing to testify in front of lawmakers about his business dealings. “Hunter Biden has already defied two valid, lawful subpoenas,” said a joint statement from House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. “For now, the House of Representatives will move forward with holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress until such time that Hunter Biden confirms a date to appear for a private deposition in accordance with his legal obligation.” HOUSE GOP SAYS HUNTER BIDEN ‘VIOLATED FEDERAL LAW’ BY DEFYING SUBPOENA, PREPARE CONTEMPT RESOLUTION Earlier this week, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and House Judiciary Committee passed a resolution recommending the House of Representatives find Biden in contempt of Congress for defying a lawful subpoena. “House Republicans have been resolute in demanding Hunter Biden sit for a deposition in the ongoing impeachment inquiry, the joint statement said. “While we are heartened that Hunter Biden now says he will comply with a subpoena, make no mistake: Hunter Biden has already defied two valid, lawful subpoenas. Instead of appearing for his deposition on December 13, 2023, Hunter Biden appeared on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol where he made a public statement without taking any questions. Then this week at the Oversight Committee’s markup of his contempt resolution, Hunter Biden pulled another stunt as he continued to defy duly issued subpoenas.” Hunter Biden has said his father, President Biden, was never financially involved in his business dealings, including his work with Ukrainian natural gas firm Burisma Holdings or Chinese firms. On Friday, Hunter Biden’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, told the House Oversight and House Judiciary Committees that if a new subpoena is issued under the “duly authorized impeachment inquiry,” the first son “will comply for a hearing or deposition.” Hunter Biden, ahead of his subpoenaed deposition on Dec. 13, offered to testify publicly. Comer and Jordan rejected his request, saying he would not have special treatment and pointed to the dozens of other witnesses who have appeared, as compelled, for their interviews and depositions. Comer and Jordan vowed to release the transcript of Hunter Biden’s deposition. Biden defied the subpoena and delivered a public statement outside the Capitol. At the time, he said his father “was not financially involved in my business.” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that President Biden and first lady Jill Biden were “proud” of their son for “continuing to rebuild his life.” The White House has repeatedly said that the President had no knowledge of his son’s business dealings. Comer and Jordan said they will work to schedule a deposition date but would not “tolerate any additional stunts or delay” from the younger Biden. “The American people will not tolerate, and the House will not provide, special treatment for the Biden family,” they said. Fox News Digital’s Thomas Catenacci and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Rep. Rosendale vows to restore Trump-era policies with immigration package: ‘Biden is destroying our country’
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., on Friday introduced a broad immigration package that includes measures to “shut down the border” and reverse key Biden-era policies that Republicans blame for the historic crisis at the southern border. The package introduces or reintroduces five bills that would limit entries into the U.S., restore Trump policies that Republicans have credited for slowing illegal immigration and limit the effects of immigration on the U.S. The “Remain in Mexico Act” would restore the Trump-era policy of the same name that kept migrants in Mexico as they waited for their asylum hearings rather than being released into the U.S. Supporters of the program said it stopped a key pull factor drawing migrants to the border but was shut down by the Biden administration, which called it ineffective and inhumane. HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE TO HOLD HEARING ON BIDEN ADMIN ‘EFFORTS TO UNDERMINE’ IMMIGRATION LAW Another bill in the package would make it a federal crime to flee from law enforcement at checkpoints, changing current law that only makes it illegal to do so in a vehicle at high speed. Meanwhile, the American Worker Protection Act is focused on legal immigration and would codify a Trump-era rule regarding H-1B visas, a controversial guest worker program used predominantly by Big Tech. REPUBLICANS, DEMS SPAR AT MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT HEARING AS STATE AGS DESCRIBE IMPACT OF MIGRANT CRISIS The rule, an effort to prevent American workers from being replaced by cheaper foreign competitors, would have changed the methodology for the wage level that must be met by those seeking to bring in foreign workers instead of the current lottery system. That rule was scrapped by the Biden administration. Rosendale’s Mass Immigration Reduction Act would also create a moratorium on most immigration for five years, and it would only be lifted once the number of illegal crossings is under 10,000 a year. In fiscal 2023, there were more than 2.4 million such crossings. A version of that bill was first introduced in the early 2000s. Finally, the Count Only Citizens Act would require the Census Bureau to include a citizenship and legal presence question in the census so that illegal immigrants are not counted for the purposes of congressional representation. President Trump had pushed for a similar move, but it was unsuccessful. MAYORKAS TELLS BORDER PATROL AGENTS THAT ‘ABOVE 85%’ OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS RELEASED INTO US: SOURCES “Biden is destroying our country with his open border policies,” Rosendale said in a statement. “My immigration bills will set the proper mechanisms in place to shut down the border, give DHS the tools to pursue criminals evading border checkpoints, encourage American companies to hire American employees, protect taxpayer dollars by only counting citizens in the census and require those waiting on an immigration hearing to wait in Mexico. “This package puts into statute the many successful policies that President Trump implemented and will not only tackle the crisis head on, but it will also reverse the reckless, crime-encouraging, open-border policies of the Biden administration.” The package is the latest effort by Republicans to tackle the ongoing crisis at the southern border. Republicans have blamed the Biden administration for rolling back Trump-era policies and expanding releases into the U.S. interior. The administration says it is dealing with a Hemisphere-wide crisis and needs more funding and comprehensive immigration reform — including greater legal immigration and an amnesty for illegal immigrants — from Congress. But Republicans instead have eyed more restrictions on asylum and releases as part of any supplemental funding deal and, as Rosendale’s bill package shows, there is an appetite among some members for placing some restrictions on legal immigration as well.
Biden says Austin had lapse in judgment following hospitalization debacle, says he still has confidence in him
President Biden admitted Friday that it was a lapse in judgment for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin not to tell him or the public about his hospitalization last week, but he still has confidence in his Pentagon chief’s leadership. During a visit to small businesses outside Allentown, Pennsylvania, Biden said “yes” when asked by reporters if it was a lapse in judgment for Austin not to tell him about his condition. When a reporter asked him if he still has confidence in Austin’s leadership following his hospitalization debacle, Biden replied, “I do.” WHITE HOUSE LAUNCHING REVIEW OF CABINET PROTOCOLS AFTER DEFENSE SECRETARY’S SECRET HOSPITALIZATION: MEMO Austin, 70, remains hospitalized as he is being treated for complications following prostate cancer surgery. The Pentagon publicly revealed on Jan. 5 that Austin had been in the hospital since Jan. 1 due to complications from elective surgery. PENTAGON OFFICIALS STUNNED BY DEFENSE SECRETARY KEEPING CANCER DIAGNOSIS SECRET FROM BIDEN But it was later revealed that not only was the media kept in the dark, the highest levels of the White House and top officials in the Pentagon itself were not aware until Jan. 4 that Austin was in the hospital. The non-disclosure prompted a flurry of bipartisan concern, with top Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate Armed Services committees calling for more transparency about the incident. In a statement to Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy, the White House confirmed that Biden continued to have “full trust and confidence” in the Pentagon’s leader. “The President has full trust and confidence in Secretary Austin. He’s looking forward to him being back at the Pentagon,” the official said. The Pentagon echoed the White House sentiment in a statement to Fox News Digital on Monday, saying Austin also has no plans to resign. “Secretary Austin has no plans to resign,” Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said. “He remains focused on conducting his duties as Secretary of Defense in defense of our nation.” Austin’s hospital stay began on New Year’s Day. Details of his visit remain slim, beyond that he was there for an elective procedure. The Associated Press and Fox News’ Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Trump a ‘clear threat’ to Europe, central bank chief Lagarde warns
The prospect of former President Donald Trump’s re-election in 2024 would be a “threat” to Europe, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said on Thursday. In an interview on French television, Lagarde criticized the Republican presidential frontrunner and said that his return to the White House would harm the relationship between the United States and the European Union. “If we draw lessons from history, by which I mean to say the manner in which he (Trump) carried out the first four years of his mandate, it is clearly a threat,” Lagarde told France 2 TV. “You just have to look at the trade tariffs, you just have to look at his commitment regarding NATO, you just have to look at his attitude regarding the battle against climate change,” she added. ECB PRESIDENT CHRISTINE LAGARDE: ECONOMIC DATA IN FRANCE, GERMANY, SPAIN IS ‘ENCOURAGING’ In additional remarks, Lagarde expressed confidence that even if Trump were to win reelection this year, Congress would not permit him to end financial and military aid to Ukraine. “You mustn’t forget that even in a presidential system like the American one, the Congress has considerable strength,” she said, according to The Telegraph. Asked if a second Trump term would leave Europe isolated in support of Ukraine, Lagarde replied, “In the US Congress, there are a number of elected members who are deeply hostile to Russia’s horrific war against Ukraine and who will continue to finance and support Ukraine.” The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. TRUMP MOCKS BIDEN WITH ‘WHITE HOUSE SENIOR LIVING’ VIDEO: ‘WHERE RESIDENTS FEEL LIKE PRESIDENTS’ Trump’s first term in office from 2017 to 2020 was characterized by a confrontational, and even at times adversarial, attitude towards U.S. allies in Europe. In asserting an “America First” agenda, Trump favored higher tariffs on foreign goods and accused NATO partners of failing to fulfill their defense spending obligations under the alliance. Trump also broke with European leaders on climate change, withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate agreement, a voluntary pact which would have committed partnered nations to set emissions reduction targets. Trump argued the energy restrictions required to meet those targets would have cost American jobs and would have handicapped America’s ability to compete economically with Russia and China. On Ukraine, Trump blamed President Biden’s “weak” foreign policy for the Russian invasion at a Fox News town hall earlier this week. Trump argued that “getting along with people with hundreds of nuclear weapons is not a bad thing,” before suggesting that foreign leaders view the current Commander in Chief as “weak.” FOX NEWS CHANNEL’S TRUMP TOWN HALL CRUSHES VIEWERSHIP OF CNN’S HALEY-DESANTIS DEBATE “You know, they want to make it like a bad thing. It’s a very good thing. But peace through strength. They didn’t want to mess around. It would have never happened in Ukraine. Russia would have never gone in, would have never happened. The recent attack on Israel would have never happened,” Trump said. “They see a weak president in our country,” Trump said of Biden, “and they did something that was unthinkable. So we’re going to have peace through strength. We’re not going to have to fight.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Trump appears to be sailing toward the Republican nomination for president in 2024, holding a commanding polling lead against his rivals ahead of the Iowa caucuses on Monday. Fox News’ Aubrie Spady and Reuters contributed to this report.